PROSEK (STENAE)
On the biggest European road E-75, that in Macedonia leads on the valley of the river Vardar from Skopje to Solun (Thessaloniki) is located the archeological site, Prosek also known as Stenae. Located in the canyon of Demir Kapija which on Turkish means, Iron Door, where the rocks are high even up to 220 meters.
The ancient living place, located on this areas had excellent strategical and war position in the past epochs. The stone massifs are located on the both sides on the river Vardar. On the left are Markov Grad and Kale - Strezov Grad and on the right side is Ramnište. From all of them are kept ruins of their defensive walls. The inside fortress - the acropolis of Markov Grad is built of stones, without cement. There were discovered a lot of ceramics from the classical and the Hellenistic period and a lot of hellenistic coins, which prove the existing of the town even before the roman period. Beside the fact of building in the Archaic period the technique of building has Paionian scars. After a big period was built late ancient wall of stones and cement built on the outdoor side, from which can be seen 4 towers today.
Eastern of Markov Grad, on the highest rock 220 meters, are located the ruins of the main and the biggest fortress with complex architectural and building structure, known as Kale - Strezov Grad. This main fortress oriented on north - south, has had two acropolis. The characteristics of its buildings structures dating from the Byzantine period and the repairs from the middle ages. On the south side, on the area called Ramnište, are located ruins of town, long 120 meters. Under this area is the area Manastir where can be seen ancient road long 20 meters. In the early antique on this place has been kept the passing site from Macedonia to the bordering Paionia. Later this locations was in use to keep the ancient town Salonica and the country of the Aegean Sea, from the attacks that were coming from north. The strategical meaning of Demir Kapija stays all over the middle ages, as important protection of the north invasions.
The name of the living place, that is mentioned still has not been discovered. On the map of Poytingeroius, on XI roman miles of Antigoneia, is located the place Stenae (on ancient Greek means, canyon). With the same meaning are and the middle ages name Prosek, as the Turkish, Demir Kapija. The name Stenae is name only of the canyon, not the the town. At this region can be located the unidentified town of Almana.
In the middle ages in the period of the ruler Stefan Dečanski (1196-1228), in the town of Prosek is mentioned the name of the archont Dobromir Hrs. Later, around 1328 the town was taken by the Serbs. And in the year of 1396, the town falls under Ottoman rule.
The first archeological researches were made of base of the collections of ancient towns in the region the Vardar valley. In the period of building the railroad, before the year of 1873 were discovered rich archeological content. This happened again while the main Balkan road, E-75 was constructed, in 1938-1940. By the archeological researches made in the period of 1948-1952, is discovered necropolis with rich contents. The researches of the locality Crkvište made in the period of 1952-1954, and later in the 70-ties, gave important documents about the life of this areas.
The start of the life in the canyon of Prosek, can be located in the Archaic period. In this area were discovered ceramic products, jewelry, coins, brought from the Aegean. The material found in the tombs is antique ceramic in red-figural style dating at the end of V and IV century BC. The ancient Greeks here formed a small colony. After the fall under Roman rule, the territory of this town got larger to the area of Bošava. The last researches proved existing of an middle ages town Strezov Grad - Kale. The feudal ruler Strez, settled in this city.
