Dolno Gradište

Dolno Gradiste is a Late Roman fortified settlement on a prominent hill between the gorges of the Mala and Golema rivers near Kocani, North Macedonia. Built in the late 3rd to 4th century AD as part of a defensive system against advancing northern tribes, the site sits in territory historically inhabited by the Paeonian tribe of the Derrones. First documented by archaeologist M. Garashanin in 1959 and noted by A. Keramidchiev in 1964, systematic excavations began in 2004 to salvage the site before road construction. The fortification served to protect key routes along the Bregalnica River valley.