Ruins of a little late-Roman fortress, part of the defense system of the Romans in nowadays Northern Bulgaria, archaeologists have found by excavations in Svalenik village.

The fortress was raised in IV Century as a watch fortification, controlling the road in the River Valley of Malki Lom River.
For now archaeologist revealed the south wall and two inner rooms of the fortress.
The finds- coins and pottery- give a reason to claim the fortress had survived after the big Huns and Goths invasions in the V century, but as an already fortified settlement of agriculture population.
Some objects, especially ceramic pottery and arrow gads shows life here proceeded through the period of Second Bulgarian kingdom.

source: news.bg

A sensational golden discovery was made in the South of Sakar Mountain by a team of archaeologists under the governance of Ph.D. Borislav Borislavov from Sofia University “Climent Ohridski” and Nadezhda Ivanova – vice-chief (National Institute Of Archaeology And Museum – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

The excavations were sponsored by the Ministry of Culture through the National History Museum, the sum amounting of 22 000 leva, announced NHM director Bozhidar Dimitrov.
The expedition explored a mound in the surroundings of Izvorovo village, Harmanli Municipality.
The mound is 31 m in diameter, 2, 9 m in height. Two stages of heaping were determined.
The first dates back to the second half of the 2nd millennium B.C. (middle bronze age) and the second – to the 2nd century A.C. (Romanian period)
During the Bronze Age a rubble and stamped clay platform was shaped, over which a funeral device was built. It is in fact a mould of quartz with a clay foundation, 8 m in diameter and 2 m in height.
At its foundation a crematory funeral was performed. The remains were put in a richly decorated clay pot and dispersed around the stones.
At the same level treasures which of extreme importance were found having in mind the period – a golden jewel, consisting of 320 beads: small spherical (2 mm) taking turns with big barley-shaped beads (7 mm), 1, 5 m all, two golden spindle-shaped objects, with a solar decoration, a golden and a silver tile, tied together with a sliver knit, a silver ring and a bronze knife with a stone hone.
Golden finds of the same kind have been found only on Crete – these finds, however, outnumber them almost 15 times.
Ph.D. Borislavov suspects that it is the mould of a man of utmost importance – a ruler or a high priest.
The number and the master’s workmanship can be explained by the fact that this region was a major trading road, connecting Asia Minor, the Balkans and Central Europe.
These treasures, however, can be the work of a local culture. It is know that Sakar mountain is the home of a mysterious stone culture – the dolmens.
The mound was preserved as a cult place, when during the 2nd century A.C. a village was built around it.
It is surrounded by a circle of big stone blocks, 22 m in diameter, and heaped by red soil and three levels of stones, which helped its perseverance through the centuries.
This discovery is unique not only for Bulgaria and it will shed light on long kept secrets about far forgotten ages.
Tomorrow- Tuesday at a press-conference in NHM minister Danailov will personally present the finds to the public.
After that they will be exhibited in hall 1 of the National History Museum.

source: news.bg

Konstantin Totev’s team of archaeologists dug up the foundations of a building under Trapesitsa Hill considered to be “the first Asen dynasty castle – that of Asen, Teodor and Kaloyan” in Bozhidar Dimitrov’s (director of the National History Museum in Bulgaria) words.
The building is situated in the northern part of the temple on steep rocks which guarded the Arbanassi road in the past. Its walls seem to have been extremely wide – 4, 5 m., having in mind that the usual Mediaeval walls width was 2, 2 m.
According to Dimitrov, the castle is very well preserved and there are living areas, storages, shops, a church and a barrack in it.
Restoration is necessary, however, as some of the stones from the structure look unstable.

source: news.bg

A team of archaeologists found an ancient wooden building serving for cult purposes from the 9th century during the exploration of military machinery on the grounds of the first Bulgarian capital Pliska.
The building served for sacrifices, connected to the earliest religious beliefs of Pliska inhabitants. It was built on the remains of the burnt-up wooden fortress wall of Pliska.

Its foundations were made of red bricks and the walls – of wood.
Two cameras, resembling funeral cameras, were discovered during the digging.
The archaeologists suppose that pagan ceremonies took place here, long after Christianity had become Bulgaria’s main religion.

source: news.bg