Slavs, Avars Burned Down Byzantine City Chrisosotira in Early 7th Century, Digs on Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast Reveal
The Early Byzantine city of Chrisosotira on Cape Chervenka on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast was most likely sacked by the Slavs and Avars during their invasions of the Byzantine Empire in the first half of the 7th century AD, archaeologists…
13th Century Woman Buried in Bulgaria’s Rahovets Fortress Had 12,000-Year-Old Gene Mutation of Europe’s Last Hunter-Gatherers
A 13th century woman, whose grave was discovered in 2017 in the Antiquity and medieval Rahovets Fortress in Central North Bulgaria, has turned to carry a 12,000-year-old gene mutation from Europe’s last nomads, hunter-gatherers who wandered through the continent as…
‘Unusually Tall’ Skeleton, Severed Arm Found in 4,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Burial Mound near Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast
The skeleton of a Bronze Age man who was untypically tall for his time has been discovered in a 4,000-year-old burial mound by archaeologists near Bulgaria’s Black Sea town of Primorsko, with the grave also containing the arm of another…
Weird Prehistoric ‘Space Rocket’ Artifact from Bulgaria’s Telish Remains Mystery as Renewed Research Finds No Matches
An extremely odd prehistoric artifact found in a Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) settlement from 5,000 BC near Telish in Northwest Bulgaria, which has conditionally been known as a clay model of a “rocket" or a “space ship", has no archaeological…
Archaeologist Ventsislav Gergov: Destruction of Europe’s Chalcolithic Civilization Shows the Stronger Triumps over the Smarter in World History (Interview Part 2)
Ventsislav (“Ventsi") Gergov is a Bulgarian archaeologist. He was born in Iskar, Pleven District, in 1946. He majored in archaeology at Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and St. Methodius", and joined the team of the Pleven Regional Museum of History…
Archaeologist Ventsislav Gergov: Chalcolithic Civilization from 7,000 Years Ago Was the Height of Southeast Europe, Bulgaria (Interview, Part 1)
Ventsislav (“Ventsi") Gergov is a Bulgarian archaeologist. He was born in Iskar, Pleven District, in 1946. He majored in archaeology at Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and St. Methodius", and joined the team of the Pleven Regional Museum of History…
Ancient Thrace Was Gradually Taken Over by Ancient Greek, Greco-Roman Sports Culture, Reveals New Exhibition at Bulgaria’s National Museum of Archaeology
Bulgaria’s National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia has unveiled a new large-scale exhibition presenting “Sports in Ancient Thrace" with a wide-range of archaeological artifacts dating from the Iron Age to the Late Antiquity.
5th Millenium BC Prehistoric Settlement near Bulgaria’s Pomorie Was Much Larger Than Known Settlement Mound, Archaeologists Find
The prehistoric settlement known as Kozareva Mogila (“Goat Mound") near Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Pomorie, which dates back to the 5th millenium BC, i.e. the Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age), was substantially larger than the settlement mound known and visible…
Archeologists Find Rare 12th Century Lusterware Pottery from Medieval Egypt in Building with Rich Murals, Reveal Medieval Streets in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A very rare piece of lusterware, a type of pottery, made in medieval Egypt in the 12th – 13th century AD, has been discovered in a medieval building richly decorated with colorful murals during rescue excavations in the southern Bulgarian…
Archaeologists Find 6th Century BC Home, Red-Figure Pottery Krater Depicting Oedipus and the Sphinx from Apollonia Pontica in Bulgaria’s Sozopol
The well-preserved ruins of a 6th century BC home from the Ancient Greek colony of Apollonia Pontica, today’s Sozopol on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, have been discovered during rescue digs together with numerous artifacts, which include an Attica red-figure pottery…
Archaeologists Find Traces of 251 AD Invasion of Roman Empire by Goths during Digs at Antiquity Odeon in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
Archaeologists have unearthed part of an unknown Roman Era public building in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv which bears traces from the Invasion of the Roman Empire by the Goths in 250-251 AD when the Goths went as far…
Extinct Wild Cattle Aurochs Survived until 13th-14th Century in Today’s Bulgaria, Bones from Medieval Rusocastro Fortress Show
The aurochs, the large species of wild cattle which is the ancestor of today’s domestic cattle, survived in today’s Bulgaria well into the 13th-14th century when it was still hunted for meat, bones recently found in the large fortress Rusocastro…
Byzantine Amphora with Inscription Dedicated to Christ, Virgin Mary Found in Roman Fortress Trimammium in Northeast Bulgaria
Part of an Early Byzantine amphora with a fully preserved inscription in Ancient Greek dedicated to Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary has been discovered during the latest excavations of the Ancient Roman, medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian fortress of Trimammium near…
Archaeologists May Have Discovered Ancient Thracian, Roman Town Scaptopara, Precursor of Bulgaria’s Blagoevgrad
Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a large town from the time of the Roman Empire hypothesizing that it might be the Ancient Thracian and Roman settlement of Scaptopara, the predecessor of today’s city of Blagoevgrad in Southwest Bulgaria, whose…
Medieval Fortress Wall, Lady’s Ring with Crystal Discovered in Rescue Digs in Bulgaria’s Asenovgrad
A fortress wall from the medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian town of Stanimachos / Stanimaka has been discovered in the southern Bulgarian town of Asenovgrad, together with luxury sgraffito ceramics and lady’s ring with a crystal.
Early Iron Age, Late Roman Settlement with Bi-ritual Necropolis Discovered in Rescue Digs in Southwest Bulgaria
A large settlement which was inhabited during the Early Iron Age (ca. 1,000 BC), possibly by Ancient Thracians, and then again in the Late Roman period (2nd-4th century AD), has been discovered and fully explored in rescue excavations near the…
Archaeologists Find Ancient Thracian Fortress near Bulgaria’s Burgas Bulldozed by Treasure Hunter
An Ancient Thracian fortress from the Late Hellenistic Period (2th-1st century BC) has been discovered by archaeologists near the town of Izvor, Burgas District, in Southeast Bulgaria, after the site had been damaged by a treasure hunter.
Ancient Thracian Warrior’s Grave Containing Gold Plated Beads Found near Bulgaria’s Black Sea Town Primorsko
A grave of an Ancient Thracian warrior from the 4th-3rd century BC whose funeral inventory contains gold plated ceramic beads has been discovered by archaeologists in a burial mound in Silihlyar, an area near Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Primorsko.
Archaeologists Discover Pink-Plastered Water Cistern of Medieval Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria
Archaeologists have discovered a huge water cistern plastered on the inside with pink waterproof mortar in the fortress of Rusocastro, a major stronghold which changed hands many times between the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires in the Middle Ages, and whose…
1,000-Year-Old Child’s Bracelet with Virgin Mary Stamp Found at Momchil’s Fortress in Southern Bulgaria
A metal child’s bracelet from the 11th-12th century with a stamp depicting the Virgin Mary – or the Holy Mother of God, as she is known in Eastern Orthodox Christianity – has been discovered by archaeologists during the excavations of…
3,400-Year-Old Encrusted Ceramics Discovered in Bronze Age Necropolis at Bulgaria’s Danube Town of Baley
A large number of uniquely decorated ceramic vessels from ca 1400 BC have been described during archaeological excavations in the necropolis of a Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement near the Danube town of Baley, Vidin District, in…
5,000 BC ‘Great Goddess with Hair in a Bun’ Found in Huge Shrine in South Bulgaria Unveiled for the First Time
5,000 BC prehistoric depictions of the “Great Goddess Wearing Her Hair in a Bun", which were discovered in a Late Neolithic shrine in Southern Bulgaria in 2012-2013, have been unveiled to the public for the first time together with numerous…
6,000-Year-Old Cranial Amulet Discovered in Kozareva Mogila Prehistoric Settlement near Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast
A round cranial amulet, i.e. one made out of a human skull, has been discovered during the 2016 archaeological excavations of the Kozareva Mogila (“Goat Mound") prehistoric settlement near Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Pomorie.
Bulgaria’s Pavlikeni Launches Delayed Restoration of Ancient Roman Ceramics Factory, Villa with Norway, EEA Money
A project for the restoration of the only known Ancient Roman ceramics factory in Southeast Europe, which is located near the northern Bulgarian town of Pavlikeni, has finally been launched after nearly a year of delays.
Broken 2nd Century AD Krater Featuring Dionysus ‘Donated’ to History Museum in Bulgaria’s Dobrich
A rare ancient krater, a special vessel for mixing wine and water, from the 2nd century AD, which features scenes with Ancient Thracian and Greek deity Dionysus, has been “donated" to the Regional Museum of History in the city of…
Bronze Age Discoveries Reveal Ancient Bulgar Capital Pliska Was Settled Much Earlier Than Middle Ages
Discoveries of a Bronze Age home and artifacts have revealed that the Ancient Bulgar city of Pliska in today’s Northeast Bulgaria, which was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680-1018) in 680-893 AD, was settled much earlier than previously…
Archaeologist Discovers Ancient Greek Shrine of Demeter, Persephone in Bulgaria’s Black Sea Resort Sozopol
A shrine of goddesses Demeter and Persephone from the 6th century BC has been discovered during the 2016 archaeological excavations of the Ancient Greek polis of Apollonia Pontica, today’s Bulgarian Black Sea city of Sozopol.
Archaeologists Find 6th Century AD Brazier in Kalyata Fortress near Bulgaria’s Yakoruda
A ceramic brazier, a container for hot coal typically used for heating, which dates back to the 6th century AD, i.e. the Early Byzantine period, has been discovered by archaeologists excavating the Late Antiquity and medieval fortress of Kalyata near…
Archaeologists Discover 3,300-Year-Old Vessel near Bulgaria’s Razlog Testifying to Thracian Ties with Ancient Mycenae
A partly preserved alabastron, a vessel for perfumes, from Ancient Mycenae has been discovered by archaeologists excavating a 3,300-year-old fortified Bronze Age settlement near the town of Banya, Razlog Municipality, in Southwest Bulgaria.
7,000-Year-Old Ceramic Fragment with Possibly ‘World’s Oldest Writing’ Discovered in Bulgaria’s Riben
A ceramic fragment dating back to 5,000 BC with what might be “the world’s oldest writing" has been discovered in a previously unknown Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) settlement found underneath the Ancient Roman road station Ad Putea near the town…
