Silver Medieval Venetian Coins Discovered in Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria
A total of three silver coins minted in the medieval Republic of Venice, an Italian city-state that was a major power in the Mediterranean, have been discovered in very good condition by archaeologists excavating the fortress of Rusocastro in Southeast…
Bronze Horse Statuette Found in Bulgaria’s Rusocastro Fortress, Deemed Evidence of Roman Shrine
A rather well-preserved, beautiful 3rd century AD bronze statuette depicting a horse has been discovered in the largest medieval fortress in Southeast Bulgaria, the Rusocastro Fortress, and has immediately been interpreted as evidence that the place had a shrine in…
Huge Roman Inscription of Dionysus Cult Secret Society after 251 Goth Invasion Found in Early Christian Great Basilica in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A gigantic Ancient Roman inscription left behind by a mystic secret society dedicated to the cult of god Dionysus in the middle of the 3rd century AD after the Roman Empire in today’s Bulgaria was invaded by the Goths has…
30-Year-Old Roman Woman’s Grave Found in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv near Discovery Site of Tomb with Jesus Christ Murals
Part of a Roman Era home from the 2nd – 4th century AD and the grave of an approximately 30-year-old woman have been discovered by accident in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv, the successor of ancient Philipopolis, near a site where a now…
Sealed 16th Century Ottoman Looting Tunnel for Draft Animals Found inside Tower Tomb beneath Bulgaria’s Largest Thracian Burial Mound
A huge tunnel for looting that fit large draft animals and was dug up in the 16th century, during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1521 – 1566) has been discovered by archaeologists inside the 3rd century…
3rd Century AD Marble Child Head, Ancient Chamber Pot Discovered in Roman City Novae near Bulgaria’s Svishtov
A marble from a small child statue from the 3rd century AD and an ancient chamber pots are some of the most interesting finds from the first days of the 2019 archaeological excavations of the Ancient Roman military camp and…
Ancient Settlement Adjacent to Philipopolis Discovered in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Rescue Digs
A small settlement located outside the urban area of ancient Philipopolis, today’s Plovdiv in Central South Bulgaria, has been found by archaeologists conducting preliminary rescue excavations as part of a major railway rehabilitation project.
Archaeologists to Seek Grave of First Roman Emperor to Die in Battle, Trajan Decius in 251 Battle of Abritus, near Bulgaria’s Razgrad
An international archaeological expedition is seeking EU funding in order to search for the grave of Trajan Decius, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire to die in battle, namely, the 251 AD Battle of Abritus near today’s city of…
Culverin Cannonballs from Vlad Dracula’s 1461 Victory over Ottoman Turks Found in Danube Fortress Zishtova in Bulgaria’s Svishtov
Cannonballs from culverins – primitive early medieval cannons – most probably used in 1461 during the conquest of the Zishtova Fortress by Wallacian Voivode Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, from the Ottoman Turks have been discovered…
For 60th Year in Row Bulgarian, Polish Archaeologists to Excavate Ancient Roman City Novae in Danube Town Svishtov
For the 60th year in a row, Bulgarian and Polish archaeologists are beginning their annual excavations of the Ancient Roman military camp and city of Novae located near today’s Danube town of Svishtov.
For the First Time Fortress Gate of Ancient Odessos Discovered in Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Varna
Archaeologists have discovered for the first time one of the fortress gates of the Ancient Thracian, Greek, and Roman city of Odessos (Odessus), namely, its southwestern gate, in Varna, the largest modern-day city on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
Late Bronze Age Settlement Discovered in Northwest Bulgaria in Turkish Stream Gas Pipeline Rescue Digs
A settlement originally dating back to the Late Bronze Age, which was also subsequently inhabited in the Thracian and Roman Antiquity, and the Middle Age, has been discovered by archaeologists near Rasovo in Northwest Bulgaria during rescue excavation on the…
Baby Burial in Clay Pot Found in 1330s Church in Trapesitsa Fortress in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
An odd burial in which a very young child, or a baby, was buried inside a clay pot has been discovered together with over 50 other graves under the floor of a 14th century church in the Trapesitsa Fortress in…
Funding Cut Mars Research of Middle Eastern Tower Tomb Found under Thracian Mound near Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
The Middle Eastern style tower tomb from the 3rd century AD discovered unexpectedly underneath the Maltepe Burial Mound near Plovdiv in Southern Bulgaria, which could be the resting place of Roman Emperor Philip I the Arab, has already seen a…
Bulgaria’s National History Museum Extends Exhibition of 2018 Archaeological Discoveries
Bulgaria’s National Museum of History in Sofia has extended by one month its exhibition showcasing for the first time artifacts discovered by its own archaeologists during the 2018 archaeological season.
Bulgaria’s Largest Thracian Mound Proves to Be Tower Tomb Like in Petra, Palmyra, Likely of Roman Emperor Philip I the Arab
The massive 3rd century AD Antiquity building exposed in July 2018 underneath the Maltepe Mound, Bulgaria’s largest Ancient Thracian burial mound ever, has turned out to be a tower tomb like the ones in ancient Middle East cities such as…
6 Luxury Quarters with Brothel like Pompeii’s Lupanar Formed ‘Heart’ of Roman City Philipopolis in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv, Archaeologists Reveal
The core, or “heart” of the ancient city of Philipopolis, today’s Plovdiv in Central South Bulgaria, during the time of the Roman Empire consisted of six luxury quarters with residential and public buildings, including a brothel similar to the famous…
Wooden Buildings from Ancient Thrace, Colorful Roman Building Discovered at Nebet Tepe Fortress in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
The foundations of wooden buildings from Ancient Thrace dating to the 1st millennium BC and a colorful Ancient Roman building above them have been discovered by archaeologists excavating a private property at the Nebet Tepe Fortress, a prehistoric, ancient, and…
Hellenistic Age Philipopolis Was Larger Than Known, Archaeologists Find in Eastern Gate Digs in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
The ancient city of Philipopolis, today’s Plovdiv in Central South Bulgaria, was larger than known back in the 4th century BC, i.e. at the start of the Hellenistic Age, archaeologists have discovered during ongoing digs at the city’s Eastern Gate.
Weird 15th Century Miners’ Burials, Venetian Theriac Cap Found in Bulgaria’s Kremikovtsi Monastery near Sofia
Dozens of weird Christian burials in which 15th and 16th century local miners were buried with bricks on their heads have been discovered in a late medieval necropolis at the Kremikovtsi Monastery right outside of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
Blond Roman Woman’s Statue Head Found in Ancient Heraclea Sintica in Southwest Bulgaria, Hints at Building Ritual
The marble Ancient Roman statue head of a blond Roman woman has been found by the archaeologists excavating the Ancient Greek, Thracian, and Roman city of Heraclea Sintica near Petrich in Southwest Bulgaria, with the discovery hinting at what may…
14th Century Tatar Plunder Treasure Pot Shown for the First Time in 2018 Archaeological Discoveries Exhibition
The treasure pot with Tatar plunder from ca. 1400 discovered in August 2018 in the Kaliakara Cape Fortress on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast has been exhibited for the first time for the general public at the National Museum of History…
Early Byzantine City Palmate with Huge Christian Basilica Was Pillaged Twice by Avars, Slavs, Bulgarian Archaeologists Find
The Palmate Fortress, a Late Antiquity and Early Byzantine city in today’s Northeast Bulgaria, was conquered and looted at least twice during the barbarian invasions of Avars and Slavs in the late 6th – early 7th century AD, archaeologists have…
World’s First Medieval Gold Cross Reliquary with Holy Cross Particle Discovered in Trapesitsa Fortress in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
A 12th century cross, which is a reliquary (engolpion) containing a particle from the Holy Cross from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, and is the first known artifact of its kind that is made of pure gold, has been discovered by archaeologists…
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…
2,500-Year-Old ‘Metallurgical Plant’ at Ancient Copper Mine Discovered near Bulgaria’s Black Sea Town Sozopol
An ancient metallurgical plant from the 6th century BC located at an Antiquity copper mine has been discovered by archaeologists during rescue excavations near the Black Sea town of Sozopol in Southeast Bulgaria, the successor of the Ancient Greek colony…
Discovery of 8,000-Year-Old Veiled Mother Goddess near Bulgaria’s Vidin ‘Pushes Back’ Neolithic Revolution in Europe
Part of a ceramic figurine depicting the head of the Mother Goddess, the earliest deity of Europe’s first agriculturalists, has been discovered by archaeologists in an 8,000-year-old Early Neolithic prehistoric settlement near the town of Mayor Uzunovo, Vidin District, close…
3rd Century BC Decree Found on Black Sea Island Proves Ties between Ancient Greek Cities Apollonia Pontica in Bulgaria, Heraclea Pontica in Turkey
A rare ancient document, a decree of the assembly of the Ancient Greek colony of Apollonia Pontica, today’s Sozopol in Southeast Bulgaria, has been discovered during excavations on the Black Sea island of St. Ivan (St. John), providing a first-hand…
Intriguing 13th Century Church with Surviving Frescos of Jesus Christ Discovered in Trapesitsa Fortress in Medieval Bulgarian Capital Veliko Tarnovo
A previously unknown 13th century church has been discovered in the Trapesitsa Fortress, one of the citadels of medieval Tarnovgrad (today’s Veliko Tarnovo), capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396/1422), with the temple featuring surviving frescoes of Jesus Christ.
First Ever Gold Coin Found in Bulgaria’s Lyutitsa Fortress, of Byzantine (Nicaean) Emperor John III Ducas Vatatzes
A gold coin has been discovered for the first time by the archaeologists excavating the medieval fortress Lyutitsa near the town of Ivaylovgrad in Southern Bulgaria – it is from the mid-13th century, and of the type minted by Byzantine,…
