Archaeologists Discover Treasure of Byzantine Bronze Coins at ‘Glorious Rock’ Fortress in Northeast Bulgaria

September 23, 2014 · by Ivan Dikov · in Ancient Rome / Roman Empire, Antiquity, Bulgarian Empire, Byzantine Empire, Christianity, Cultural Tourism, Middle Ages

An amphora containing a treasure of 1,202 6th century Byzantine bronze coins of the lowest face value has been found by archaeologists from the Dobrich Regional Museum of HIstory at the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress near the towns of Prilep and Debrene in Northeast Bulgaria. Photo: BTA

Bulgarian archaeologists from the Regional Museum of History in the northeastern city of Dobrich have found a treasure of 1,202 Byzantine silver coins from the 6^th century AD during excavations of a little-known fortress in an area called Slavnata Kanara, i.e. the Glorious Rock, near the towns of Debrene and Prilep.

The Byzantine coin treasure has been found in a small amphora, a type of ceramic vessel, by Dobri Dobrev, a chief curator at the Dobrich Regional Museum of History, reports the Bulgarian state news agency BTA.

The Dobrich archaeologists have counted the coins in front of reporters, pointing out that they have the lowest face value among Byzantine coins from the respective period, and are a very rare find in Bulgaria.

They believe that the treasure probably belonged to a clergyman, and consisted of donations collected from the laymen. It was hidden during a barbarian invasion, most probably during the invasion of the Avars and Slavs at the end of the 6^th century AD (586 AD), explains lead archaeologist Boyan Totev from the Dobrich Regional Museum of History.

The coins feature the image of a Byzantine Emperor (whose name has not been established yet) on the one side, and their face value on the other side. It is possible that they could be dated to the reign of Emperor Justinian I the Great (r. 527-565 AD).

Another archaeological discovery, which, however, was made by a local resident, in the area of the Glorious Rock Fortress, consists of three spathas – long Roman swords. The man who found them has given then to the Dobrich Museum, and one of the spathas is said to be really well preserved. The donation was made on the condition of anonimity because the local resident is afraid he might be targeted by the local treasure hunting mafia for taking the archaeological find where it really belongs – in the museum.

Kostadin Kostadinov, Director of the Dobrich Regional Museum of History, shows the three skathas – Ancient Roman long swords – discovered by local residents at the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress. Photo: BTA

The fortress in the area known as Slavnata Kanara (The Glorious Rock) near the towns of Debrene and Prilep in Northeast Bulgaria has several archaeological layers – a Late Roman layer from the 4^th-5^th century AD, an Early Byzantine lawyer from the 6^th century AD, and a Bulgarian (Bulgar) layer from the 10^th century AD, the time of the height of the First Bulgarian Empire (r. 632/680-1018 AD).

It was destroyed three times – during the barbarian invasions of the Huns in the middle of the 5^th century AD, during the invasion of the Slavs and Avars at the end of the 6^th century AD, and during the Bulgarian-Byzantine wars at the end of the 10^th century AD.

The Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress was the home of a large religious complex including an Early Christian basilica, which has now been partly excavated by the Bulgarian archaeologists.

The basilica is said to be disproportionately large compared with the size of the fortress itself, which is why the Bulgarian archaeologists believe that the fortress was built after the temple in order to protect the religious site. The fortress has an area of 2 decares (app. 0.5 acres). The basilica itself is dated to the Late Roman period, and was in operation until the end of the 6^th century AD.

The archaeological excavations of the Starata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress near Debrene and Prilep are funded by Dobrichka Municipality, and are part of the 2014 summer excavations of the Dobrich Regional Museum of History, which are the museum’s first in 20 years.

In addition to the Early Christian basilica, the Dobrich archaeologists have also excavated the eastern gate and part of the northern fortress wall of the Glorious Rock Fortress.

The Director of the Dobrich Regional Museum of History Kostadin Kostadinov says that the Late Roman, Early Byzantine, and medieval Bulgarian fortress near Debrene and Prilep has a great potential as a site for cultural tourism, especially because it is located near a little-known rock monastery.

Background Infonotes:

The Late Roman, Early Byzantine, and medieval Bulgarian fortress in the area known as Slavnata Kanara (The Glorious Rock) is located near the towns of Debrene and Prilep, Dobrichka Municipality, Dobrich District, in Northeast Bulgaria. There are traces of civilized life from the Early Iron Age (the 12^th – 6^th century BC) but the construction of an Early Christian basilica and the fortress are dated to the second half of the 4^th century AD. The fortress has several archaeological layers – a Late Roman layer from the 4^th-5^th century AD, an Early Byzantine lawyer from the 6^th century AD, and a Bulgarian (Bulgar) layer from the 10^th century AD, the time of the height of the First Bulgarian Empire (r. 632/680-1018 AD). It was destroyed three times – during the barbarian invasions of the Huns in the middle of the 5^th century AD, during the invasion of the Slavs and Avars at the end of the 6^th century AD, and during the Bulgarian-Byzantine wars at the end of the 10^th century AD.

The Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress was the home of a large religious complex including a Christian basilica, which has now been partly excavated by the Bulgarian archaeologists. The basilica is said to be disproportionately large compared with the size of the fortress itself, which is why the Bulgarian archaeologists believe that the fortress was built after the temple in order to protect the religious site. The fortress has an area of 2 decares (app. 0.5 acres). The basilica itself is dated to the Late Roman period, and was in operation until the end of the 6^th century AD.

The Starata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress near Debrene and Prilep is located in the woods of the Batovo Valley which starts at the Black Sea coast and continues inland. It is not mentioned in the known historical sources, which is why its real name is unknown. It was first described by the found of modern-day Bulgarian archaeology, Czech-Bulgarian archaeologist Karel Skorpil, at the beginning of the 20^th century, and was excavated at the end of the 1980s by Bulgarian archaeologist Assoc. Prof. Sergey Torbatov from the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology. It was further excavated in 2014 by archaeologists from the Dobrich Regional Museum of History, with lead archaeologist Boyan Totev, and with funding from the Dobrichka Municipality. The archaeologists found there an amphora containing a treasure of 1,202 6^th century AD Byzantine bronze coins of the lowest face value (more specifically attributed to the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I the Great (r. 527-565 AD)), three skathas – long Roman swords, and the belt of an Ancient Bulgar warrior, among other artifacts. During its first archaeological excavations in the 1980s, the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress yielded another interesting find – an Ancient Bulgar medieval saber from the 9^th-10^th century AD. The medieval Bulgarian home where the belt was found was made of wattle, wood, and mud; other artifacts found in it include clothing buttons and pottery; the archaeologists believe that the home was destroyed by an arson, most likely when the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress was conquered by the troops of Knyaz Svietoslav I Igorevich, ruler of Kievan Rus (r. 945-972 AD) who invaded the First Bulgarian Empire in 968-971 AD), or by the Byzantine forces that conquered the eastern part of the First Bulgarian Empire in 971 AD. The archaeological data indicate that the late 10^th century AD was when the Slavnata Kanara Fortress ceased to exist – except for the discovery of part of a Viking sword which is taken to mean that the fortress could have been inhabited at a later period as well – during the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396 AD).