14th Century Tatar Plunder Treasure Pot Shown for the First Time in 2018 Archaeological Discoveries Exhibition

December 13, 2018 · by Ivan Dikov · in Ancient Rome / Roman Empire, Ancient Thrace, Antiquity, Bulgarian Empire, Byzantine Empire, Exhibitions, Middle Ages, Ottoman Empire

The treasure pot with Tatar plunder from Bulgaria’s Cape Kaliakra fortress has been exhibited for the first time since its discovery by the National Museum of History in Sofia. Photo: National Museum of History

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 in Sofia.

The exhibition showcases artifacts discovered by the Museum’s own archaeologists during their excavations in 2018.

Many of the artifacts in question will probably be also showcased in February 2019 at the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology during the annual Bulgarian Archaeology exhibition, which traditionally showcases the most intriguing artifacts found in all of Bulgaria, by researchers from all museums and research institutions in the country.

The Tatar plunder treasure pot from Cape Kaliakra has been discovered by the team of Assoc. Prof. Boni Petrunova, Director of the National Museum of History since 2017.

It contains 957 archaeological artifacts from the 14^th century, including 28 gold coins, 873 silver coins, 11 gold appliques and buckles, 11 gold earrings, 2 rings, one of which is gold, four beads made of gold and precious stones, and 28 silver and bronze buttons.

Its composition testifies to the decline of the Second Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire ahead and during the Ottoman conquest.

The archaeological artifacts are believed to have been looted by a Tatar (Mongol) leader from Aktav’s Tatars who were the last wave of Mongol invasions in medieval Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula, and were eventually subjugated by the Ottomans ca. 1400.

The exhibition entitled “Archaeological Discoveries of the National Museum of History. Sites, Treasures, and Researchers in 2018” is curated by Prof. Ivan Hristov, Deputy Director of the Museum.

The new exhibition of the National Museum of History in Sofia showcases artifacts discovered by its own archaeological teams during 2018. Photos: National Museum of History

It showcases the most interesting from among over 400 artifacts found by the museum archaeologists in 2018, while information about the archaeological is presented with specially made posters.

The Museum says that the 2018 discoveries by its experts have been especially rich thanks to its lead archaeologist: Assoc. Prof. Boni Petrunova, Prof. Ivan Hristov, Assist. Prof. Mariela Inkova, Dr. Margarita Popova, Ph. D. candidate Violina Kiryakova, Martin Hristov, Pavlina Devlova.

During 2018, the archaeological teams of the Museum have explored a total of 21 archaeological sites, 17 of which have been excavated. These include settlement mounds, Antiquity and medieval fortresses, burial mounds, and settlements.

The sites in question are located all across Bulgaria: on the Black Sea coast, in the Rhodope Mountains, in Central North Bulgaria, in Northwest Bulgaria, in the Plana Mountain, in the Vitosha Mountain, in the Karlovo Valley, in the Upper Thracian Valley, and in Sofia.

The 2018 archaeological discoveries exhibition of the National Museum of History in Sofia will be open for visitors for one month, from December 13, 2018, until January 13, 2019.

The researchers from the National Museum of History in Sofia have explored a total of 21 sites in 2018. Above is the Lyutitsa Fortress, and below is the Bukelon Fortress near the town of Matochina, both in Southern Bulgaria. Photos: National Museum of History