Decagonal Roman Fortress Tower from Ancient Bononia Unearthed in Bulgaria’s Danube City Vidin
The ruins of a decagonal fortress tower from the Ancient Roman city of Bononia – said to be the largest Roman fortress on the Lower Danube – have been uncovered by archaeologists in the city of Vidin in Northwest Bulgaria.
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,…
Smallest Ancient Thracian Brick Tomb Found near Bulgaria’s Rozovo, Thoroughly Looted by Treasure Hunters
The smallest Ancient Thracian brick tomb, out of a total of 14 Thracian tombs made of bricks that have been excavated so far in Bulgaria, has been found by archaeologists near the town of Rozovo near the town of Kazanlak,…
Bulgaria Celebrates 110th Anniversary since Declaration of Independence from Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria celebrates on Saturday, September 22, 2018, the 110th anniversary since its Declaration of Independence from Ottoman Turkey which was proclaimed on September 22, 1908.
Treasure Hunters Found 5th Century BC Thracian King’s Burial worth USD 60 Million Back in 2002, Report Says
One of the largest hits ever of the numerous treasure hunters active across Bulgaria was the discovery back in 2002 of the burial of an Ancient Thracian King from the 5th century BC whose funeral inventory was sold of USD…
Altar of Destiny Goddess Tyche with Demosthenes Epigram Inscription Found in Ancient Roman City Nicopolis ad Istrum in Bulgaria
An altar dedicated to ancient goddess Tyche, a deity of city fortune and destiny, with an inscription in Ancient Greek which is a modified epigram by Demosthenes, has been discovered by archaeologists in the huge Ancient Roman city of Nicopolis…
14th Century ‘Poor People’s Quarter’ Discovered in Ancient, Medieval Rock City Perperikon in Southern Bulgaria
A quarter containing the homes of the then “poor people” from the first half of the 14th century, the last decades of the Second Bulgarian Empire before it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, has been discovered by archaeologists excavating…
Gladiator Fight Relief Discovered in Ancient Roman City of Nicopolis ad Istrum near Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
An ancient stone relief from the 2nd – 3rd century AD depicting a gladiator fight has been discovered by archaeologists in the huge Ancient Roman city of Nicopolis ad Istrum, whose ruins are located near the city of Veliko Tarnovo…
Bulgaria Celebrates 133rd Anniversary since National Unification of Principality of Bulgaria and ‘Eastern Rumelia’
Bulgaria celebrates on Thursday, September 6, 2018, the 133rd anniversary since the Unification of what is today North and South Bulgaria, back then the Principality of Bulgaria, a vassal of Ottoman Turkey, and Eastern Roumelia, an autonomous region of Ottoman Turkey,…
Decline of Bulgarian, Byzantine Empires before Ottoman Conquest Revealed by Tatar Plunder Treasure Pot from Black Sea Fortress Kaliakra
The contents of the gold and silver treasure pot of plunder of a Tatar (Mongol) leader from ca. 1400, which has recently been discovered in Bulgaria’s Kaliakara Cape Fortress on the Black Sea coast, is a true testimony to the…
Top 20 of the Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in August 2018
Following are the 20 most popular stories among the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com during the month of August 2018.
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…
17th Century Ottoman Turkish Bath Demolished on Private Property in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
The partly surviving ruins of an Ottoman Turkish bath likely dating to the beginning of the 17th century have been demolished in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, the successor of ancient Philipopolis.
Mysterious ‘Game of Thrones’ – Type Find, Agate Jewel for Throne’s Spikes, Discovered in Bulgaria’s Rusocastro Fortress
A mysterious 14th century artifact made of agate, a firm semi-precious stone, has been discovered in the Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria, is reminiscent of “Game of Thrones” in the sense that it might have been a jewel decorating the…
Chalcolithic Necropolis of World’s Oldest Gold Treasure Left Dilapidated in Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Varna
The Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis where the world’s oldest gold treasure was discovered, the impressive Varna Gold Treasure from the 5th millennium BC, has been left dilapidated and unrecognizable for tourists in spite of promises by the local authorities it is…
6,500-Year-Old Skeleton Discovered in Chalcolithic Settlement with Pottery Workshop near Bulgaria’s Suvorovo
The 6,500-year-old skeleton who inhabited what was a Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) settlement with a pottery workshop have been discovered by archaeologists near the town of Suvorovo in Northeast Bulgaria.
Statue Head of Roman Emperor Aurelian, Unknown Colonnade Found in Ancient Rome’s Danube Colony Ulpia Oscus in North Bulgaria
The head of a statue which dates back to the 3rd century AD and is believed to be of Roman Emperor Aurelian (r. 250 – 275 AD) has been discovered by archaeologists in Ulpia Oescus, a colony of Ancient Rome,…
Archaeologists Find Thracian, Byzantine Settlements, Medieval Monastery on Bulgaria’s St. Thomas Island in Black Sea
An Ancient Thracian settlement, an Early Byzantine settlement, and a small monastery from the Late Middle Ages have been discovered by archaeologists on Bulgaria’s tiny St. Thomas Island (Snake Island) in the Black Sea.
Gold, Silver Treasure Pot with Tatar Leader’s Plunder Discovered in Kaliakra Fortress on Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast
A clay treasure pot containing almost 1,000 gold and silver archaeological artifacts believed to have been looted by a Tatar (Mongol) leader, whose horde was eventually subjugated by the Ottomans ca. 1400, has been discovered during excavations in the Kaliakra…
Ancient Thracian ‘Bird Headed’ Warship Already under Construction in Bulgaria’s Kazanlak
A replica of a “bird headed” Ancient Thracian warship in already under construction in the Central Bulgarian town of Kazanlak, and will be launched the Koprinka Water Reservoir, whose bottom harbors the ruins of Seuthopolis, the glorious capital of the…
Europe Marks 50 Years since Prague Spring Was Suppressed by Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact in 1968
On August 21, 2018, Czechia, Slovakia, and all of Europe remember the 50th year since the Prague Spring, a push for greater freedom, reforms, and liberalization in the former Czechoslovakia, was violently suppressed by an armed invasion of the Soviet…
Sunken Fortress from Ancient Thrace Discovered at Bulgaria’s St. Thomas Island Which Used to Be Black Sea Peninsula
A now sunken fortress from Ancient Thrace has been discovered at the tiny St. Thomas Island (also known as Snake Island) off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast during an underwater archaeology expedition, which has also found that the island used to…
Roman Magistrate’s Statue from ca. 100 AD Found by Archaeologists in Ancient City Heraclea Sintica in Southwest Bulgaria
An Ancient Roman statue from the end of the 1rd – beginning of the 2nd century AD depicting a local Roman magistrate has been discovered by the archaeologists excavating the Ancient Greek, Thracian, and Roman city of Heraclea Sintica near…
Second Bulgarian Empire Demolished 6th Century Byzantine Walls of Rusocastro to Build Far More Massive Fortress, Archaeologists Find
The 6th century AD Early Byzantine fortress walls of the Rusocastro Fortress in today’s Southeast Bulgaria were almost completely demolished by the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 13th century so much more massive walls could be erected, the archaeologists excavating…
Bulgaria’s Aquae Calidae, ‘Most Visited Spa Resort in Eastern Europe in Past 2,000 Years’, to Mark 10 Years of Archaeological Excavations
The ancient spa resort Aquae Calidae (called Thermopolis in the Middle Ages) in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas – described as “Eastern Europe’s most visited spa resort in the past 2,000 years – marks this summer the 10th anniversary…
14th Century Blacksmith’s Workshop with Kilns Found at Tsarevets Fortress in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
A blacksmith’s workshop with two kilns dating back to the 14th century AD has been discovered by archaeologists at the foot of the Tsarevets Hill Fortress in today’s Veliko Tarnovo, the successor of the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire…
Archaeologists Find 3,000-Year-Old Likely Thracian Child Burial in Bulgaria’s Rahovets Fortress
A 3,000-year-old child burial, most likely Ancient Thracian, has been discovered at the Antiquity and medieval fortress of Rahovets near Gorna Oryahovitsa in Central North Bulgaria, providing more evidence the site had been inhabited earlier than originally thought.
Early Christian Bishop’s Residence, Reliquary Cross with Crucified Jesus Christ Found in Bulgaria’s Rock City Perperikon
An Early Christian bishop’s residence from the 5th century AD and a bronze engolpion cross depicting the crucified Jesus Christ have been discovered, among numerous other finds, by the archaeologists excavating the ancient rock city of Perperikon in Bulgaria’s Eastern…
Sunken Roman Ship from 2nd-3rd Century AD Discovered in Black Sea off Crimea’s Coast
A well-preserved sunken Roman ship from the 2nd-3rd century AD has been discovered by a Russian underwater archaeology expedition in the Black Sea, off the coast of Balaklava on the Crimean Peninsula.
2,500-Year-Old Sunken Ancient Greek Ship Used to Sail to Crimea Discovered in Ukraine’s Black Sea Waters
An approximately 2,500-year-old sunken Ancient Greek ship, likely the oldest known in the Northern Black Sea, and used by the Ancient Greeks to sail to the Crimean Peninsula, has been discovered by underwater archaeologists in the Black Sea near Ukraine’s…
Restored Model of 6,000-Year-Old Prehistoric Loom with Pre-Alphabetic Signs on Weights Shown in Bulgaria’s Gorna Oryahovitsa
A restored model of a prehistoric loom featuring replicas of real 6,000-year-old loom weights decorated with what seem to be pre-alphabetic writing signs has been showcased by the Museum of History in Bulgaria’s Gorna Oryahovitsa.
Inscription Granting Roman Man ‘Front Row Seat Right’, Main Façade of Antiquity Odeon Discovered in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A fragment from a statue of a prominent Ancient Roman citizen who had been granted “proedria”, i.e. the right of occupying the front row of seats next to the orchestra at the dramatic performances, has been discovered during the excavations…
Bulgaria’s Nikyup Set to Hold 3rd Antiquity Festival of Ancient Roman City Nicopolis ad Istrum
The town of Nikyup near the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Central North Bulgaria is going to hold the 3rd edition of the annual Antiquity Festival dedicated to the heritage of the huge Ancient Roman city of Nicopolis ad Istrum,…
Bulgarian Archaeologists Tracking Treasure Hunters’ Raids Using Google Maps, Google Earth
Some Bulgarian archaeologists have found a novel way of tackling the damage done to the country’s tremendous archaeological heritage on a daily basis by ruthless treasure hunters by using Google Maps and Google Earth, an archaeologist reveals.
Ivory Trade in Medieval Europe Spurred Rise and Fall of Viking Colonies in Greenland, Walrus DNA Study Finds
The Norse, or Viking colonies in Greenland had a near monopoly on medieval Western Europe’s trade in ivory but precisely overreliance on it may have led to their mysterious vanishing, an analysis of walrus DNA suggests.
