The 9th century seal found in Bulgaria’s early medieval capital Pliska features the Virgin Mary with a “grown-up” Baby Jesus on one side, and the Calvary Hill with the cross on the other. Photo: TV grab from BNT

Bizarre 9th Century Seal with ‘Adult’ Baby Jesus, Virgin Mary Discovered in Capital of First Bulgarian Empire Pliska

A 9th century lead seal with a weird depiction of Jesus Christ alongside Virgin Mary has been discovered by archaeologists excavating an aristocrat’s mansion from the Early Middle Ages in Pliska, the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire at the…

Unseen 3rd Century BC Thracian Temple Discovered by Archaeologists beneath ‘Large Mound’ in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv

Unseen 3rd Century BC Thracian Temple Discovered by Archaeologists beneath ‘Large Mound’ in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv

An Ancient Thracian temple from the 3rd century BC, of a type that has never been seen before, has been unearthed by archaeologists in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv, underneath a massive man-made hill known as “the Large Mound” (“Golyamata Mogila”). The Large…

Archaeologists Research Two Noble Families in First Bulgarian Empire’s Capital Veliki Preslav

Archaeologists Research Two Noble Families in First Bulgarian Empire’s Capital Veliki Preslav

Archaeologists are researching the lives of two noble families from Veliki Preslav (“Great Preslav”), the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire in 893-970 AD during the excavation of an early medieval monastery there, a report informs. The excavations at the…

The newly discovered medieval Christian engolpion (reliquary) cross from the Small Fortress near Bulgaria's Voden. Photo: Yambol Regional Museum of History

Christian Reliquary Cross Found in 11th Century Byzantine Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria Destroyed by Crusaders in Third Crusade

A bronze reliquary cross from the High Middle Ages of the engolpion type – i.e. a hollow cross used for keeping holy Christian relics – has been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists during the excavations of the “Small Kale,” a fortress…

‘The Mudbrick Swamp,’ First Book in ‘Rodiniya’s Reason’ Fantasy Series, Published by Writer Ivan Dikov

‘The Mudbrick Swamp,’ First Book in ‘Rodiniya’s Reason’ Fantasy Series, Published by Writer Ivan Dikov

“The Mudbrick Swamp,” the first book in the “Rodiniya’s Reason” fantasy series, has been published by Bulgarian English-language writer and journalist Ivan Dikov on Amazon.com. “pThe Mudbrick Swam” is actually Volume 1 of what is conceived as a vast epic…

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of Bulgarian (Cyrillic) Alphabet and Culture (Day of St. Cyril & St. Methodius): May 24

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of Bulgarian (Cyrillic) Alphabet and Culture (Day of St. Cyril & St. Methodius): May 24

Bulgaria and Bulgarians around the world celebrate on May 24, 2021, the Day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, i.e. the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet (the Bulgaric alphabet more widely known internationally as the Cyrillic Alphabet) and Bulgarian Culture.

Top 20 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in April 2021

Top 20 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in April 2021

Following are the 20 most popular stories with the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com from around the worold during the month of April 2021.

4th Century Bishop’s Basilica with Marvelous Early Christian Bird Mosaics Opened for Visitors Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Big Restoration Project with US Funding

4th Century Bishop’s Basilica with Marvelous Early Christian Bird Mosaics Opened for Visitors Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Big Restoration Project with US Funding

The partly restored ruins of the 4th century Bishop’s Basilica, or Great Basilica, of the Ancient Thracian and Roman city of Philipopolis, with its almost fully restored fabulous Early Christian flood mosaics with birds and other motifs, has been opened…

19th Century Cathedral in Bulgaria’s Danube City of Vidin Gets Restoration Funding from Government

19th Century Cathedral in Bulgaria’s Danube City of Vidin Gets Restoration Funding from Government

Bulgaria’s outgoing Cabinet has allocated nearly BGN 1 million (app. EUR 500,000) in funding for the conservation and restoration of the St. Great-Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, one of the largest churches in the…

Top 25 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in the First Quarter of 2021

Top 25 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in the First Quarter of 2021

Following are the 25 most read stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, and, respectively, our most popular stories with our readers from around the world, during the first quarter of 2021.

Top 20 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in March 2021

Top 20 Stories by ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in March 2021

Following are the 20 most popular stories and site pages with the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com from around the worold during the month of March 2021.

Top 20 Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in November 2020

Top 20 Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in November 2020

Following are the 20 most popular stories with the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com from around the worold during the month of November 2020.

Archaeologists Find Holy Well of Early Christian Monastery on Top of 2,500-Year-Old Apollo Temple on Bulgaria’s St. Ivan Island

Archaeologists Find Holy Well of Early Christian Monastery on Top of 2,500-Year-Old Apollo Temple on Bulgaria’s St. Ivan Island

Archaeologists have discovered the 1,500-year-old holy well, or ayazmo, of the Early Christian monastery on the St. Ivan Island off the coast of Bulgaria’s Black Sea town of Sozopol, which was built on top of an Ancient Greek temple of…

'Pillow' Brick with Gospel of John Inscription in 13th Century Clergyman Grave, Byzantine Gold Threads Found in Medieval Bulgarian Capital Tarnovgrad

‘Pillow’ Brick with Gospel of John Inscription in 13th Century Clergyman Grave, Byzantine Gold Threads Found in Medieval Bulgarian Capital Tarnovgrad

A senior medieval clergyman’s grave from the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire, possibly even one of the patriarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, containing a brick with an inscription quoting the Gospel of John, has been discovered during the…

8 Years after Theft of St. John the Baptist Relics in Bulgaria’s Sliven, Finder Laments Unresolved Case

8 Years after Theft of St. John the Baptist Relics in Bulgaria’s Sliven, Finder Laments Unresolved Case

The case of the theft of a particle from the holy relics of St. John the Baptist committed in the city of Sliven back in 2012, less than 2 years after the relics’ discovery on a Black Sea island, has…

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of National Awakeners

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of National Awakeners

Bulgaria marks on November 1, 2020, its Day of National Awakeners, a holiday designed to honor the people who brought about the “awakening” or revival of the Bulgarian nation in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century.

Emergency Call for Donations to Save ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com amid the Pandemic Fallout

Emergency Call for Donations to Save ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com amid the Pandemic Fallout

Dear Friends from around the World, We at the editorial team of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com are asking you for your help to save this website as fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on us all in full force!

Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Burgas Starts Restoration of 120-Year-Old Cathedral with EU Funding

Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Burgas Starts Restoration of 120-Year-Old Cathedral with EU Funding

The largest and oldest church in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas, the St. Cyril and St. Methodius Cathedral, is undergoing long-awaited restoration.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Varna Starts Restoration of 134-Year-Old Golden-Dome Cathedral

Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Varna Starts Restoration of 134-Year-Old Golden-Dome Cathedral

Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna, successor of ancient Odessos, has started the restoration of its largest church, the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral, whose construction was completed 134 years ago.

Bulgaria Marks 1155 Years since Adoption of Christianity as Official Religion by First Bulgarian Empire

Bulgaria Marks 1155 Years since Adoption of Christianity as Official Religion by First Bulgarian Empire

Bulgaria and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians marked on Saturday, May 2, 2020, the 1155th anniversary since the formal adoption of Christianity as the official state religion back in 865 AD under the leadership of St. Knyaz Boris I Mihail (r. 852-889;…

14th Century Murals with ‘Warrior Saints’ Found in Newly Discovered Church in Medieval City Cherven in Northeast Bulgaria

14th Century Murals with ‘Warrior Saints’ Found in Newly Discovered Church in Medieval City Cherven in Northeast Bulgaria

A previously unknown church from the major medieval Bulgarian city of Cherven has been discovered and excavated over the past three archaeological seasons, exposing surviving church murals from the 14th century containing a scene with “warrior saints”.

10th Century Cross with Jesus Christ Image, Peacock Ring Seal Found in Tuida Fortress in Bulgaria’s Sliven

10th Century Cross with Jesus Christ Image, Peacock Ring Seal Found in Tuida Fortress in Bulgaria’s Sliven

A cross with an image of Jesus Christ from the 10th century, the time of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680 – 1018) and a medieval ring seal from a peacock image are among the most interesting artifacts discovered during the…

Fundraising for 'Rescue' of 7 Stolen ‘Royal’ Icons under Way in Bulgaria's Burgas

Fundraising for ‘Rescue’ of 7 Stolen ‘Royal’ Icons under Way in Bulgaria’s Burgas

The Regional Museum of History in Bulgaria’s Burgas and the local bureau of the Bulgarian National Radio have launched a campaign to raise money for the restoration of a total of 7 large “royal” icons which were recovered from thieves…

Dozens of Icons Stolen in 4 Robberies of 3 Churches in Ruse District in Northeast Bulgaria

Dozens of Icons Stolen in 4 Robberies of 3 Churches in Ruse District in Northeast Bulgaria

A total of three churches in small towns have been robbed in the Ruse District in Northeast Bulgaria, with the thieves stealing icons, among other religious artifacts.

3 Species of Treasure Hunters Are Destroying Archaeology in Bulgaria’s ‘Plunder Paradise’ worth up to USD 1 Billion a Year, New Book Reveals

3 Species of Treasure Hunters Are Destroying Archaeology in Bulgaria’s ‘Plunder Paradise’ worth up to USD 1 Billion a Year, New Book Reveals

Three “species” of treasure hunters dubbed “diggers”, “yuppies” and “super experts”, whose a total number is in the low six figures, are destroying the world archaeology and history heritage found in Bulgaria in a criminal industry worth up to 1…

Top Church of Second Bulgarian Empire nearly Flooded by Yantra River in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo

Top Church of Second Bulgarian Empire nearly Flooded by Yantra River in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo

The Holy Forty Martyrs Church, an early 13th century church in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo, which could probably be described as the most important temple in the Second Bulgarian Empire, has been almost flooded by the rising waters of the Yantra…

Top 20: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in May 2019

Following are the 20 most popular stories with you, the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, during the month of May 2019.

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of Bulgarian (Cyrillic) Alphabet and Culture (Day of St. Cyril & St. Methodius): May 24

Bulgaria Celebrates Day of Bulgarian (Cyrillic) Alphabet and Culture (Day of St. Cyril & St. Methodius): May 24

Bulgaria and Bulgarians around the world celebrated on May 24, 2019, the Day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, i.e. the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet (more widely known internationally as the Cyrillic Alphabet) and Bulgarian Culture.

162-Year-Old Church with Valuable Original Iconostasis Gets Fully Renovated in Bulgaria’s Plakovo

162-Year-Old Church with Valuable Original Iconostasis Gets Fully Renovated in Bulgaria’s Plakovo

A 162-year-old church with an original iconostasis built back when Bulgaria was still part of the Ottoman Empire has been completely renovated, and literally reborn, in the town of Plakovo, Veliko Tarnovo District, as a result of a 13-year-long effort,…

Baby Burial in Clay Pot Found in 1330s Church in Trapesitsa Fortress in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo

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…

Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo Sees Big Hikes in Numbers of Chinese, American, French Tourists in 2018

Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo Sees Big Hikes in Numbers of Chinese, American, French Tourists in 2018

The archaeological, historical, and cultural tourism sites from the Antiquity, Middle Ages and the Modern Age in the city of Veliko Tarnovo, including Bulgaria’s most popular landmark, the Tsarevets Fortress, saw major increases in the numbers of foreign tourists from…

Top 50: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in Calendar Year 2018

Top 50: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in Calendar Year 2018

Following are the 50 most popular stories with you, the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, during the calendar year of 2018.

Top 25: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in Fourth Quarter 2018

Top 25: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in Fourth Quarter 2018

Following are the 25 most popular stories with you, the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, during the fourth quarter of 2018.

Top 20: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in December 2018

Top 20: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in December 2018

Following are the 20 most popular stories with you, the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, during the month of December 2018.

Top 20: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in November 2018

Top 20: Most Popular Stories on ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com in November 2018

Following are the 20 most popular stories with you, the readers of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, during the month of November 2018.

Archaeology in Bulgaria. and Beyond