300-Meter-Long Wooden Passage between Inner City, Citadel Gates Discovered in Capital of First Bulgarian Empire Pliska

Archaeologists have discovered the remnants of a 300-meter-long (nearly 1,000 feet) wooden passage which connected gates of the inner city and the citadel of Pliska, the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire between 680 and 893 AD, alongside other newly…

‘Earliest Dispersal of Modern Humans’ in Eurasia’s Mid-Latitudes, Regular Mixing with Neanderthals Revealed by 46,000-Year-Old Remains from Bulgaria’s Bacho Kiro Cave

An international team of scientists has arrived at crucial conclusions about the earliest spreading of modern humans throughout Eurasia and the Americas and about their mixing with Neanderthals in the Upper Paleolithic based on years of research of human remains…

Ancient Bulgar Strap Decorations, Dugouts from Medieval Bulgarian Empire Found in Debnevo Fortress near Troyan

A wide range of archaeological structures and artifacts with a dating range from 5,000 BC until the 14th century AD – including Ancient Bulgar strap decorations and dugouts from the time of the medieval Bulgarian Empire – have been discovered…

Silver Coin of Tsar Todor Svetoslav of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection          

A replica of a silver coin minted by Tsar Todor (Teodor) Svetoslav Terter of the Second Bulgarian Empire (r. 1301 – 1322) has become the third coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the…

Wooden Coffin Burials, Glass Jewels Discovered in Vast Medieval Necropolis near Bulgaria’s Radnevo

A large number of glass jewels and remains of wooden coffins in some of the burials among dozens of newly excavated graves have been discovered by archaeologists in a large necropolis from the 12th century, the High Middle Ages, near…

Vandals Tear Down Monument of Khan Kubrat, Founder of 7th Century Old Great Bulgaria, in Today’s Ukraine

Unknown vandals have torn down the monument of Ancient Bulgar leader Khan Kubrat (r. 632 – 665 AD), the founder of the so called Old Great Bulgaria, which was erected in 2012 in the town of Mala Pereshchepina, Poltava District,…

Bronze Dionysus Chariot Bust, Venus Terracotta Found in Home Burned Down in 251 AD Goth Invasion of Roman Empire in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv

A bronze bust of Ancient Thracian and Greek god Dionysus, which was part of the decoration of a chariot, and a terracotta (statuette) of Roman goddess Venus have been discovered inside a large 2nd century AD building from ancient Philipopolis,…

Iron Age Ancient Thracian Hamlet, ‘Cross-Shaped’ Ax Discovered in Highway Construction Excavations in Bulgaria’s Ugarchin

An Iron Age Ancient Thracian settlement, or, rather, a hamlet which was inhabited on and off over a period of about 1,000 years – from the 11th century BC until the 1st century BC, has been discovered by archaeologists during…

Cup-Shaped Copper Coin of Tsar Ivan Asen II of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection

A replica of a copper scyphate, or a cup-shaped copper coin, minted by Tsar Ivan Asen II (r. 1218 – 1241) of the Second Bulgarian Empire is the second coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National…

2 Prehistoric Artifacts from Bulgaria Included in ‘Earth as Heritage’ Exhibition in Lyon’s ‘Confluence Museum’ in France

Two prehistoric artifacts from Bulgaria from the 6th and 5th millennium BC have been included in an exhibition entitled “The Earth as a Heritage: From the Neolithic till Our Time” of the Confluence Museum (Musée des Confluences) in the French…

6,500-Year-Old Full Set of Vessels, Including Zoomorphic One, Gold Bead from World’s Oldest Found in Prehistoric Settlement Mound near Bulgaria’s Pomorie

A full set of 21 prehistoric pottery vessels, including a remarkable zoomorphic vessel, and a gold bead which is among the oldest gold items in the world, have been discovered in a Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) settlement mound from the…

Gold Coin of Tsar Ivan Asen II of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by Bulgarian National Bank, Archaeology Museum as Part of Replica Collection

A replica collection of coins minted by the Tsars of the Second Bulgarian Empire has been launched in a joint project by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology, with the first…

3,000-Year-Old Bird-Shaped Vessel Placed in Burial Urn Found in Bulgaria’s Baley in Crucial Thracian Bronze Age Necropolis

Archaeologists have discovered 15 new graves from the 2nd millennium BC, the Middle Bronze Age and the Late Bronze Age, near the town of Baley on the Danube, Vidin District, in Northwest Bulgaria, in a necropolis from the earliest Ancient…

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

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.

Large Silver Coin Hoard Hidden during 251 AD Goth Invasion of Roman Empire Discovered in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv

A coin hoard containing nearly 600 silver coins (denarii) from the 1st – 3rd century AD, most likely hidden during the first large-scale barbarian invasion of the Roman Empire, the invasion by the Goths in 250-251 AD, has been discovered…

32 of Bulgaria’s Roman Frontier Danube Sites to Bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status in Joint Endeavor with Romania, Serbia, Croatia

A total of 32 Ancient Roman sites in Bulgaria – including fortresses, settlements, road stations and production facilities – are included in a joint project with neighboring countries Romania, Serbia, and Croatia to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status as…

Fine Marbles in 14 Different Colors from Constantine the Great’s Danube Bridge Opening in 328 AD Found in Roman City Ulpia Oescus in North Bulgaria

Archaeologists have discovered a total of 14 different kinds of highly sophisticated colorful marbles used in lavish wall decorations of a grand hall in the huge Roman city of Ulpia Oescus in North Bulgaria, and believe they most likely had…

Turkish Smuggler Caught with Dozens Byzantine, Persian Gold Coins at Bulgaria-Turkey Border

Dozens of gold and silver coins from the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages minted by states such as the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Persian Empire have been seized from a Turkish man at the Bulgaria –…

Slab with Marching Ancient Greek Warriors Discovered at Apollo Temples on Ancient Black Sea Island in Bulgaria’s Sozopol

A 2,500-year-old slab, a relief depicting marching Ancient Greek warriors, or hoplites, has been discovered among other finds in the recent archaeological excavations of two temples of ancient god Apollo on the St. Cyricus Island, today a peninsula, in the…

Yet Another 7,000-Year-Old Slab with Likely Proto-Writing Found in Bulgaria, in Transitional Stone-to-Copper Age Settlement

Bulgarian archaeologists have found one more prehistoric clay slab with possibly pre-alphabetic writing or proto-writing carvings, this time in a large 7,000-year-old settlement near Panagyurishte in South Central Bulgaria, which is from the transition period between the Late Neolithic (New…

120 Ritual Pits in 7,000-Years-Old ‘Pit Field’ Found in Northeast Bulgaria, Prehistoric Bull Figurines Remarkable

A field of hundreds of prehistoric ritual pits from the 6th millennium BC, i.e. the Late Neolithic (New Stone Age) has been discovered and excavated near the towns of Kovachevets and Popovo in Northeast Bulgaria, yielding numerous prehistoric artifacts including…

Archaeologist Figures Out Thracian Name of Roman Danube City Sexaginta Prista, Bulgaria’s Ruse

The Ancient Thracian name and thus the earliest name of today’s Danube city of Ruse in Northeast Bulgaria, the successor of the Roman Empire city of Sexaginta Prista, was probably Plestrodava, a Bulgarian archaeologist hypothesizes.

‘Incredible’ Early Byzantine Fortress with Stone Assembly Letter Clues Unearthed near Bulgaria’s Shirokovo

Archaeologists have excavated for the first time a 5th century AD fortress near Shirokovo in Northeast Bulgaria, which is the early period of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) and is also likely to be the medieval Bulgarian city of Krastovets,…

Bulgaria Celebrates 78th Anniversary since Rescue of Bulgarian Jews from Holocaust of Nazi Death Camps

Bulgaria marked on March 9-10, 2021, the 78th anniversary since the days its civil society and key government and church figures prevented the deportation of almost 50,000 Bulgarian Jews to Nazi death camps during World War II, and thus saved…

7,000-Year-Old Settlement Mound in Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Burgas Presented for the First Time in Exhibition

The oldest settlement in today’s Black Sea city of Burgas in Southeast Bulgaria – today a prehistoric settlement mound – which existed in the Late Neolithic (New Stone Age) and throughout the entire Chalcolithic (Copper Age) period, has been presented…

50 Ancient Arrow, Spear Tips Planted, Charged Bulgarian Businessman Claims

A collection of a total of 50 ancient iron arrow and spear tips, which has brought about a criminal charge against prominent Bulgarian businessman Plamen Bobokov, had been planted in his home, Bobokov himself has alleged at the start of…

Bulgaria Celebrates 143rd Anniversary since National Liberation from Ottoman Empire

Bulgaria and Bulgarians around the world celebrate on Wednesday, March 3, the 143th anniversary since the country’s National Liberation from the Ottoman Empire on March 3, 1878.

Museum of Roman City Diocletianopolis in Bulgaria's Hisarya Wins Taxation Lawsuit

The Museum of Archaeology in the town of Hisarya in Central South Bulgaria, which is the successor of the large Roman city of Diocletianopolis, has won a lawsuit with the Bulgarian tax authority.

3 Newly Found Gold Rings Reveal Antiquity, Middle Ages Life in Danube Region of Northeast Bulgaria

Archaeologists have discovered a total of three gold rings from the Antiquity, High Middle Ages, and Late Middle Ages in diverse archaeological sites in the Danube region of Ruse in today’s Northeast Bulgaria.

3 Gold Coins from Byzantine Empire after 1071 Battle of Manzikert Found in Bulgaria’s Lom in Almus, Lomgrad Ruins

Archaeologists have found a small hoard of gold coins from the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) minted after the emblematic Battle of Manzikert in 1071 under Emperor Michael VII Ducas during excavations of the Ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine city…

80 Newly Found Dugouts Offer Glimpse into 9th Century Rural Life in First Bulgarian Empire

Archaeologists have discovered a 9th century AD village from the time of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680 – 1018 AD) near the town of Gradishte, Shumen District, in Northeast Bulgaria, with some 80 dugouts offering a glimpse into the life…

Rare 5th Century AD Late Roman Marble Table Discovered in Petrich Kale Fortress near Bulgaria’s Varna

Archaeologists have discovered a beautiful white marble table from the 4th – 5th century AD, i.e. the Late Roman and Early Byzantine period, during excavations in one of the towers of the Petrich Kale Fortress near the Black Sea city…

50 Ancient Iron Arrow, Spear Tips Lead to Criminal Charge against Bulgarian Businessman

The District Prosecutor’s Office in the Danube city of Ruse in Northeast Bulgaria has charged prominent businessman Plamen Bobokov with the illegal possession of archaeological artifacts over a total of 50 pieces of ancient weaponry, namely iron arrow and spear…

Unknown Medieval Settlement from Second Bulgarian Empire, Bronze Age Settlement Discovered near Danube City Vidin

A previously unknown settlement from the Second Bulgarian Empire in the High Middle Ages and a layer from an Early Bronze Age settlement from the 3rd millennium BC have been discovered near the Danube city of Vidin in Northwest Bulgaria.

Archaeology in Bulgaria. and Beyond