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 –…
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…
Global Treasure Hunting, Antiquities Theft Rise Thanks to Pandemic, Social Media, Report Says
Treasure hunting for archaeological, historical, and cultural artifacts as well as their direct theft and trafficking are on the rise worldwide due to the effect of the global coronavirus pandemic and thanks to the convenience of social media, according to…
Bulgaria’s Largest Thracian Mound Proves to Be Tower Tomb Like in Petra, Palmyra, Likely of Roman Emperor Philip I the Arab
The massive 3rd century AD Antiquity building exposed in July 2018 underneath the Maltepe Mound, Bulgaria’s largest Ancient Thracian burial mound ever, has turned out to be a tower tomb like the ones in ancient Middle East cities such as…
Byzantine Coastal City Unearthed in Istanbul’s Asian Part during Restoration of Historic Train Station in Turkey
An unknown Byzantine coastal city located on the Asian side of Istanbul, the former Constantinople, has been discovered during the restoration of a historic train station in Turkey.
11,000 Coins, Archaeological Artifacts Seized on Bulgaria’s Border in Attempted Smuggling from Turkey into EU
Over 11,000 ancient coins as well as dozens of archaeological artifacts have been seized by customs officers at the Lesovo Crossing Point on Bulgaria’s border with Turkey in a car entering Bulgaria and the EU during a smuggling attempt.
Bulgarian, Turkish Man Sentenced in Shumen for Trafficking Roman Artifacts from Middle East
A Bulgarian and a Turkish citizen have confessed their guilt in the smuggling of dozens of Ancient Roman artifacts, and possibly a Sumerian slab, after their arrest in a police operation almost two years ago generated international interest.
Archaeologists Find Bishop’s Inscription, Mosaics with Middle Eastern Motifs in 5th Century AD Great Basilica in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
The archaeologists and restorers working on the excavation and conservation of the 5th century AD Byzantine Great Basilica in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv have made a series of new intriguing discoveries at the Early Christian temple.
Bulgarian Archaeologist Concludes Roman Artifacts Seized from Smugglers Authentic, Originated in Asia Minor and the Middle East
The 19 statues and slabs which were seized from several treasure hunters and antique traffickers, including a citizen of Turkey, by the Bulgarian police in the northeastern city of Shumen back in March 2015 are fine examples of Ancient Roman art…
Unique Early Christian Monastery in Bulgaria’s Varna Vandalized by Camping Parties, Archaeologist Alarms
The ruins of an absolutely unique Early Christian church and monastery from the 5th century AD located in an area known as Dzhanavara in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna have been vandalized by camping and drinking parties, which are…
St. John the Baptist Relics Found in Bulgaria’s Sozopol ‘Could’ Be Authentic, Oxford Archaeology Dating Expert Finds
The relics of St. John the Baptist, which were discovered on the St. Ivan Island in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria’s Sozopol back in 2010, belonged to a Middle Eastern man who lived at the time of…
St. John the Baptist Relics Theft ‘Inside Job’, Says Archaeologist Who Found Them on Bulgarian Black Sea Island
The recent theft of a particle from the relics of St. John the Baptist committed in the city of Sliven in Southeast Bulgaria is an inside job, according to archaeologist Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov, the researcher who discovered the holy relics…
Particle from Newly Found St. John the Baptist Relics Stolen from Church in Bulgaria’s Sliven
A particle from the relics of St. John the Baptist, which were discovered during archaeological excavations in an early Christian monastery on the St. Ivan (St. John) Island near Bulgaria’s Sozopol, has been stolen from a church in the city…
