Special Jubilee Exhibition Extended Due to Huge Interest in Startling Finds from 20 Years of Digs at Provadiya-Solnitsata Prehistoric Settlement – Europe’s Oldest Town
The special jubilee exhibition entitled “The Lords of Salt,” which was opened in June 2024 in Sofia, has just been extended due to the huge interest in the most startling finds from the 20 years of archaeological excavations at what…
Intriguing ‘Dionysus with Panther’ Chariot Applique Discovered in Bulgaria’s Skutare in ‘Multi-layer’ Settlement
A highly intriguing ancient artifact – a bronze applique depicting wine god Dionysus together with what is believed to be a panther, which was most likely decorating a chariot – has been discovered in Bulgaria’s Skutare, close to the city…
Massive Hoard of 500 Antiquity Coins Found at Eastern Gate of Ancient Philipopolis in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A massive hoard of some 500 Antiquity coins from different time periods, some of them going back 2,500 years, has been discovered by archaeologists doing rescue excavations close to the eastern gate of the ancient city of Thracian and Roman…
Headless Horse Skeleton Found in Likely First Known Cuman Settlement from Second Bulgarian Empire
A well-preserved headless animal skeleton, most likely of a horse, has been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists excavating a settlement from the High Middle Ages at the foot of the Rahovets Fortress, which might prove to be the very first known…
Ornate 5th Century BC Bone Scepter of Scythian Warrior Becomes August 2024 ‘Exhibit of the Month’ of Bulgaria’s National Museum of Archaeology
A truly impressive and sophisticated artifact – a bone scepter that belonged a Scythian warrior from the 5th century BC discovered in Europe’s oldest town, the Provadiya-Solnitsata Settlement Mound in Northeast Bulgaria – has been declared “Exhibit of the Month”…
Special Jubilee Exhibition Presents Startling Finds from 20 Years of Digs at Provadiya-Solnitsata Prehistoric Settlement – Europe’s Oldest Town
A special jubilee exhibition entitled “The Lords of Salt” has been opened in Sofia to showcase the most startling finds from the 20 years of archaeological excavations at what is proving to be the oldest town in Europe – the…
Archaeologists Find nearly 7,000-Year-Old Copper Age Workshop for Production of Flint Tools near Belogradets in Northeast Bulgaria
A prehistoric workshop, or “manufacturing center”, for the production of flint tools going back to ca. 5,000 BC has been discovered by archaeologists near the town of Belogradets, Varna District, in Northeast Bulgaria, in rescue excavations for the construction of…
7,000-Year-Old Ritual Table with ‘Horned Animal’, First Bulgarian Empire Settlement Found near Varna in Rescue Digs
An archaeological site containing structures from both the Neolithic, with a “horned animal” ritual table as especially intriguing find, and the time of the First Bulgarian Empire in the Early Middle Ages, has been discovered by chance near the Black…
Ancient Thracian Horse Burial, ‘Half a Skeleton’ Human Burial from Early Iron Age Found near Bulgaria’s Polski Trambesh
An Ancient Thracian burial of a horse and a human burial containing only the upper half of a person’s body from the Early Iron Age (ca 1,000 – 500 BC) have been discovered by archaeologists near Orlovets and Polski Trambesh…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Bizarre 3rd Millennium BC ‘Trojan Cups’ Imported from Troy Become November 2020 ‘Exhibit of the Month’ in Bulgaria’s National Museum of Archaeology
A couple of bizarrely shaped ceramic cups from the 3rd millennium BC, or the Early Bronze Age, which are believed to have originated in ancient Troy, and are known as the Trojan Cups, have been declared “exhibit(s)” of the month…
Early Thracian, Roman, Medieval Settlements, Athena Statuette Found in Rescue Digs by Bulgarian Coal Mining Company
Three different ancient settlements – an Early Thracian settlement, a town from the time of the Roman Empire, and an Early Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian settlement – have been discovered in rescue excavations in three locations near the town of…
‘Economic’ Section of 5,000-Year-Old Settlement with а Dozen Kilns Found in Central Bulgarian Valley
A nearly 5,000-year-old prehistoric settlement, or, rather, its “economic” and production section, with close to a dozen kilns has been discovered by archaeologists in the Karlovo Valley in Central Bulgaria.
Archaeologists Unearth Burgus (Tower Fort) in Lesser Known Roman Danube Fortress Bulldozed by Treasure Hunters in Northwest Bulgaria
Archaeologists have exposed what was a burgus, a Late Roman Era tower fort, or a centrally located tower inside Pomodiana, a little known but massive Late Roman and Early Byzantine Fortress on the Danube River in today’s Northwest Bulgaria, which,…
Mouthless Prehistoric ‘Alien’ Mask Mixing Human, Animal Features Found in Salt Pit Settlement Mound in Bulgaria’s Provadiya
A bizarre prehistoric clay mask or a figurine lacking a mouth but featuring both human and animal traits and resembling an “alien” from a sci-fi movie, which dates back to the end of the 5th millennium BC, has been discovered…
7,000-Year-Old Kilns from Prehistoric Ceramics Workshop Dug Up at Bazovets Settlement Mound in Northeast Bulgaria
Two kilns from the Early Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) period – ca. 4,800 – 4,600 BC – which seem to have been part of a prehistoric pottery-making center, have been unearthed at the Bazovets Settlement Mound in Northeast Bulgaria.
Scandal Erupts as Roman Mosaics Get Trampled On in Villa Armira Mansion near Bulgaria’s Ivaylovgrad
A wedding ceremony involving guests trampling upon invaluable and protected Ancient Roman floor mosaics in Villa Armira, a famous 1st century AD mansion of a Thracian – Roman aristocratic family, near Ivaylovgrad in Southern Bulgaria, has caused a public outrage.
Odd 8,000-Year-Old Neolithic Burials, Oldest in Sofia Valley, Discovered in Bulgaria’s Capital
A total of four Neolithic burials from almost 8,000 years ago, which are both peculiar and the earliest graves to have even been found in the Sofia Valley, have been discovered by archaeologists in the Slatina Neolithic Settlement in what…
5th Century BC Ancient Greek Shrine Discovered in First Ever Excavations on Tiny St. Peter Island off Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast near Sozopol
An Antiquity shrine from the 5th century BC, the time of the Ancient Greek colonization of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, has been discovered during the first ever archaeological excavations on the tiny St. Petar / St. Peter Island off the…
Third Satellite Town of Early Medieval Bulgarian Empire’s Capital Pliska Found during Digs for Turkish Stream Natural Gas Pipeline
Rescue archaeological excavations for the construction of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline (dubbed “Balkan Stream” by the Bulgarian government) have yielded a surprising discovery: a completely unknown medieval town described as the third satellite town of the city of…
Ostrich Egg Vessel, Silver Thracian Horseman Found in Roman Era Burial Mound near Bulgaria’s Lyaskovets
A wide range of highly intriguing artifacts such as an ostrich egg turned into a vessel and a gold-plated silver fibula featuring the Thracian Horseman deity have been discovered in rescue excavations of a Thracian burial mound from the Roman…
Newly Found 1st Century BC Roman Fort, Customs Push Back Founding Almus Fortress in Bulgaria’s Danube Town of Lom
An Early Roman fort from the 1st century AD has been discovered in the Ancient Roman city of Almus in today’s town of Lom on the Danube in Northwest Bulgaria, demonstrating that the first Roman fortifications on the site were…
Traces of First Ancient Greek Colonists in 7th Century BC Found under Byzantine City at Bulgaria’s Chernomorets on Black Sea Coast
Archaeological layers with remains from the earliest Ancient Greek colonists, or settlers, on today’s Bulgarian Black Sea coast dating back to the Archaic period in the 7th – 6th century BC have been surprisingly found by archaeologists excavating an Early…
Prehistoric Figurine Depicting Pregnant Woman Found in Middle Chalcolithic Workshop near Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast
A partially preserved 6,600-year-old anthropomorphic clay figurine from the Chalcolithic (Aeneolithic, Copper Age) has been discovered by archaeologists in a prehistoric pottery workshop located close to the town of Suvorovo, Varna District, in Northeast Bulgaria, near the Black Sea coast.
3rd Century AD Marble Child Head, Ancient Chamber Pot Discovered in Roman City Novae near Bulgaria’s Svishtov
A marble from a small child statue from the 3rd century AD and an ancient chamber pots are some of the most interesting finds from the first days of the 2019 archaeological excavations of the Ancient Roman military camp and…
Ancient Settlement Adjacent to Philipopolis Discovered in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Rescue Digs
A small settlement located outside the urban area of ancient Philipopolis, today’s Plovdiv in Central South Bulgaria, has been found by archaeologists conducting preliminary rescue excavations as part of a major railway rehabilitation project.
Culverin Cannonballs from Vlad Dracula’s 1461 Victory over Ottoman Turks Found in Danube Fortress Zishtova in Bulgaria’s Svishtov
Cannonballs from culverins – primitive early medieval cannons – most probably used in 1461 during the conquest of the Zishtova Fortress by Wallacian Voivode Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, from the Ottoman Turks have been discovered…
7,600-Year-Old Mother’s Grave from Early Neolithic Discovered in Slatina Settlement in Bulgaria’s Sofia
A 7,600-year-old grave, most probably of a mother buried with her child, from the Early Neolithic has been discovered by archaeologists excavating the prehistoric Slatina Settlement in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
Late Bronze Age Settlement Discovered in Northwest Bulgaria in Turkish Stream Gas Pipeline Rescue Digs
A settlement originally dating back to the Late Bronze Age, which was also subsequently inhabited in the Thracian and Roman Antiquity, and the Middle Age, has been discovered by archaeologists near Rasovo in Northwest Bulgaria during rescue excavation on the…
Slavs, Avars Burned Down Byzantine City Chrisosotira in Early 7th Century, Digs on Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast Reveal
The Early Byzantine city of Chrisosotira on Cape Chervenka on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast was most likely sacked by the Slavs and Avars during their invasions of the Byzantine Empire in the first half of the 7th century AD, archaeologists…
Discovery of 8,000-Year-Old Veiled Mother Goddess near Bulgaria’s Vidin ‘Pushes Back’ Neolithic Revolution in Europe
Part of a ceramic figurine depicting the head of the Mother Goddess, the earliest deity of Europe’s first agriculturalists, has been discovered by archaeologists in an 8,000-year-old Early Neolithic prehistoric settlement near the town of Mayor Uzunovo, Vidin District, close…
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…