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…
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…
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…
Crusaders from Third Crusade Destroyed 11th-Century Byzantine Empire’s Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria, Archaeologists Find
A small but remarkable Byzantine fortress, which existed in the 11th – 12th century in today’s Southeast Bulgaria, was seemingly destroyed by the Western European knights from the Third Crusade in 1189 – 1192 AD, the archaeological research team has…
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…
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,…
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.
Archaeologists Find Seal of Byzantine Empress Yolande of Montferrat in Bulgaria’s Lyutitsa Fortress
A rare find, a lead seal of Yolande of Montferrat, Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire, the second wife of Byzantine Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus (r. 1282 – 1328), has been discovered by archaeologists excavating the medieval Bulgarian fortress Lyutitsa near…
Archaeologists Find Late Antiquity ‘Peacock’ Mosaic, Medieval ‘St. Peter’ Mural in Early Christian Great Basilica in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A previously unknown and very well preserved mosaic floor featuring an image of a peacock and fragments of a medieval mural possibly depicting St. Peter have been unearthed by archaeologists in the Early Christian and Early Byzantine Great Basilica in…
Archaeologists Find Byzantine General’s Seal, Medieval Necropolis in Lyutitsa Fortress near Bulgaria’s Ivaylovgrad
A well preserved lead seal of a medieval Byzantine general is just one of the numerous artifacts which have been discovered by the archaeologists excavating the Late Antiquity and medieval fortress Lyutitsa near the town of Ivaylovgrad in Southern Bulgaria.
Bulgaria’s Varna to Turn Major 9th Century Monastery with Scriptorium from First Bulgarian Empire into Cultural Tourism Site
Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna has taken the first step to restore and promote as a cultural tourism site what apparently was one of the largest monasteries in the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680-1018 AD) known as the Knyazheski (Royal)…
Renowned Bulgarian Archaeologist Assoc. Prof. Irina Shtereva Has Passed Away
One of Bulgaria’s most renowned archaeologists and medievalists, Assoc. Prof. Irina Shtereva, has passed away.
Bulgarian Police Bust Antique Trafficking Ring, Seize Roman Decurion’s Gravestone, 800 Invaluable Artifacts
Bulgaria’s Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) has shattered a ring for antiques trafficking, and has confiscated over 800 archaeological artifacts and coins, including a very valuable marble gravestone of a Roman Decurion.
Archaeologist Finds Clay Lamp with Eros, Other Roman Age Artifacts in Ancient and Medieval Rock City Perperikon
A number of artifacts from the Roman period, including a clay lamp with a depiction of the ancient deity Eros, have been discovered by the team of archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov during the excavations of the ancient and medieval rock city…
Bulgaria’s National History Museum Receives Ancient Roman Gravestone, Bulgarian Tsars’ Seals Seized from Treasure Hunters
Bulgaria’s National Museum of History in Sofia has released a photo of a richly decorated Ancient Thracian – Roman gravestone which together with other archaeological artifacts has been donated to it after having been seized from treasure hunters.
Lead Seal of Bulgarian Emperor Simeon I the Great Discovered in Medieval Capital Veliki Preslav
A lead seal of Tsar Simeon I the Great (r. 893-927 AD), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680-1018 AD), and probably the most powerful Bulgarian leader of all time in terms of both military victories and cultural and literary…
Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Medieval Necropolis with More Skeletons with Posthumous Mutilations at Upper Voden Fortress
А medieval necropolis with a total of 22 skeletons, some of which buried with precautionary rituals against their takeover by evil forces (such as vampirism), has been found during the recent excavations of the 11th century Gorni Voden (“Upper Voden”)…
Bulgarian Archaeologists Come Across Late Antiquity Toilet at Burgos (Poros) Fortress, Bulgarian Royal Seal at Rusocastro Fortress
Archaeologists from the Regional Museum of History in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas have unearthed a toilet, or latrine, from the period of the Late Antiquity during the excavations of the ancient and medieval port of Burgos (also…
Earliest Human Settlement at Medieval Asen’s Fortress Dating to 7th Millenium BC, Bulgarian Archaeologists Reveal
The area around the medieval Asen’s Fortress near the town of Asenovgrad in Southern Bulgaria has been inhabited since around the 7th-6th millennium BC, local archaeologists have revealed during a presentation of their finds from the 2014 summer excavations.
Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Ancient Pithoi, Medieval Byzantine Seals at Upper Voden Fortress
Several ancient pithoi (large clay vessels for food and drinks) as well as medieval lead seals belonging to Byzantine dignitaries have been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists in the excavations of the Upper Voden Fortress, also known as Voden or Votina,…
10th Century Lead Seal of Bulgarian Tsar Petar I Discovered by Locals in Field near Medieval Fortress Rusocastro
A lead seal of St. Tsar Petar I (r. 927-970 AD), one of the most notable rulers of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680-1018 AD), has been discovered by locals in a field near the medieval fortress Rusocastro, Kameno Municipality, Burgas…
