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…
Archaeologists Find Thracian Princess’s Tomb in Burial Mound Targeted by Treasure Hunters in Bulgaria’s Tatarevo
An almost 2,000-year-old tomb of a cremated Ancient Thracian princess has been discovered during emergency rescue excavations of a Thracian tumulus (burial mound) in the town of Tatarevo, Parvomay Municipality, in Southern Bulgaria, which has been repeatedly targeted by treasure…
Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Stone Inscription, Red Marble Pillar in Bishop’s Basilica in Roman and Byzantine Fortress Zaldapa
A stone inscription in Greek has been discovered by the archaeologists excavating the ruins of a Christian bishop’s basilica in the Roman and Byzantine fortress of Zaldapa, which is located in Krushari Municipality, Dobrich District, in Northeast Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Antique Traffickers Flood Europe with Fake Archaeological Artifacts, Forged Thracian Treasure on Sale for EUR 200,000
Bulgarian antique traffickers and treasure hunters are flooding the European black market with forged ancient coins and fake archaeological artifacts such as a fake Ancient Thracian treasure which is “on sale” for EUR 200,000, according to the police.
Bulgarian Police Capture Treasure Hunter with over 300 Archaeological Artifacts , Coins
Police officers in the southern Bulgarian city of Smolyan have arrested a treasure hunter confiscating over 300 ancient and/or medieval coins as well as a number of other archaeological artifacts.
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.
Treasure Hunters Steal Ancient Artifacts from Roman and Byzantine Fortress Zaldapa in Northeast Bulgaria
Two cases of theft of ancient artifacts by treasure hunters have been registered during the second excavations of the large Late Roman and Early Byzantine fortress Zaldapa built on top of an Ancient Thracian settlement near the town of Abrit…
Bulgarian Court Acquits Lawyer Brothers in High-profile Treasure Hunting Trial over Destruction of Thracian Mound
The District Court in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas has acquitted Zhivko Chepishev and Zdravko Chepishev, lawyer twin brothers, on charges of treasure hunting and destruction of an Ancient Thracian burial mound (tumulus) in a trial that has…
Bulgaria, Italy Sign Agreement to Crack Down on Treasure Hunting, Illegal Trafficking of Antiques
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture and Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism have signed a memorandum providing for joint efforts against treasure hunting, theft of cultural heritage artifacts and illegal trafficking of antiques.
Archaeologists Uncover Ruins of Thracian, Roman City Almus in Bulgaria’s Lom during Construction
Part of the ruins of the Ancient Thracian and Roman, early Byzanine, and medieval Bulgarian city of Almus have been uncovered in the Bulgarian Danube town of Lom during construction works for the rehabilitation of the town’s water supply and…
Bulgarian Police Nab 2 Men for Selling Illegal Archaeological Artifacts in Downtown Sofia
Bulgaria’s police have arrested two men for selling illegally archaeological artifacts near the famous antique market in front of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in downtown Sofia.
Ancient Thracian City Kabile near Bulgaria’s Yambol Attracts Growing Number of Tourists
A growing number of tourists are visiting one of Bulgaria’s most magnificent archaeological wonders, though still a rather unknown destination for cultural tourism – the Ancient Thracian city of Kabile located near today’s southern city of Yambol.
Bulgarian Archaeologists Start Excavations of Looted Ancient Thracian Shrine on Mount Ostrets near Velingrad
Bulgarian archaeologists have started excavations of an Ancient Thracian shrine on Mount Ostrets in the Rhodope Mountains near the spa resort of Velingrad, Snezhana Veleva, Director of the Regional Museum of History in the southern city of Pazardzhik, has announced.
Persisting Myths about Legendary Rebel’s Gold Keep Drawing Bulgarian Treasure Hunters to Archaeological Sites
Large numbers of Bulgarian treasure hunters keep searching for alleged gold treasure(s) motivated by countless legends, thus damaging or destroying ancient and medieval archaeological sites, as it is believed that Robin Hood-like Bulgarian rebels from the 19th century used them…
Bulgaria’s Dobrichka Municipality Refuses Again Funding for Excavations of ‘Glorious Rock’ Fortress
The Town Council in Bulgaria’s northeastern Dobrichka Municipality has snubbed for the second time the request of the Regional Museum of History in the city of Dobrich to allocate funding for the archaeological excavations of the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock)…
Bulldozers, Treasure Hunters Destroying Ancient Thracian Archaeological Sites in Bulgaria’s Satovcha Municipality
Construction bulldozers and treasure hunters have been destroying and raiding a large area of Ancient Thracian archaeological sites dating back as early as the 8th century BC in Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad District, in Southwest Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Archaeologists Start Excavations of Ancient Thracian City Kabile near Yambol
A team of archaeologists from the Regional Museum of History in the southern Bulgarian city of Yambol has started the 2015 summer archaeological season with the renewed excavations of the Ancient Thracian city of Kabile.
Bulgarian Cabinet Grants Dobrich History Museum Excavation Rights for ‘Glorious Rock’ Fortress
Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers has granted the Regional Museum of History in the northeastern city of Dobrich three-year usage rights for archaeological excavations for the property of the Slavnata Kanara (Glorious Rock) Fortress where in 2014 the local archaeologists found…
Bulgarian Treasure Hunters Raiding Western Thrace in Greece in Search of Legendary Freedom Fighter’s Treasure
Treasure hunters from Bulgaria have started raiding archaeological sites in the historical region of Western Thrace in Greece in search of a huge treasure allegedly buried there by Captain Petko Voyvoda, a Bulgarian “haidutin”, freedom fighter, and national hero who…
Treasure Hunters Raid over 40 Archaeological Sites in Bulgaria’s Yambol District
Treasure hunters have looted and damaged over 40 archaeological sites from different time periods in Bulgaria’s archaeology-rich southeastern Yambol District since 2014.
Treasure Hunters in Bulgaria Get Away with Crimes Because of Undesignated Archaeological Sites, Archaeologist Says
Many treasure hunters in Bulgaria get away with punishments because of what appears to be a legislative loophole – charges against them fail in court if the archaeological sites where they had been caught digging are not designated as such,…
Treasure Hunters Raid Soon-to-Be-Excavated Ancient Thracian Tumuli in Bulgaria’s Tatarevo
At least one of the Ancient Thracian burial mounds (tumuli) in the southern Bulgarian town of Tatarevo, Plovdiv District, which are soon supposed to be excavated by the Director of the Plovdiv Museum of Archaeology, Kostadin Kisyov, has been raided…
Bulgarian Archaeologist Discouraged over Meager Funding for Excavations of Looted Ancient Roman City Ratiaria
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture has allocated only BGN 12,000 (app. EUR 6,100) for the 2015 summer archaeological excavations of the Ancient Roman Danube city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria, which is located near today’s town of Archar in Northwest Bulgaria.
Krater Seized from Bulgarian Treasure Hunter Made in Ancient Greece during Age of Pericles
The 5th century BC krater, a special vessel for mixing wine (and water), which has recently been confiscated from a treasure hunter by the Bulgarian police, was made in Ancient Greece during the Age of Pericles, part of the Golden…
Ancient Roman City Ratiaria in Bulgaria’s Archar Assaulted by Brutal Treasure Hunters Yet Again
The Ancient Roman arsenal city of Ratiaria, also known as Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria, which is located near the northwestern Bulgarian town of Archar on the Danube River, has suffered brand new major damages from looting treasure hunters.
Bulgarian Police Seize Rare 5th Century BC Ancient Greek Krater from Treasure Hunter
Bulgarian police officers have confiscated a unique 5th century BC Ancient Greek krater, a special vessel for mixing wine (and water) used in Ancient Greece and Thrace, from a treasure hunter from the southern town of Susam, Haskovo District.
Archaeology Museum in Bulgaria’s Silistra Presents Newly Found Bronze Age Tools Seized from Treasure Hunters
The Museum of Archaeology in Bulgaria’s Danube city of Silistra has shown to the public for the first time a newly discovered “prehistoric treasure” of 22 copper adzes from the Bronze Age that have been confiscated from local treasure hunters…
Bulgarian Archaeology Chief Grieves Over Looted Necropolis of Ancient Thracian, Greek, Roman City Heraclea Sintica
The Director of Bulgaria’s National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Ass. Prof. Dr. Lyudmil Vagalinski, has expressed his grief over the fact that most of the necropolis of the Ancient Thracian, Greek, and Roman city of Heraclea Sintica near the…
Plovdiv Archaeology Museum Shows for the First Time Rare Thracian Helmet with Trojan War Motifs from Bulgaria’s Brestovitsa
A very rare war helmet of a Thracian aristocrat from the 1st-2nd century AD found during emergency excavations of the Ancient Thracian tumulus (burial mound) known as Pamuk Mogila in Bulgaria’s Brestovitsa in 2013, has been shown to the public…
NGO Raises Funds to Rescue ‘Bulgaria’s Stonehenge’: Ancient Thracian Stone Circle (Cromlech) at Staro Zhelezhare
A Bulgarian NGO has managed to raise a considerable sum of money to fund the rescue excavations of the so called “Bulgarian Stonehenge” – an Ancient Thracian stone circle (cromlech) at the town of Staro Zhelezare near Hisarya in Southern…
Greek Man Testifies in Bulgarian Lawyers’ Trial over Treasure Hunting, Destruction of Thracian Tumulus
Greek citizen Nicolaos Uzunidis, 53, has testified before the District Court in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas in the trial of Zdravko Chepishev and Zhivko Chepishev, lawyers who are charged with treasure hunting and destruction of an Ancient…
Scores of Treasure Hunters Pillage Medieval Fortress, Late Iron Age Settlement in Search of Legendary Bulgarian Rebel’s Gold
Over the past month, an enormous number of ruthless treasure hunters from all over Bulgaria have been pillaging several unexplored archaeological sites near the town of Vetrintsi, Veliko Tarnovo District, including a medieval fortress and a Late Iron Age settlement, reports…
Expedition Sets Out in Search of Archaeology Sites in Bulgaria’s General Toshevo Municipality
A special expedition of archaeologists from several institutions has set out to explore the archaeological heritage of one of Bulgaria’s most remote municipalities, General Toshevo Municipality, located in the very northeast of the country along the land border with Romania.
History Museum in Bulgaria’s Sliven Receives Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Austrian Coins Seized from Treasure Hunters
The Regional History Museum in the eastern Bulgarian city of Sliven has received from the police and judicial authorities a total of 386 coins and other archaeological artifacts from different archaeological periods which have been confiscated from now sentenced treasure…
Bulgaria’s Plovdiv Funds Emergency Rescue Excavations of Ancient Thracian Burial Mound Targeted by Treasure Hunters
A total of BGN 40,000 (app. EUR 20,500) in funding have been allocated by the City Council in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv for emergency rescue excavations of a large Ancient Thracian tumulus (burial mound) located near the town…
