Bulgarian archaeologists discovered during the 2016 archaeological season new interesting evidence about the past of the current Bulgarian lands near the village of Starosel (Hisarya municipality). The region is rich in historical monuments. The new finds were discovered in the area of the popular Horizont Mound and Chetinyova Mound temple, discovered by celebrated Bulgarian archaeologist Dr. Georgi Kitov. This year the team of Associate Professor Dr. Ivan Hristov, who serves as Deputy Keeper of the National Museum of History, localized the place of the ancient Thracian village in this region. The team also found a great basilica near Starosel. Here is what Associate Professor Hristov told Radio Bulgaria about this year’s researches.

“We have explored a single-nave church on Kozi Gramadi peak which dates back to Late Antiquity. Two more basilicas have been localized on the land of Starosel. We also have evidence about the existence of other two basilicas in the neighboring villages Matenitsa and Krasovo. In other words, the presence of monuments from the Early Christian Period in the southern slopes of Sredna Gora Mountain is not an exception. The strange thing was that we found that basilica near the Thracian mound in close proximity to the large mound monument dating back to the ancient Thracian period. It was also strange to find out that the building was facing northeast-southeast, instead of east-west.”

Archaeologists have started to study the ancient village which covers an area of 1.5 hectares. It is situated nearby the place where their expedition is currently working. It is quite logical for such a large settlement dating back to the late antiquity to have a prehistory and to consist of one or several religious monuments or churches from that time.

“Practically we discovered a three-nave basilica which is 25.8 meters long and 13 meters wide. The total actual size, including the side premises in the northwestern part, amounts to 350 square meters. The remaining original walls of the basilica reach up to 80 centimeters in some places, but as a whole the monument suffered large damages. It has been slowly crumbling down over the centuries since the 6th century. It has been subject to large-scale treasure hunting in the past decades as well. In other words, the monument suffered serious damage over the years. However, the fundaments of the building are well-preserved and the ancient sanctuary is well-discerned with stone and mortar. It enables us to make a partial restoration of the monument and show it to the multiple visitors of Starosel”, Associate Professor Hristov pointed out.

A commission from the Inspectorate for Protection of Cultural Heritage with the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture is to visit the area and get acquainted with the results of the research campaign. The commission is expected to propose measures aimed at preserving that ancient temple. Of course, it must be conserved first, archaeologist Ivan Hristov points out. In fact, the archeological operation was financed by the local wine cellar. The management of the cellar wants to finance the construction of a protective roof and also fence off the monument, in order to preserve it for the future generations. We are guided by the belief that once excavations are completed on a given site, archaeologists must immediately come up with measures aimed at preserving the monuments and then publish the results of their research work and studies, so people can learn details about the history of those interesting historical monuments”, archaeologist Ivan Hristov concludes.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov