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Archaeological finds from Ahtopol

Photo: National History Museum

Despite the short time for excavations and insufficient funding, the completed Archаeology Season 2022 has turned out to be extremely successful. According to reports from Bulgaria’s National History Museum, the discoveries made, covering almost all archaeological periods from prehistory to the Middle Ages, provide extremely valuable information about the way of life of people in the Bulgarian lands. ‎

Thanks to the conducted archaeological research on field, with the financial support of the National History Museum, the Ministry of Culture, funds from the "Culture" program of Sofia Municipality and the local municipalities, as well as private donors, more than 500 artefacts have been discovered at a total of sixteen sites. 

The mediaeval monastery of Saint John Prodromos in Ahtopol

From the Rhodopes, through Sakar to the Black Sea coast, including Vitosha, Plana Planina and the Thracian Plain, the studied sites include settlement and burial mounds, ancient and medieval fortresses and settlements. Among the most interesting are the “Hidden Mound” area near the village of Poroy, the mediaeval monastery of Ahtopol, the fortresses Lyutitsa, Bukelon, Kalyata and Kokalyanski Urvich.‎

Near the village of Poroy close to Pomorie, for example, many different shapes and sizes of ceramic vessels, flint, stone and bone implements, parts of ornaments, figurines were found. Among the rich collection of finds in the settlement mound, an interesting string of beads made of bone dating to the Stone-Copper Age stands out.

An object unearthed during excavations of the ancient fortress

Also this year, the regular archaeological excavations of the ancient fortress of Ravadinovo again proved to be beneficial for the researchers, who in the 2017-2022 period found evidence of a well-fortified site that existed on the territory of the Greek colony of Apollonia Pontica. Among them are the amphorae from Thasos, the Thasos circle, Chios, Mende, Miletus (dated between the first half of the 5^th century BC and the 3^rd century BC).

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Other finds from the digs at the ancient fortress of Ravadinovo

The underwater archaeological work in the water area of Burgas and the region also ranks among the most interesting projects during the year.‎ As for the northern Black Sea coast, during this summer the excavations at the medieval capital of the Dobruja despotate - the magnificent Kaliakra - proved that it is an irreplaceable part of Bulgaria’s rich cultural heritage. 

• New archeological finds shed light on life near Cape Kaliakra

Another interesting highlight of the archaeological year 2022 are the discoveries in the Eastern Rhodope Moutain, in the region of Ivaylovgrad, made during the regular archaeological digs of the Late Antiquity and Medieval fortress in the "Balak Dere" area. The rich collection of finds includes a bronze vessel for religious rites (patera), a clay lamp with a round tank and a bronze coin of Emperor Probus (276-282), as well as three coins from the 5^th century, which confirm the hypothesis that the fortress began to function precisely in the early 5^th century.

Finds from the village of Dabnitsa, close to Garmen

All these discoveries can be viewed until the end of March 2023 in the exhibition "Ancient finds. New discoveries. Archaeological season 2022" at the National History Museum.

• Urvich monastery to undergo reconstruction

• Antique artifacts and their stories on Sozopol’s past

Photos: National Museum of History

Compiled by Darina Grigorova

Editing by Elena Karkalanova