Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

A 2500-year-old Scythian sceptre discovered during excavations near Provadia

Photo: BTA

Archaeologists found a 2,500 years old Scythian sceptre in the last days of this season's excavations in the prehistoric salt mining and urban center "Provadia - Solnitsata" in Northeast Bulgaria, BTA reports.


The 5th century BC sceptre is 39 centimetres long and its handle is made of two pieces of bone glued together. At the bottom it is covered with a socket and has an opening, suggesting that the sceptre was probably hung somewhere, according to Acad. Vasil Nikolov, who is leading the excavations at the site.


The connection between the head and the handle of the scepter is meticulously made. The head is carved in the characteristic Scythian animal style. Viewed from one side, it is like the beak of an eagle, but on the other, the ancient craftsman has carved an anthropomorphic image on which the beak looks like a hat. 




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

A new guidebook presents pilgrimage tourism routes in Bulgaria

A guidebook to the major Christian pilgrimage routes in the country was presented during the first national conference dedicated to pilgrimage tourism in Bulgaria, attended by Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh, Metropolitan Anthony of Western and..

published on 6/27/25 10:50 AM

Bulgarians' traditional costumes from the Romanian village of Băleni-Sârbi featured in an ethnographic catalogue

An album showcasing traditional folk costumes from the seven regions of the Wallachia area in Romania was presented at the Giurgiu County Museum. The catalogue, titled Ethnographic Collection of the “Teohari Antonescu” Museum in Giurgiu – Folk..

published on 6/26/25 5:10 PM

Archaeologists discover a gold coin from the time of Emperor Justinian I

A gold coin minted during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire, was discovered during excavations at the Tuida Fortress near Sliven. According to Associate Professor Dr. Nikolay Sirakov, Director of the Regional History..

published on 6/25/25 9:11 AM