Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 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

When horsemen and mystical rituals come to life in gold and silver – the Letnitsa Treasure

In the world of the Thracians, who had no written language, the most important messages were conveyed through art. The Letnitsa Treasure is precisely such a message — about power, beliefs, and the path to wisdom . This unique discovery, dated between..

published on 11/22/25 7:00 AM

On November 21 we mark the Day of the Orthodox Christian Family

On November 21, the day of the Presentation of Virgin Mary (or the Entry of the most Holy Theotokos into the Temple), the Orthodox Bulgarians also celebrate the Day of the Christian Family and the Learning Youth.  The holiday was established by the..

published on 11/21/25 7:20 PM
Ventseslav Sabev

Ventseslav Sabev from Geneva: When we believe in God, we carry a message of peace

During a visit by the Radio Bulgaria team to the Bulgarian Orthodox Parish "Nativity of the Mother of God" in Geneva, we had the pleasure of meeting Ventseslav Sabev, the son of long-time church history professor at the Sofia Theological Seminary,..

published on 11/15/25 6:35 AM