2006 IN REVIEW: Bulgaria's year of discoveries: What lies beneath

Bulgaria's population has increased by three since 2005, two men and one woman. In August, archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology discovered two additional tombs on Cape Kaliakra, during a site excavation. The tombs are thought to be from the country's early Christian period (seventh-eighth century CE) according to the uncoverers, and from the same family, but buried at different times.

Instead of trying to privatise the national rails of iron, the country can put on public display a mediaeval sword. The weapon was found at the site of the two tombs and is particularly prized because such weapons are rarely found.

Six point three more inches of gold and platinum have now been added to the country's miles of wealth. The dagger, found in August in an ancient Thracian complex near the village of Dabene, central Bulgaria, is believed to be 5000 years old.

On the 500th day of Christmas my true love gave to me 500 tiny gold rings. The pieces of what appeared to be ancient jewelery were found at the same site as the dagger in August. Other finds include a small golden plaque, silver vessels, bronze and silver ritual knives and ancient pottery.

Complementing the country's widespread construction, site exploration continues at Sostra, in northern Bulgaria. Unlike Bulgaria, however, Sostra's population and buildings are no longer functioning, having ceased civilization about 1500 years ago. Near Troyan in the northern part of the country, the ancient settlement sits on a Roman military road and spans the Danube and Phillipopolis, the present-day city of Plovdiv. While Sostra was first heard of in modern times from Hungarian traveller Felix Kanits in the late 19th century, current excavation of the site only began in 2002. Archaeological team leader Ivan Hristov from the National Museum of History said that so far, Sostra has been revealed to have a castello, a few civilian settlements, necropolis and more. Basically, it was a mid-second century to end-fifth century small Roman town. He said that the name derives from the Greek work “sostrum”, meaning a bandage or a waist-band; this perfectly describes Sostra, as it lay in a valley of the River Ossum, blocking unchecked access to the roads leading to Phillipopolis. The settlement had a rather violent history, with it being destroyed by the Huns in the late fifth century. “It was only in the late Middle Ages and the early National Revival period that settlements and roadside inns began to be built again along the River Ossum,” he said. “Sostra itself covers an area of four sq km, and was never densely populated. There is a crafts and trades quarter and a civilian settlement, called Vikus. The castello, in the shape of a diamond, is of an impressive size of 130 by 130m. The fortress walls, having sunk two metres in the ground, are presently uncovered.”

Valuable discoveries include epigraphic finds, such as 12 stones bearing cut inscriptions that provide highly valuable information to science. The two most-recently uncovered provide information on the disposition of the army troops that were used to build the settlement, army command and Roman emperors interested in that particular section of the Roman road. Ceramic and glass vessels and jewelery, coins, and a ceremonial bronze mask, attributed to the Thracian, are others.

Plans are to continue excavations, and eventually conserve and, where possible, restore items and the site. Troyan municipality has arranged a tourism package around Sostra; in August 2006, more than 500 tourists visited.

Given the numerous big-name concerts that occurred in Bulgaria in 2006, the need for a major performance venue seems evident.

What plans didn't foresee was for such a location to be made completely of stone and with kennels. And, because modern musicians seem to like the benefits of electricity, the Roman amphitheatre re-uncovered in Sofia in July 2006 has been discarded as an option.

However, archaeologists, Roman history buffs, people who just can’t get enough of old rocks (they don’t smell any different than modern rocks. Trust me; I sniffed.) and such are enchanted.

It was during construction of the new hotel off of Dondoukov Boulevard that hints of the amphitheatre were first revealed: the eastern section again saw light. Later, during the construction of what was/is supposed to be the new headquarters of Bulgaria’s National Electric Company, the western part surfaced. What is kind of funny is that the site is not 50m from the National Institute for Cultural Monuments, from which the team of archaeologists comes.

Team leader Zharin Velichkov explained that “amphi” means “double” in Greek. Sofia’s find is indeed a two-crescented theatre, forming an oval figure about 60m by 43m, only 10m shorter than the Colosseum in Rome. But, as the population of Serdika (the antique name of Sofia) numbered less than Rome, there were, accordingly, fewer audience seats. By that point, four sectors on the eastern part and three on the western part had been unearthed. There are two entrances, one to the east and one to the west, linked by a ditch. Both entrances were covered by plates and contained two double-wing wooden doors. In the western part, the team discovered three erect stones, which had canals for the mounting of a grid that let loose the wild beasts on the arena. Discovering the western part allowed the archaeologists to prove that it was a genuine amphitheatre, and not an ordinary theater.

The amphitheater was erected in late third to the early fourth century CE, as proven by coins and vessels unearthed during the excavations.

Under the amphitheater, another surprise awaited: a structure from an even earlier period, the remains of a theater built at the close of the second century and destroyed in the mid-third when the construction for the amphitheater began.

Archaeologists’ delight, municipality’s irk. Luckily, the owners of the new hotel realised the value of such a find and included the amphitheatre in the architectural layout of the building. And in another way, the western part’s fate is not audacious, either. What the state-owned company requested to happen was that the municipality give another suitable terrain for the construction of the administrative building, so that the matchless architectural discovery could receive its due glory and be preserved and exhibited for all to see.

If Grandma had used a silver platter instead of a china one at Christmas supper, she still would not be angry with you for dropping the roast goose. Turns that the Byzantines one-upped her, and crafted their special plates out of silver. Hence the dispute over the one that Christie’s tried to auction in November. But then again, maybe Grandma one-upped them – your great-great-great-great-etc. grandchildren won't be fighting over who gets the heirloom china.

In early November, the British auction house Christie’s announced the November 9 auctioning of an antique Byzantine-Bulgarian plate. The dilemma came when Culture Minister Stefan Danailov sent a letter to Christie’s saying that the plate was found by a treasure hunter in 1999 and exported illegally from the country. Christie’s, on the other hand, said that the plate was found in 1903 and had been in private and museum collections since. Danailov asked that the auction be cancelled, and the a UK court also issued a ban, but the instruction went unheeded. Opening price for the silver platter started at 180 000 pounds sterling, but as it fell 60 000 pounds short of the initially announced tender price of 300 000 pounds, the sale failed.

In late November, excavations were started in the Pazardjik area, to try and find the origins of the plate. So far, it has been found that the site was inhabited circa fifth-sixth centuries CE and was crossed by a Byzantine thoroughfare. For now, the fate of the platter is undecided.

And we thought the Romans were pretty cool with their home-insulating systems. A village in north-western Bulgaria, Ohoden, has them beat by about 6000 years. If that wasn't enough, Ohoden also offers forth the oldest intact child skeleton found in Europe, and the oldest pottery on the Balkans.

The skeleton, dated to about 8000 years ago, was found in November at the southern end of a pre-historical funeral facility in a pre-historical village. The completely preserved village was found just two metres below the current ground level. Although its remains were somewhat damaged, the skeleton is though to be the most ancient one in Europe to have been discovered.

2300 BCE: "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a neurosurgeon."

2006 CE: "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a neurosurgeon."

Archaeologists digging near Svilengrad claim to have found evidence that people in the Thracian period performed brain surgery. The team found a skull from about 4000 years ago bearing a hole that had been carved out with surgical precision. Team leader Georgi Nehrizov said that the skull, the first such discovery from Thracian times, dates back to 2500-1800 BCE and the hole had clearly been made for medical reasons.

It’s like your five-year-old’s writing on a blackboard, illegible unless you know it. In August, it was made known that an almost 7000-year-old stone tablet found in Bulgaria has carvings that might be one of the oldest inscriptions in the world. Archaeologist Nikolai Ovcharov received the tablet from a private collector who had unearthed it some 20 years ago. The about three-inch tablet carries five distinct signs each made up of two elements. It resembles two other tablets dating back to the fifth millennium found in Bulgaria a number of years ago.

Bulgaria can finally boast to Greece about who has the bigger culture. A Bronze Age temple was uncovered in southern Bulgaria, near Perperikon, in July. The 2.9 sq mile site is about five times larger than the Acropolis in Athens. Found at the site were workshops for metallurgy, awls and molds for axes, a bronze cross dating to the ninth or 10th century CE, well-preserved paintings of Jesus and his mother Mary, and, near the temple, ceramics similar to those of the town of Troy of Ancient Greece.

It’s time for cartographers to redesign the country’s map and add another town to the count. Archaeologists uncovered a probably fifth century BCE Thracian town in Karlovo municipality, central Bulgaria, in early July. They think that a powerful Thracian king resided in the settlement. At the site were found the first period roof tiles in Bulgarian territory decorated in the Greek style, remains of a fortress wall and many Greek utensils used for the import of Mediterranean wine.

To save the princess, there was a tower. And the story goes back thousands of years, as is proved by the eight-metre tower discovered near the Kastritsi fortress, once part of ancient Evksinograd, in the Varna region in July. The tower is supported by a massive fortress wall, which in the past probably protected the harbour.

Golden Sands might have a different basis for its name. A unique gold treasure from Thracian times was found in late August near the village of Sinemorets at the Bulgarian seaside, during excavations near the mouth of Veleka River. Also found were gold and silver vessels, cult clay tiles with the image of a mother earth goddess, an extremely valuable wreath and a set of golden earrings. Police are guarding the site.

Imagine planting vineyards and coming across a chariot. And not being on the set of a film. In July, Bulgarian police discovered three ancient chariots and two ornaments tossed in an abandoned vineyard near the central city of Stara Zagora. It is thought that marauders probably ripped off exquisite bronze ornaments from the wheels of the chariots. For some reason, they didn’t take the rare silver ornaments that also embellished the vehicles.

Graffiti has found its origins. A mural-covered completely preserved Thracian domed tomb was discovered near the town of Haskovo, south-east Bulgaria, in early September. The tomb is made of large stone blocks and has two chambers forming a dome at the top.

On the walls are paintings of horses and Thracian armed warriors.

The breastplate of honour, or its golden Thracian equivalent, was found in June near the village of Golemanite, Veliko Turnovo municipality. It has proven pivotal to the re-construction of the Thracian calendar, which consists of three seasons and 60 main holidays in a year of 12 months with 360 days, five days being added to the last month every year. The breastplate is valued because the Thracians left no written records regarding their concept of time.

Maybe it was like those teenager tabloid-gossip rags. In mid-June, a Bulgarian archeologist discovered at Sostra a script about Roman Emperor Galien.


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