Archeological summer

Focus Information Agency

Archeological excavations and findings continue during the summer throughout the territory of the country. Information about a few findings surfaced over the last few days, as the news about them were reported by foreign media as well. However, in parallel with archeologists, treasure-hunters are also excavating and post one of the most serious and continuing problem for the protection of the heritage kept under the ground.

SLIVEN
The solid gold ring engraved with a Greek inscription that was found during archeological excavations at an ancient Thracian tomb near the town of Sliven could have possibly belonged to the Thracian ruler Teres II, said the team of the expedition of professor Georgi Kitov. During the detailed survey of the jelled it turned out it had had the role of a seal, while the script should read mirrorlike. “Most probably the script stands for the two names of the Thracian King Teres II, son of King Seuthes from the first quarter of the 4th century BC”, Kitov said. The other script engraved on the ring reads: “The Savior of Asia”.
Team leader professor Georgi Kitov said that they also found a silver rhyton, silver and bronze vessels, pottery and funerary gifts, as well as two silver centaurs that were part of a horse decoration and the sword of the person that was buried in the tomb. Kitov’s team will continue the excavations in the region of Sliven throughout the summer.

KAZANLAK
A team of Discovery channel is making a film near the town of Kazanlak. A team of 20 people arrived in the town to make a film about the ancient town of Sevtopolis located under the waters of Koprinka Dam. Divers have already made different surveys related to Sevtopolis. They have also visited the Museum of History in Kazanlak where they found more information about the site, including photos and graphics of the town of the Thracian ruler Seuthes.

SVISHTOV
Days after prominent Bulgarian archaeologist Georgi Kitov found a gold royal mask and other precious artefacts, Polish archaeologist Andrzej Biernacki unearthed a unique Roman pool in the ancient Roman town of Novae, near Svishtov.
The pool has a gate, which had once been decorated with statues. Water poured through the gate on to the pool.
Previously, only one facility like this had been found, in Northern Africa.
The Roman mineral baths in Novae covered 7500 sq m and could turn out to be the biggest found in Bulgaria, Focus said.
Archaeologists suppose that the baths were built for the Roman legions that were based in Novae in the second century.

SOZOPOL
Archeologists have unearthed a 2,500-year-long water main in the region of the seaside town of Sozopol. The Director of the National Museum of History7 Bozhidar Dimitrov said that this season’s excavations in Sozopol are going on very well. The excavations at the necropolis found in Sozopol continue. The necropolis is about 5-6 km long, but it is very hard to probe the whole area since there are buildings built on it. The water main that was found is still very preserved and according to archeologists it could well be used nowadays as none of the joineries connecting the tubes was broken.

TREASURE-HUNTERS
A treasure-nuter was held in the very moment when he was digging in the area of an archeological monument of culture – the so-called Dorticum, the police in Vidin informed. The 20-year old treasure-hunter was caught in a moment when he was doing illegal diggings by a tractor of thentype DT 75.