Archaeology Thread | Археология

[BG_PATRIOT]

The last two years were especially good for Thracian Archealogy, many different treasures and tombs were found throughout Bulgaria.

In 2004, everything started when the gold mask of a thracian ruler was found and his burial, that is when I got interested in Thracian culture. In 2005 another Thracian ruler's burial was found, aswell as a really old gold treasure from the times of Troy.

I even had the opportunities to go to a archaeological dig on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast in Sozopol in 2005, although no important finds were made during my stay at the digs.

Here is a good site about Thracian Goldsmiths & a really interesting video about the recent finds from Channel 4.

Enjoy

http://www.ultimate-bulgaria.com/ThracianGold.htm

Golden Thrace - Channel 4

[BG_PATRIOT]

Bulgaria Reveals 7,000-Aged Coded Letters

Lifestyle: 3 August 2006, Thursday.

A stone tile in coded letters dating back since 5,000 BC was made public for the first time on Thursday.

Prominent archaeologist Professor Nikolay Ovcharov held a special news conference in Sofia to show the finding reportedly unearthed 20 years ago.

The tile has sizes 7cm x 8cm x 1.5cm and was previously in private hands, Ovcharov told media.

The coded tile consists of five separate parts with two elements each depicting a human figure with a lifted arm, Ovcharov explained.

The archaeologist has concluded that there is no obvious order in the arrangement of the parts but, definitely, the unique symbols have some meaning.

The find is only the third of its kind dating to that epoch, discovered in Bulgaria, Ovcharov stated. He reminded the pictograms on the two previously found tiles - from Gradeshnitsa and Karanovo - consist of lines only. The symbols on all three are a prototype script, the expert added.

Though Nikolay Ovcharov did not reveal the location of the finding, the artifact apparently comes from the same age as the Mesopotamia civilization. A few months ago a US-residing linguist of Bulgarian origin, Dr Stefan Guide, claimed in Sofia he had decoded these - in his words - Thracian letters.

So far, the science does not know a system of letters that have been used by the Thracian civilisation.

Last year another such tablet was found in this region, dated to a more recent time. They will surely find more tablets in the sanctuary and may just boost a theory that the Thracians actually had their own alphabet.

[BG_PATRIOT]

Bulgaria Finds Thracian Temple, Observatory


Lifestyle: 5 August 2006, Saturday.

Bulgarian archaeoastronomers are studying a unique Thracian observatory in the central region of the country, the bTV channel said Saturday.

The unusual site near Buzovgrad combined a religious temple with facilities for observing the solar movements, according to the experts there.

The place is 3,600 years old, the team have said.

At the foot of Stara Planina mountain, Thracians were using specially-shaped rocks to calibrate their calendar by measuring the sunlight.

Interesting

[3tmk]

great idea for a thread, to document all the new finds, which are numerous

I was always interested in Thrace, since a young age, part of my family is from Kazanlak so obviously you had all the mounds around and the burial, they seemed so mysterious to me.
And historians knew so little about them, I remember one of the few things they taught me was that they had a lot of golden treasures, and used to make human sacrifices, by throwing them to a ditch with sharp pikes.

Now with the mask, and many other finds, I hope it leads to the project to unearth Sevtopolis, by making that island in the middle of the reservoir.
It will be the most interesting touristic place in the Balkans.

[mirza-sm]

There there u are forgetting our pyramids 3tmk :P

[BG_PATRIOT]

In 2004, an archaeologist from the National Historical Museum going to his digging site stopped in the village of Dubene to buy cigarettes. He was surprised to find the woman at the counter wearing a big gold chain made out of tiny beads, immediatly the archaeologist asked the woman were did she get this chain and she answered him that her husband had found those beads in the neighboring field when he was working. The archaeoloigst immediatly called the NHM authorities, bought the woman's chain and started the digs at the site of the Dubene graves, over 500 beads were found in 2004 and the site was kept secret to the media, since the archaeologists were scared that looters may make their way to the graves as soon as the name was learned.

In 2005, the real treasure was found, around 14 500 beads were found during the second summer of digs in the sanctuary. The treasure was dated to the III millenium BC



In 2006, around 600 beads and a gold dagger were found in the grave site by the archaeologists, which brings the number to around 14 600 beads, some of them with a diameter of 3 mm, so small that they cannot be detected on some metal detectors.

Bulgaria Unearths Thracian Dagger of Gold

Lifestyle: 6 August 2006, Sunday.

Almost 600 gold pieces and a sensational, perfectly-preserved dagger, were discovered by archeologists in central Bulgaria.

Martin Hristov's team unearthed the Thracian items at a previously discovered hotspot near Dabene, they announced on Sunday.

Among the freshly-discovered 545 pieces, the beautiful dagger is the most impressive, the team revealed.

The exclusive item, dated to the 3rd Millenium BC, is in very good condition and with no patina, which demonstrates the high gold content in the alloy, out of which the dagger was made.

Bulgarian scientists say that the nature of the Dabene gold site still remains a secret, two years after they first discovered the ancient place.

Despite the tremendous number of the gold objects found there already (16,000 in total), archeologists saw no trace of a temple or settlement.

They suggest that Thracians had laid the gold in the ground as a tribute to an ancient god or goddess, maybe Gea.

Conservation will allow to display the new discoveries as of August 9, at the National Museum of History.

[BG_PATRIOT]

@3tmk

The recent archaeological finds will definitively help the sponsoring of further excavations and hopefully the Seuthopolis project, that is indeed a really interesting one, will bring alot of crowds not only for its historical part, but for the enjoyement of nature and water activities that can be developped on Koprinka, and other activities that might stimulate the region's economy.

[BG_PATRIOT]

Thracian "Sacred Field" Brings New Surprise to Bulgaria

Lifestyle: 7 August 2006, Monday.

A field in central Bulgaria believed to be a Thracian hotspot for bringing gifts for the gods has delighted archeologists once again.

A gold plate, silver and bronze ritual knives, and two fine silver vessels are among the latest findings at the site near Dabene, it was announced on Monday.

Archeologists have also come across a clay vessel with rich diaper decoration, which is typical for ancient Troy, the National Museum of History revealed.

Over the past weekend, at the same spot near Dabene a team discovered 545 gold items, including a unique, perfectly-preserved dagger.

The latter will be displayed at the Museum as of August 9.

Bulgaria's experts could not find a trace of a settlement, temple or a tomb at the spot where the precious finds have emerged.

That made them believe that the field was used to lay gifts for the gods, especially for the earth goddess Gea.

No pictures yet of today's finds, but I have some better pictures of the dagger and the newly discovered beads.



Strangely enough, the dagger is not pointy but flat, either way the archeaologist say that this gold-platinium alloy object is still very sharp. It is said that it is one of the oldest gold dagger ever to be found, even the BBC has reported the find...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5251266.stm

[joeyBG]

Nice images of some of the Thracian sites...
http://www.imagesfrombulgaria.com/v/...arian_History/

[BG_PATRIOT]

Damn that is a really good site, really good pictures. I hope that one day the Valley of the Thracian Kings will be well developped, in order to have many more tour operators working in the region, and being able to take full advantage of touristic opportunities this place has for Bulgaria.

[BG_PATRIOT]

Bulgaria's Newest Thracian Sensation was Priestess Funeral


Lifestyle: 28 August 2006, Monday.

Bulgarian archeologists suggested that the fresh sensational find was from a priestess funeral, media reported Monday.

The gold and silver objects found near Sinemorets the past weekend were dated back to the 3rd Century B.C..

Meanwhile, media revealed that a prosecution's check had begun at the site to determine whether there have been any violations by excavators.

There had been a signal that people were digging at the mound as early as June 7, according to reports, indicating that the treasure might has been rummaged.

On Sunday, archeologists brought out a tiara and ear accessories made of gold. Silver and ceramic objects have also surfaced.

[new bulgaria]

Damn. It'a all this gold in BG. Somebody will think will are such a rich country.

[3tmk]

the thracians were real pimps, with all that bling

It amazes me how they keep digging up more and more treasures!

[BG_PATRIOT]

In Bulgaria, if ever Archeology was financed a bit more, there would be gold treasures popping every week. But the funny thing, in Bulgaria some treasure hunters have equipment worth thousands of dollars while the archeologists still have old school commie equipment.

[BG_PATRIOT]

Interesting article on the Sinemorets Treasure (In Bulgarian)
http://www.monitor.bg/article?sid=&a...&cid=1&eid=822

Some of the artifacts of the Treasure

[BG_PATRIOT]

Excavations in Sinemorets Continue, Archeologists Looking for Another Burial: Historian



1 September 2006 | 16:35 | FOCUS News Agency



Sofia. The rich findings from the hill in Bulgarian Black Sea town of Sinemorets are part of a secondary burial therefore it was decided the excavations to continue in order for the main burial to be found. This is what the director of the National Museum of History Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov, who is also the head of the commission that surveyed the excavations and the region, told FOCUS News Agency.
The archeologists have found out that there are seven more hills where findings could be discovered. In ancient times the region was densely populated and it was depopulated only recently.
“There is a lot of work for archeologists there,” the historian pointed out and reiterated that until recently this had been a border region which one could enter only with a pass.
The local authorities should take care of the archeological monuments, Professor Dimitrov added and reminded that because no one had known the hill was an archeological site the local authorities had allowed earth from it to be scraped up.
Nadezhda BOCHEVA

And here is what a 3rd century BC grave looks like in case you didn't know

[BG_PATRIOT]

Here are some newer pictures of the restored treasure of Sinemorets

Final hypothesis, the treasure was the belonging of some Thracian priestess.

[blue79]

Discovery Films Ancient World's Sanctuary at Perperikon


A team of Discovery Channel is filming the latest findings at Perperikon - a massive fortification wall. Archeologists are thrilled they might be digging out Thracians' fabulous city of Pergamon. .

A team of Discovery Channel has commenced filming the royal palace at Perperikon - ancient sanctuary believed to be more respected than Delphi Oracle.

The world-popular travel channel has sent its team for the first time in Bulgaria, intrigued by the yet not completely known world of ancient Thracians.

The team including a producer and a photographer is to tour all the sites related to the history and culture of Thracian tribes.

Besides Perperikon, located in the bosom of the Rhodopes mountain, Discovery's audience will see also Tatul, where the tomb of Orpheus is believed to be, and the Valley of Thracian Kings locating some of the most fabulous Thracian treasures.

"The world knows a lot about ancient Greeks and Romans, but few of achievements made by the Thracian civilisation have been displayed," a team member told state-run BTA news agency.

Discovery Channel will shoot a one-hour documentary dedicated to this little known page of history and will feature it first in the UK and the US.

Summer 2006 has marked even more enhanced archaeological work at Perperikon's excavations, near Kardzhali. In July they hit an amazing streak at the site unearthing a temple five times larger than Athens' Acropolis.

The team's leader Prof Nikolay Ovcharov has even voiced his belief Perperikon may even turn out to be the ancient world's famous Thracian city of Pergamon.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=69264

[3tmk]

The musee Jacquemart-Andre a Paris is hosting an exhibition on the Thrace treasures. Bulgaria has been lending its collection worldwide, from Japan to France, and for a few months they'll be shown in this Parisian museum:
http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.co...Une&eventId=27
This is a wise move, it is the best way to publicize the findings, I might go to Paris for the new year, and if I do I'll make sure to check it out.

But speaking about publicity, blue79 might have wished to do this first, but what the hell, I'll do it for him
The National Geographic will most probably put the Thracian gold on its cover for the december edition:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/temporarily_down.html
So I'm looking forward to that as well, I usually read the NG only if I'm stuck at the library, lol, but I'll have to buy this one.

Also, the Discovery Channel is finally filming a documentary about the Thrace at Perperikon, so that's great as well, because I honestly am sick of watching always the same documentary about the egyptians or the romans, this will certainly be interesting to watch as well, I wonder what publicity they'll make here in the US when it comes out, could it be of the same scope as they do for Egypt? We'll see.

[BG_PATRIOT]

Brussels Hosts Splendour of Bulgaria Exhibition

10 January 2007

Bulgaria opened Wednesday an exhibition in the building of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The exhibition goes under the name "The Splendour of Bulgaria". It consists of 40 antique objects; all of them are taken from the private collection of Vassil Bozhkov, president of the Nove Holding Company.

Antonia Parvanova, MEP from the Bulgarian Simeon II National Movement party said at the exhibition opening she is proud to be part of the event that shows how back in the centuries dates Bulgaria's cultural history. "Those are our roots and this is our calling card to Europe," Parvanova added.

The exhibition is under the patronage of MEP Graham Watson and Bulgaria's Culture Minister Stefan Danailov. At the official opening Watson underlined it is of high importance for Europe to get to know Bulgaria better.

"Many people know who Orpheus and Spartacus are, but few know they lived in the lands of modern Bulgaria," Watson added.

Here are some of the artifacts of the exhibit

















And, here is the owner of all those objects Vassil Bozhkov, President of Nove Holding. There was alot of discussion that went on around this exhibit since some state representatives say that Bozhkov acquired those objects after illegal digs and that those objects should be in a museum and not in a private collection.