Bulgarian e-Journal of Archaeology Supplements | Българско е-Списание за Археология Supplementa

Огладените каменни оръдия за дърводобив и дървообработка от селищна могила Сава

Radoslav Rachev — 2024-12-30

The settlement mound Sava in Varna municipality was excavated twice in the 1950’s. Unfortunately, the information for the objects that were found is limited. The same applies to the ground stone tools from the site as well. Nevertheless, the small collection of ground stone tools for woodcutting and woodworking – stone axes, adzes and chisels could give additional information about their use in the Eneolithic period. The percentage of the three types of tools in Sava is similar to that in other settlement mounds in Northeast Bulgaria. More than half of all analyzed tools are adzes, followed by chisels, and axes. Different treatment of the surface of the tools is evident. Five tools show signs of repair, mostly resharpening of the cutting edge.

It appears that specific types of tools were made from specific types of rock. Most of the tools are made from volcanic tuffs and andesites. These types of rocks are not present in the near vicinity of the site. The closest point from which they could be obtained is around Burgas in Thrace. Therefore, high-quality stone material must have been part of the long-distance trade system during the Eneolithic period.

All tools show traces of use with exception of one that is made from degraded feldspar. The same material that the scepters from Varna I cemetery are made.

Късни праисторически сферични каменни артефакти от Обект 88/1, Градище, Шумен

Elena Nacheva — 2024-12-30

During the rescue archaeological investigation conducted in 2019 and 2020 at Site 88/1 near the village of Gradishte, Shumen municipality, a multilayer settlement and a flat necropolis were uncovered. Predominantly, structures dating back to the late Prehistory, mostly from the first half of the 4th millennium BCE, were revealed. Among the numerous archaeological materials, the abundance of flint artifacts and raw flint materials is striking. This is due to the lithic deposits found in the area. It is highly probable that its processing took place within the settlement. A significant quantity of cores, flakes, and retouched flint finds were discovered. Also of interest are several spheroid flint artifacts, part of the assemblage, which are discussed in the article. With their unusual method of processing, these findings emerge as unknown in typological terms for the first half of the 4th millennium BCE.

Технология на изграждане на среднохалколитна къща от Провадия-Солницата

Violeta Stoitsova — 2024-12-30

In the last few archaeological seasons, a section of the Middle Chalcolithic layer has been explored in the southern part of the settlement mound at Provadia-Solnitsata. Three chronologically successive structures have been documented, the remains of which partially overlap. The latest of the three houses (Structure 17), existing at the end of the middle Chalcolithic period (around 4650 BCE), was destroyed as a result of a devastating fire caused by a strong earthquake. It represents an independent duplex structure located in close proximity to the defensive stone wall, east of the southern entrance to the fortress. The well-preserved remains of this house provide an opportunity to extract information about the architecture, construction technologies, and interior. The article focuses on the construction method and the construction technologies used for the elements of the structure. Differences in the construction of the two rooms are presented, as well as the difference in the construction technologies applied to each of the walls, the method of building the floors, and the technique used to level the terrain by filling in irregularities.

Шлемове, открити в ритуален контекст от територията на отвъддунавска Tракия

Kaloyan Petkov — 2024-12-30

The current article provides an overview of helmets discovered in a ritual context, known from the territory of Ancient Thrace, north of the Danube River. A total of seven examples from the mentioned region are included, with the artifacts found in various „non-standard“ environments (hoards, deposits in burial mounds or water basins), suggesting their cult nature.

Стомни от римската епоха (I–IV в.) от фонда на Регионален исторически музей–Враца

Denis Borisov — 2024-12-30

In the inventory of the Regional Historical Museum – Vratsa 15 jugs from the first–fourth c. AD. are kept. The vessels are purchased from private persons. In the inventory books of the museum the find spots of the vessels are attested – Ratiaria and Turek locality near Rogozen, Vratsa area. For the vessels from Ratiaria – cat. nos 2–15, it can be theorized that they originate from grave complexes in the necropolis of Ratiaria, destroyed by treasure hunter activity. The vessel from Turek locality near Rogozen – cat. № 1, probably also came from Ratiaria, not Rogozen, because there isn’t sufficient evidence about the presence of an Antique necropolis in this locality. For the description of the jugs the typology, proposed by Desislava Avramova about the jugs from the necropolises of Ulpia Oescus was used (Аврамова 2005, 95–117). According to their characteristics, the jugs can be divided into five types: Type I – jugs with a wide, flat lip – cat. nos 1–5, Type II – jugs with a wide lip, angled towards the periphery of the vessel – cat. nos 6–7, Type III – jugs with a wide lip, angled towards the rim of the vessel – cat. nos 8–12, Type IV – jugs with a trefoil rim – cat. no. 13 and Type V – jugs with a ring-shaped rim – cat. no. 14–15. The vessels have parallels with finds from the first to fourth century in Lower Moesia, Thrace and Upper Moesia – the necropolis of Singidunum.

Нови данни за неукрепеното римско селище при Сексагинта Приста (проучвания през 2020 г.)

Svetlana Todorova — 2024-12-30

Structures related to settlement during the Roman period (2nd–3rd century AD) are localized in the northwestern part of the city of Ruse. Research in this area began in the 1970s, and since 2004, a Temple of Apollo and the Thracian Horseman have been uncovered, along with 11 fragments of buildings. This article focuses on archaeological excavations conducted in 2020, related to the renovation of the Summer Theater. Two sondages (A and B) were carried out, each revealing one corner of a building. They were constructed of unworked stones bonded with clay, filled with smaller stones and fragments of construction ceramics; an inclination towards leveling the fronts is observed. The construction in sondage A was filled with bricks at height, while for sondage B, it cannot be asserted; roof structures included tegulae and imbrices type roof tiles. There is no data on floor or pavement levels, and later disturbances do not definitively determine whether only the sub- or superstructure is preserved. The materials discovered (small finds, coins, and household ceramics) date the building in sondage A to the first half of the 3rd century AD, and sondage B to the 2nd century AD. According to the numismatic material found within the settlement, a hiatus is observed around the middle of the 3rd century AD, with habitation being restored in the last third of the century. The final destruction is associated with the construction of the late Roman fortress Sexaginta Prista in the early 4th century AD.

Гробове и гробни съоръжения (II–IV век) от площад „9 септември“ (дн. „Александър I“) в София

Yordana Nikolova — 2024-12-30

The research at today’s Square „Alexander I“ (then Square „9th of September“) took place in 1958 under the supervision of Magdalina Stancheva. It was carried out due to the need for modern redevelopment of the square, with archaeological work focused on four separate excavations covering key parts of the area. Over 103 funerary structures were uncovered in the closest zone to the fortress wall of the ancient city of Serdica. The majority of them are tegulae graves (total of 64), as well as ordinary grave pits (total of 15). There is no information about the type for 11 of the funerary structures, and another 11 do not have numbers and are only mentioned without being studied. The number of funeral structures under the square is likely higher. Among the findings is a brick grave containing the remains of three individuals (two adults and one child), as well as one cremation in an urn. The latter ritual is attested for the first time in the necropolis area. In addition to the cremation in the urn, there are 8 more cases of cremation known from the excavations - all from tegulae graves. The inventory is relatively poor, with a few exceptions. The use of this part of the necropolis probably began in the middle of the 2nd century and continued until the middle or second half of the 4th century. The research has not been published until now, which is why the article represents a kind of attempt to present part of the revealed archaeological heritage under today’s Square „Alexander I“.

По въпроса за някои ранносредновековни пръстени от територията на съвременна България по данни от затворените комплекси

Tsvetina Petkova — 2024-12-30

At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the new century, based on the more precise chronology of already published cemeteries from the Rhodopes and the valley of the Mesta River, the group „Ablanitsa-Tuhoviste“ was delineated. By its nature, it possesses the main features of the „Komani-Krue“ culture. Based on the chronology of the grave finds and its characteristics, an earlier date has been proposed for some of the graves from the „Ablanitsa-Tuhoviste” group: 7th - early 9th c.

The rings found in the redated graves from the Rhodopes and the valley of the Mesta River can be classified into the following types: rings with a pentagram engraved on the plate, rings with an eagle engraved on the plate in a heraldic pose, hoop rings with rectangular cross-section, decorated with a zigzag line, often with the „circles with central dot“ ornament; rings with a rectangular plate, decorated with a „circles with central dot“ element. Analysis of the materials shows that their spread begins no later than the 9th century, but examples from earlier graves are also known. Data from closed complexes allow their use even in the 11th c.

Analysis of the complexes south of the Stara Planina shows the presence of a small number of graves that can be dated to the 10th c.. They combine early types of earrings with later materials (glass bead strings, bracelets). They show the transition from a set that includes six earrings, three on each side, sometimes caught in a hairstyle adornments and earring like pendants (the so called naushnitsi type), several rings, metal walnut-shaped beads, and a small number of glass beads to a set of multiple metal and glass bracelets, found in graves with a large number of glass beads. The ring as a piece of jewelry continues to be used, but less frequently and usually only one instead of the earlier complexes where two to four rings are more common. More importantly, the graves with materials from the two types of costumes show continuity between the different generations using the cemeteries of the „Ablanitsa-Tuhoviste“ group.

Керамика от XIV – първата половина на XV в. от крепостта Кастрици (по данни от археологически проучвания 2018–2020 г.)

Maria Darakchieva — 2024-12-30

During the archaeological excavations in the period 2018–2020, eight dwellings – with separated floor levels and adjacent domestic pits – were studied in the central southern part of the fortress of Kastritsi. This article focuses on the ceramic material discovered within these structures. The study presents the main ceramic forms, technological features, methods of production, and decorative styles. The ceramic complex of the fortress is examined in the context of ceramics from the Black Sea region. The analysis of the findings from Kastritsi allows to enrich and expand the information on material culture during the 14th to the early 15th century.

Археозоологичните изследвания на средновековни комплекси от България – състояние на проучванията и тенденции

Stella Nikolova — 2024-12-30

This research consists of a detailed bibliographical analysis of published faunal assemblages from the Medieval period (7–14th c. A.D.) in Bulgaria. It compares the main domestic taxa and their variations in frequency between the different types of settlements (fortresses, villages), as it shows that while there are similarities between certain sites, there is no unified pattern. The available metric, age, and taphonomy data are systemized, as they can be used for future comparisons. A review is given of the data regarding the wild species and the presence of extinct animals (lynx, aurochs, etc.). The data regarding the ritual deposition of parts of complete animal skeletons within early Medieval pagan necropolises is assessed separately, as it offers us some information on the role of animals within the religious beliefs of the population. The idea of this review is to serve as a compilation of our current data on the different roles of animals in the Medieval period and can be used to further address new questions when conducting zooarchaeological analysis of new assemblages.