Projects and conferences

Projects and conferences

Archaeological excavations

With Ordinance № 80 from 07.04.2006 of the Council of Ministers, the archaeological Museum Plovdiv was attributed the statute of a Regional Museum with scope of activity – the territory of the Plovdiv region.


Archaeological sites in process of research
Philippopolis

Philippopolis

7/26/2010 12:00:00 AM

On the territory of the ancient Philippopol the Regional Archeological Museum in Plovdiv makes archeology excavations on the "Museum" site and the site "Ancient theatre – Northern entry". The Museum holds saving excavations of the territory of Plovdiv.







The „Museum” site - town of Plovdiv

The „Museum” site is situated at the southern foot of Dzhambaz Tepe – Architectural and Historic Reserve „Ancient Plovdiv”. The plot with a total area of about 0, 8 ha is meant for the construction of a poli-functional building and a hotel complex.

Archaeological excavations have been carried out in 1976 in the north-eastern part of the plot on an area of 0, 1 ha led by senior researcher L. Botusharova PhD. Unearthed and partially surveyed were decumanus „Nord”, with its adjacent ancient buildings to the north and to the south, situated in two insulas and a sector of the fortress wall, 40 m long dated in V c. A. D. (L. Botusharova, 1977, p. 87-103).

During the summer 2007 the archaeological survey was focuses on the north-western part of the plot on an area of 300 м². The northern decumanus of the Ancient Philippopolis was studied, the premises along it and the „Т”-form crossroads between the decumanus and the northern end of the cardo.

In the 2300 m² studied in 2008 there are sectors of three ancient streets (two decumanus and one cardo) and their adjacent 5 insulas built with ten buildings in total (residential, public and agricultural), consisting of 42 premises and 25 m of the fortress wall, built after the middle of the VІ th c. Were established VІ construction periods.

The first period is Hellenistic (ІV – ІІ c. B. C.). it was proven through the archaeological survey that in the pre-roman times there existed an urban area in this part of the town. The period is characteristic with masonry of huge cut syenite blocks without mortar between them both in the substructure and in the superstructure. The pedestrian level is of padded earth, small size syenite stones and with laid mortar. The unearthed materials – coins, pitos fragments, ceramic utensils and jewelry constitute proofs for the evaluation of the time of origin.

In the second period (І c. B. C. – І c. A. D.), the construction technique was with pebbles rather than cut stone, with clay in the substructure and a plinth in the superstructure continued up with adobe and at places - with preserved elements of mortar. The foot level is padded clay. Were found in this layer mainly elements of ceramic recipients.

The third period (ІІ c. – ІІІ c.) uses the masonry from the earlier periods as foundations for the buildings without following exactly the previous plan. The superstructure is made of cut and smashed syenite fixed with white mortar with partially preserved white and pink wall plastering. The floors are of clay. A big public building from this period was studied with dimensions: north – south: 30 m and east – west: 13 m unearthed so far. The building is situated between the two decumanus to the west of the cardo. It has one central and two symmetrical premises to the north and to the south. The façade of the building to the west has to be further surveyed. The building has been set to fire and under the burnt layer a huge amount of ornamented elements, three-colored wall plastering, marble coating plates and architectural elements were found on a wooden floor pointing to the rich decoration of the interior of the building. A marble head of Zeus, elements of votive tablets of Zeus, Hera, Mithra and Asclepius, three handles of clay paters and many horns of cattle were found. In a premise of the building situated to the south a pit surrounded with big stones was revealed. Buried with sand, there were in this pit hundreds of terracotta of Gods from the Greek and Roman Pantheon, of Eastern Gods, ceramic horns and unused clay lamps. In the north eastern corner of the building a marble head of Mithra, a votive tablet of the Thracian Horseman and bronze bells were found. All these finds hinted that this is a worship building, a temple-pantheon to all the gods that were worshipped during the roman times.

The next, fourth construction period covers the end of the ІІІ c., ІV c. and the first half of the V c. It uses the earlier preserved masonry. The transformations in the layout of the buildings i. e. the widening or narrowing of areas and the closing of entries is made through additional built walls. They are made of small size cut stones fixed with pink mortar. Bricks are used in the elaboration of entries and corners of facades. Two different premises in two separate buildings are more specific. The first premise is a baptisterium with brick floor and a cross like pool. The second one has an entry from the cardo. Polychrome mural paintings are preserved on its walls. There is an adjacent premise on the western wall, plastered with pink mortar 3, 50 m long and 0, 70 m large. The floor is covered with three gneiss slabs.

The fifth construction period (V c. – VІ c.) was preceded by mass fire. The masonry is mainly of smashed stone with pink mortar and with brick layers at places. They are superposed on the buildings from the previous times. The floors are two types – of padded clay and brick pavement.

The last, VІ th construction period established is from the Middle Ages.

The surveyed sectors of the ancient streets have a sewerage system. The buildings from the III, ІV and V construction periods have a good water supply and sewerage system.

The fortress wall could be examined along 25 m from east to west. It is 3 m large. Its height reaches almost the present day level. Whole and fragmented marble architectural elements are included in the wall. Red mortar is used.




Thracian town center with a royal residence
Thracian town center with a royal residence (V c. B. C.) - village of Vassil Levski, Karlovo district
Odryssian kings’ burial mounds
5/14/2009 12:00:00 AM
Odryssian kings’ burial mounds, near the village of Chernozem, Kaloyanovo district