Archaeologists Discover Thracian Pit Sanctuary

Archaeologists from the Regional Historical Museum in Burgas have announced the discovery of a Thracian Pit Sanctuary that dates from the 5th to the 4th century BC.

The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes that inhabited a large territory across the ancient provinces of Thrace, Moesia, Macedonia, Dacia, Scythia Minor, Sarmatia, Bithynia, Mysia, Pannonia, and other regions of the Balkans and Anatolia.

The sanctuary was discovered during rescue excavations in preparation for the construction of a residential complex in Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

Image Credit : Regional Historical Museum – Burgas

So far, the archaeologists have identified 14 ritual “Bell-shaped” or “pear-shaped” pits in situ, with at least ten more awaiting further study.

- Advertisement -

Some of the materials excavated include handmade ceramic vessels such as bowls, which correspond to local Thracian tribal design and form from that period. Human and animal remains have also been found in the pits, in addition to coal which has left a layer of burning.

Other discoveries include fragments of a later 3rd century amphorae, pieces of a marble statuette, and a coin dating from the 1st century AD (which depicts Apollonius, son of Eptaykent and strategist of the Thracian king Remetalk II). In a context separate from the pits, archaeologists have also found coins from central Europe and Turkish coins dating from the 15th-18th.

Header Image Credit : Regional Historical Museum – Burgas

- Advertisement -
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is an award winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 7,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education and the BCA Medal of Honour.

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Clusters of ancient qanats discovered in Diyala

An archaeological survey has identified three clusters of ancient qanats in the Diyala Province of Iraq.

16,800-year-old Palaeolithic dwelling found in La Garma cave

Archaeologists have discovered a 16,800-year-old Palaeolithic dwelling in the La Garma cave complex, located in the municipality of Ribamontán al Monte in Spain’s Cantabria province.

Burials found in Maya chultun

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have uncovered burials within a chultun storage chamber at the Maya city of Ek' Balam.

Archaeologists analyse medieval benefits system

Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have conducted a study in the main cemetery of the hospital of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge, to provide new insights into the medieval benefits system.

Major archaeological discoveries in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

In an announcement by the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation (LAKD), archaeologists excavating in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have uncovered seven Bronze Age swords, 6,000 silver coins, and two Christian reliquary containers.

Early humans hunted beavers 400,000-years-ago

Researchers suggests that early humans were hunting, skinning, and eating beavers around 400,000-years-ago.

Archaeologists find burial bundles with carved masks

A team of archaeologists from the PUCP Archaeology Program “Valley of Pachacámac” have uncovered over 70 intact burial bundles with carved masks.

Should the Elgin Marbles be returned?

The Elgin marbles are a collection of decorative marble sculptures taken from the temple of Athena (the Parthenon) on the Acropolis in Athens.