Summaries PDF

13th International Congress
of Thracology
“Ancient Thrace: Myth and Reality”
List of Participants
1. Sorin-Cristian Ailincai..................................................................................................................... 27
("Gavrila Simion" Eco-Museum Research Institute at Tulcea, Romania) .......................................... 27
 Once again on EIA Chronology at the Lower Danube ........................................................... 27
2. Zeki Mete Aksan ............................................................................................................................ 28
(Sinop University, Department of Archaeology, Turkey) .................................................................. 28
 Reinvestigation of Vize A Tumulus in Southeastern Thrace (poster).................................... 28
3. Stefan Alexandrov ......................................................................................................................... 29
(National Archaeological Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria)........................................................................... 29
 Baley Necropolis and the Problems of the Appearance and Development of the “Grooved”
Decoration in the Western Part of the Lower Danube Region ..................................................... 29
4. Dimitra Andrianou ......................................................................................................................... 30
(National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece) ............................................................... 30
 Memories in Stone: Figured Grave Reliefs from Aegean Thrace in the Late Hellenistic and
Roman eras .................................................................................................................................... 30
5. Zosia Archibald .............................................................................................................................. 31
(University of Liverpool, United Kingdom) ........................................................................................ 31
 The Power of Images and Ancient Royal Portraiture: A View from Thrace .......................... 31
6. Vessela Atanassova ....................................................................................................................... 32
(New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria) ....................................................................................... 32
 A Thracian Tomb in Egypt? (poster) ...................................................................................... 32
7. Nadezhda Atanassova-Timeva ...................................................................................................... 33
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria)
........................................................................................................................................................... 33
 The necropolis Dren-Delyan (11th-4th century BC.). Cultural and physical anthropological
analyses. ........................................................................................................................................ 33
8. Neşe Atik ....................................................................................................................................... 34
(Tekirdağ, Turkey).............................................................................................................................. 34
 Das Heiligtum der Hera/ Kybele und des Asklepios als zwei bedeutende Kultplätze der Stadt
Heraion Teikhos ............................................................................................................................. 34
9. Amalia Avramidou ......................................................................................................................... 36
(Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece) ...................................................................... 36
 Preliminary Results of the Research Project “Attic Vases in Thrace”: Shapes, Iconography
and Findspots ................................................................................................................................ 36
10. Petar Balabanov ........................................................................................................................ 37
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ................................................................................................................................. 37
 A treasure of gold appliques of horse harness from Primorsko ........................................... 37
11. Ioan Alexandru Bărbat ............................................................................................................... 38
(Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania) .......................................................... 38
 Cultic Discoveries from the Late Bronze Age Settlement from Şoimuş – Teleghi (Romania,
Hunedoara County) (poster) ......................................................................................................... 38
 The Myth of the Feast. The Early Iron Age situlae from Bălata (Romania) (poster) ............. 38
 The Afterlife Reality. The Early Iron Age Funerary Contexts from Bacea (Romania) ............ 38
12. Ioana Lucia Barbu ...................................................................................................................... 40
 “Around the hearth”- considerations on certain combustion structures in the Wietenberg
Culture ........................................................................................................................................... 40
13. Marius Gheorghe Barbu ............................................................................................................ 41
 Lowland Dacians cult practicies in south-western Transylvania on the end of the Second
Iron Age ......................................................................................................................................... 41
14. Maguelone Bastide .................................................................................................................... 42
(Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris, France) ............................................................ 42
 Thracian sanctuaries' myths and realities ............................................................................. 42
15. Mihail Băț .................................................................................................................................. 43
(Moldova State University, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova) ............................................................. 43
 New views on the formation of the material culture of the Thracian communities ............ 43
 Correlation of anthropomorphic and animalistic styles in the Thraco-Getae and Scythian art
43
16. Dimitar Bayrakov ....................................................................................................................... 45
(Historical Museum Velingrad, Bulgaria) ........................................................................................... 45
 Clay portable hearths/altars in the valley of Chepino (Northwestern Rhodopes) in "Tsepina
type " decoration (poster)............................................................................................................. 45
17. Bartłomiej Bednarek .................................................................................................................. 46
(University of Warsaw, Poland) ......................................................................................................... 46
 Lykourgos of Thrace, the king of Edonians ............................................................................ 46
18. Ioan Bejinariu ............................................................................................................................ 47
(History and Art Museum of Sălaj County, Zalău, Romania) ............................................................. 47
 Recent research concerning to the end of the first Iron Age - Early Latène period in the
South-Eastern region of the Upper Tisza ...................................................................................... 47
19. Engin Beksaç .............................................................................................................................. 48
(University Of Thrace, Edirne, Turkey) .............................................................................................. 48
 The Thracians' Presence And Balkanic Identity on The Northwest Anatolia ........................ 48
20. Alexandru Berzovan .................................................................................................................. 49
(Iași Institute of Archaeology, Romania) ........................................................................................... 49
 The Dacian standard (draco) on a clay vessel north of the Danube (poster) ....................... 49
21. George Bevan ............................................................................................................................ 50
(Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada) .............................................................................. 50
 Pistiros inscription – new investigations and comments ...................................................... 50
22. Tomasz Bochnak ........................................................................................................................ 51
(University of Rzeszów, Institute of Archaeology, Poland) ............................................................... 51
 Les éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule – un essai de révision ............................. 51
23. Cristina Bodó ............................................................................................................................. 52
Culture ........................................................................................................................................... 52
 Considerations regarding the Dacian discoveries from the Mureş Corridor ........................ 52
24. Jan G. de Boer ............................................................................................................................ 53
(Ghent University, the Netherlands) ................................................................................................. 53
 A Small World and Middle Grounds in Ancient Thrace ......................................................... 53
25. Borislav Borislavov..................................................................................................................... 54
 The rock sanctuaries in southern Thrace - traditions, rituals and continuity ....................... 54
26. Dilyana Boteva ........................................................................................................................... 55
(University of Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................ 55
 Sitalcas/Seitalkas extra finis Thraciae.................................................................................... 55
27. Anelia Bozkova .......................................................................................................................... 56
 Pour une chronologie du IVème siècle av. J.-C...................................................................... 56
28. David Braund ............................................................................................................................. 57
(Exeter University, United Kingdom) ................................................................................................. 57
 An Odrysian “speaks” of Bendis: some observations on her significance ............................ 57
29. William Bubelis .......................................................................................................................... 58
(Washington University in Saint Louis, USA) ..................................................................................... 58
 Contractual Minting of Coinage on the Aegean Coast of Thrace, c. 490-475? ..................... 58
30. Laura Burkhardt ......................................................................................................................... 59
(Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, Vienna, Austria) ................................................ 59
 Selected House-Inventories of the Late Bronze Age (Mining-) Settlement at Ada Tepe – A
Preliminary functional interpretation ........................................................................................... 59
31. François de Callataÿ ................................................................................................................... 60
(Royal Library of Belgium / Free University of Brussels / École pratique des Hautes Études, Brussels,
Belgium)............................................................................................................................................. 60
 Reflections about how the Roman paid their Thracian auxiliaries. Number of hoards,
numbers in hoards (Thasos, Maroneia, Macedonia First meris, Aesillas, Roman denarii,
Dyrrachium and Apollonia) ........................................................................................................... 60
32. Francesca Ceci ........................................................................................................................... 61
(Musei Capitolini, Roma, Italy) .......................................................................................................... 61
 Das Münzbild als Instrument zur Volksidentität: Liebe und Tod am Beispiel der
Darstellungen von Orpheus und Eurydike und von Hero und Leander auf kaiserzeitlichen
Münzen Thrakiens ......................................................................................................................... 61
33. Mihai Ciocanu ............................................................................................................................ 62
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucarest, Romania) ....................................................... 62
 Un trésor de monnaies et de bijoux du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. découvert en République de
Moldavie ........................................................................................................................................ 62
34. Bogdan Ciuperca........................................................................................................................ 63
(Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology , Ploiești, Romania) .................................... 63
 Cultural exchanges in the Lower Danube area in Late Antiquity .......................................... 63
35. Alexandra Comsa ....................................................................................................................... 64
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania) ..................................................... 64
 Some observations regarding the “skull cult” in the Thracian space .................................... 64
36. Federica Cordano ...................................................................................................................... 65
(Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy) ............................................................................................. 65
 Rois thraces et rois perses dans la tradition grecque ........................................................... 65
37. Andrei Corobcean ...................................................................................................................... 66
(Moldova State University, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova) ............................................................. 66
 Rituels funéraires et non-funéraires dans l’enceinte de Stolniceni (République de
Moldavie): observations, analyses, reconstructions ..................................................................... 66
 La question de l’interprétation ethnique des monuments du VII-III-ème siècles av. J.Chr. de
l’espace entre le Prut et Dniestr .................................................................................................... 66
38. Viorica Crişan ............................................................................................................................. 67
(National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) .............................................. 67
 The Dacian walls of Covasna – Fairies Fortress (Covasna County, Romania) ........................ 67
39. Cătălin Cristescu ........................................................................................................................ 68
 The Afterlife Reality. The Early Iron Age Funerary Contexts from Bacea (Romania) ............ 68
40. Bea de Cupere ........................................................................................................................... 69
(University of Leuven, Belgium) ........................................................................................................ 69
 Bioarchaeological perspectives on subsistence economy and land use during the Late
Bronze Age and Iron Age in South-eastern Bulgaria ..................................................................... 69
 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality ....................... 69
 The Kush Kaya hilltop-settlement: An interdisciplinary attempt to explain the changes and
the regularities of the economic model ........................................................................................ 70
41. Jelena Cvijetid ............................................................................................................................ 71
(University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia) .................................................................... 71
 Between Illyrian and Thracian World: Southwestern Serbia and Northern Montenegro at
the Turn of New Era ...................................................................................................................... 71
42. Margarit Damyanov................................................................................................................... 72
 Hand-made Pottery in the Greek Colonies in the Black Sea: The Case of Apollonia Pontica
(poster) .......................................................................................................................................... 72
43. Diana Dăvîncă ............................................................................................................................ 73
(Deva, Romania) ................................................................................................................................ 73
 Mortality and Ritual Practices in the Case of Dacian Children. Case study: Hunedoara –
Grădina Castelului ......................................................................................................................... 73
44. Peter Delev ................................................................................................................................ 74
 Between Myth and Reality: 45 Years of Thracology in Bulgaria ........................................... 74
45. Ioannis Deligiannis ..................................................................................................................... 75
(Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece) ...................................................................... 75
 Ancient Thrace in the Roman encyclopaedists ..................................................................... 75
46. Zdravko Dimitrov ....................................................................................................................... 76
 Thracian sanctuary in the region of Angel voyvoda village, Eastern Rhodopes .................... 76
47. Peter A. Dimitrov ....................................................................................................................... 77
(New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria) ....................................................................................... 77
 The Thracian language and the epigraphical evidence ......................................................... 77
48. Yana Dimitrova .......................................................................................................................... 78
 Reconstructions of Early Iron Age women’s costume in West Rhodopi Mountain (Bulgaria)
(poster) .......................................................................................................................................... 78
49. Diana Dimitrova ......................................................................................................................... 79
 Odrysian 5th – 4th century BC Burial Rites Along the Toundzha River Big Turn................... 79
50. Stoyanka Dimitrova ................................................................................................................... 80
(Centre of Thracology, Sofia, Bulgaria) .............................................................................................. 80
 KOΣΩN – Cotisoni – Cotiso .................................................................................................... 80
51. Lidia Domaradzka ...................................................................................................................... 81
 Pistiros inscription – new investigations and comments ...................................................... 81
52. Helena Dominguez del Triunfo .................................................................................................. 82
(Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) .................................................................................. 82
 A zoomorphic vase handle of the Classical period in the Kanellopoulos Collection:
rethinking the impact of Achaemenid material culture in the West (poster) .............................. 82
53. Dimitar Draganov ...................................................................................................................... 83
(Numismatic Museum Ruse, Bulgaria) .............................................................................................. 83
 The Coinage of Apollonia Pontica (Vth – Ist c. BC): Iconography (poster) ............................ 83
54. Zeynep Erdem............................................................................................................................ 84
(Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey) ........................................................................ 84
 Cult Studies At Turkish Thrace : Understanding The Thracian Religion – New Approaches . 84
55. Alexander Falileyev.................................................................................................................... 85
(Institute for Linguistic Studies, St. Petersburg, Russia) .................................................................... 85
 On the linguistic attribution of some geographical names in Thrace ................................... 85
56. Cristinel Laurentiu Fantaneanu ................................................................................................. 86
(National Museum of Union, Alba Iulia, Romania)............................................................................ 86
 Depositions of Ceramic Pots in the Bronze Age. A Discovery from Transylvania (Romania)
(poster) .......................................................................................................................................... 86
57. Iosif Vasile Ferencz .................................................................................................................... 87
 Late Iron Age in south-western Transylvania (Romania): material culture as a marker of
communal identities ...................................................................................................................... 87
Iron Age ......................................................................................................................................... 87
58. Valeria Fol .................................................................................................................................. 89
(Centre of Thracology, Sofia, Bulgaria) .............................................................................................. 89
 Culte héroïque dans la Thrace – images littéraires grecques ou images réels du chevalier-
hèros thrace .................................................................................................................................. 89
59. Alin Frânculeasa ........................................................................................................................ 90
(Museum of Braila ”Carol I” / Institute of Archaeology ”V. Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania) ............ 90
 The Dacian standard (draco) on a clay vessel north of the Danube (poster) ....................... 90
60. Delphine Frémondeau ............................................................................................................... 91
(University of Reading, United Kingdom) .......................................................................................... 91
 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality ....................... 91
the regularities of the economic model ........................................................................................ 92
61. Oleg Gabelko ............................................................................................................................. 93
(Russian State University for the Humanities, Institute for the Oriental and Classical Studies,
Department of Ancient History, Moscow, Russia) ............................................................................ 93
 Bithynian Funeral Steles of the Hellenistic Time: Some Historical Considerations ............... 93
62. El-Sayed Gad .............................................................................................................................. 94
(Tanta University, Egypt) ................................................................................................................... 94
 Thrace and the Thracians in the Speeches of Demosthenes ................................................ 94
63. Borislava Galabova .................................................................................................................... 95
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria)
........................................................................................................................................................... 95
analyses. ........................................................................................................................................ 95
64. Nadiya Gavrylyuk ....................................................................................................................... 96
(Kyiv, Ukraine) ................................................................................................................................... 96
 The Thracian phenomenon of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area ................................................ 96
65. Plamen Georgiev ....................................................................................................................... 97
66. Diana Gergova ........................................................................................................................... 98
 The investigations of the elitarian Getic necropolises in Sboryanovo: Society, Beliefs and
Politics ........................................................................................................................................... 98
 Pigments used for decoration of escharae from tumuli №№ 21 and 31, Sboryanovo
National Reserve, Bulgaria (poster) .............................................................................................. 98
67. Filippo Giudice ........................................................................................................................... 99
(Università di Catania, Italy) .............................................................................................................. 99
 The Greeks betwenn Thracians and Macedonians, the evidence of the attic imported
pottery ........................................................................................................................................... 99
68. Aleksey Gotsev ........................................................................................................................ 100
(National Archaeological Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria)......................................................................... 100
 Sanctuaries, Megalithic Complexes and Settlement System in Ancient Thrace ................. 100
69. William Greenwalt ................................................................................................................... 101
(Santa Clara, CA, USA) ..................................................................................................................... 101
 Macedonian and Thracian Relations Through Early 334 B.C.E............................................ 101
70. Valentina Grigorova-Gencheva ............................................................................................... 102
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 102
 Thassos Type Coinage in Thracia, 6–5 Century BC .............................................................. 102
71. Lily Grozdanova ....................................................................................................................... 103
(University of Sofia, Bulgaria) .......................................................................................................... 103
 Notions and Reality on the Coins of Pautalia ...................................................................... 103
72. Martin Gyuzelev ...................................................................................................................... 104
(University of Burgas "Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov", Bulgaria) ............................................................. 104
 Crossing the Strait: A View to the Bosporian Seafarers’ Pantheon in Antiquity ................. 104
73. Barbara Horejs ......................................................................................................................... 105
(Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, Vienna, Austria) .............................................. 105
Preliminary functional interpretation ......................................................................................... 105
74. Sophia Hristeva ........................................................................................................................ 106
 Condition of the surveys of the Late Iron Age in the Rhodope Mountains (poster) .......... 106
75. Hristomir Hristov ..................................................................................................................... 107
(Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany) ................................................... 107
 Der Hügel Grifonite. Zum Aufbau wie Funktion thrakischer Tempelanlagen der klassischen
und hellenistischen Periode (poster) .......................................................................................... 107
76. Ivanka Hristova ........................................................................................................................ 108
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 108
Bronze Age and Iron Age in South-eastern Bulgaria ................................................................... 108
 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality ..................... 108
77. Rositsa Hristova ....................................................................................................................... 109
(Daegu, South Korea) ...................................................................................................................... 109
 Technological Changes and Craft-specialization In the Iron Age Ceramic Production of
Southeastern Bulgaria ................................................................................................................. 109
78. Tanya Hristova ......................................................................................................................... 110
 Baley Necropolis And The Problems Of The Appearance And Development Of The
“Grooved” Decoration In The Western Part Of The Lower Danube Region ............................... 110
79. Stanislav Iliev ........................................................................................................................... 111
(Bulgaria) ......................................................................................................................................... 111
80. Ekaterina Ilieva ........................................................................................................................ 112
(Regional Archaeological Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria) ..................................................................... 112
 Pottery on the move – geographical distribution of the Tsepina pottery (poster) ............ 112
81. Petya Ilieva .............................................................................................................................. 113
(Centre of Thracology, Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................ 113
 Maron, xenia and plundering Odysseus .............................................................................. 113
82. Theodor-Iulian-Vlad Isvoranu .................................................................................................. 114
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania) ................................................... 114
 Consequences of the "Scythian War" on the monetary circulation at Histria and Tomis .. 114
83. Milen Ivanov ............................................................................................................................ 115
 King Rhesus and his Mountain Cave.................................................................................... 115
84. Georgi Ivanov .......................................................................................................................... 116
“Grooved” Decoration In The Western Part Of The Lower Danube Region ............................... 116
85. Hristina Ivanova ....................................................................................................................... 117
(German Archaeological Institute Athens / Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany) ................. 117
 Apollonia of Pontus and Thrace and the allocation of its weight standards ...................... 117
86. Miroslav Iliev Izdimirski ........................................................................................................... 118
 Deported Paeonians in Achaemenid Empire as kurtaš – Workers...................................... 118
 On Skudrians in the Akkadian Versions of Achaemenid Royal Inscriptions and some Late -
Babylonian Texts ......................................................................................................................... 118
87. Michaela Jordanova ................................................................................................................ 119
 Asclepius Rasuprenos (IGBulg. III/1, 1185) – Some Notes on the Possible Reinterpretation
119
88. Lenče Jovanova........................................................................................................................ 120
(Skopje, Macedonia) ........................................................................................................................ 120
 Thracian influence in the Roman colony Scupi and the Skopje-Kumanovo region............. 120
89. Hazar Kaba ............................................................................................................................... 121
(Sinop University, Turkey) ............................................................................................................... 121
 Comparing the Luxurious Metal Vessel Acquisition Patterns of Thracian aAnd Cypriot Elites
During the Classical Period .......................................................................................................... 121
90. Gergana Kabakchieva .............................................................................................................. 122
 Die Antike Siedlung bei Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak.............................................................. 122
91. Maya Kashuba ......................................................................................................................... 123
(Institute for History of Material Culture, St. Petersburg, Russia) .................................................. 123
 "Thrakische Hallstatt" im Nördlichen Schwarzmeergebiet. Auf der Begriff, der Kultur und
der modernen Forschung ............................................................................................................ 123
92. Veselka Katsarova.................................................................................................................... 124
(National Archaeological Institute, Bulgaria) .................................................................................. 124
 The Sanctuary of the Nymphs and Aphrodite near village Kasnakovo - between myths and
reality........................................................................................................................................... 124
93. Nadezhda Kecheva .................................................................................................................. 125
 The Reality Before Seuthopolis: Early Iron Age Life in the Kazanlak Valley ........................ 125
94. Petya Kirilova ........................................................................................................................... 126
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 126
 The Dolmen in the Locality Kliftinova niva – 40 Years Later (poster) ................................. 126
95. Slavcho Kirov ........................................................................................................................... 127
(Université Bordeaux Montaigne, France) ...................................................................................... 127
 Le passé thraco-phrygien à la lumière de l’inscription RIMA, 2, A.0.100.5, 115b-127 ....... 127
96. Marina Koleva.......................................................................................................................... 128
(Institute of Art Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria) ......................................................................................... 128
 Greek Myths, Roman Art and Thracians ............................................................................. 128
97. Dobriela Kotova ....................................................................................................................... 129
 GYNE und SYMBIOS: Die Erinnerung an die Ehefrau in den griechischen Grab- und
Votivinschriften aus Thrakien ...................................................................................................... 129
98. Jeffrey Lerner........................................................................................................................... 130
(Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, USA) .............................................................................. 130
 The Persian Conquest of Thrake and Skudra....................................................................... 130
99. Lyuben Leshtakov .................................................................................................................... 131
 A Bronze Spoked Wheel from Varna and it's relation to Thracian Religion (poster) .......... 131
100. Marija Ljuština ......................................................................................................................... 132
(University of Belgrade, Serbia ) ...................................................................................................... 132
the Turn of New Era .................................................................................................................... 132
101. Ivaylo Lozanov ......................................................................................................................... 133
 Nicopolis ad Nestum: between Mark Antony and Trajan ................................................... 133
102. Sasha Lozanova........................................................................................................................ 134
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 134
 Architectural Images in Antique Coins from Bulgarian Lands (poster) ............................... 134
103. Vanya Lozanova-Stantcheva .................................................................................................... 135
 Ancient Thracia and the Thracians as paradigm of otherness and other in Old-Attic comedy
135
104. Kalin Madzharov ...................................................................................................................... 136
 Trading post at Rousse? - the evidence of the amphora stamps ........................................ 136
105. Penka Maglova ........................................................................................................................ 137
(Space Research and Technology Institute, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) ............................................... 137
 Lights and shadows in cult monuments of the Thracian civilization: astronomy and calendar
(poster) ........................................................................................................................................ 137
 Megalithic and rock-cut monuments: geometry, modules, categories (poster) ................ 137
106. Andrei Magureanu .................................................................................................................. 139
 A discussion about understanding what pottery can tell .................................................... 139
 Cultural exchanges in the Lower Danube area in Late Antiquity ........................................ 139
107. Despina Măgureanu ................................................................................................................ 140
 Craft and creativity. A discussion on several Geto-Dacian belt buckles (poster) ............... 140
 Evidence of non-ferrous metallurgy in the Geto-Dacic extra-Carpathic area. .................... 140
108. Flora Manakidou...................................................................................................................... 141
(Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece) .................................................................... 141
 Quelques aspects des “Abderites” par C.M. Wieland (Geschichte der Abderiten): réflexions
sur la relation entre Antiquité classique et Europe modern ....................................................... 141
109. Dragoș Măndescu .................................................................................................................... 142
(Argeș County Museum, Pitești, Romania) ..................................................................................... 142
 Where did they put the akinakes? On the Late Hallstatt Ferigile warriors’ panoply starting
from the recent discoveries in the necropolis at Valea Stânii..................................................... 142
110. Consuelo Manetta ................................................................................................................... 143
(Italy) ............................................................................................................................................... 143
 Architecture and decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis ............................................. 143
111. Metodi Manov ......................................................................................................................... 144
 About the author and the time of the statue of Seuthes III ................................................ 144
112. Antoniu Tudor Marc ................................................................................................................ 145
(Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania) ........................................................ 145
Culture ......................................................................................................................................... 145
Hunedoara County) (poster) ....................................................................................................... 145
 The Myth of the Feast. The Early Iron Age situlae from Bălata (Romania) (poster) ........... 145
113. Elena Marinova........................................................................................................................ 147
(University of Leuven, Belgium) ...................................................................................................... 147
the regularities of the economic model ...................................................................................... 148
114. Vassil Markov .......................................................................................................................... 149
(South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria) ...................................................... 149
 Mythological Symbols from the Thracian Megalithic Sanctuaries (poster) ........................ 149
115. Boryana Markova .................................................................................................................... 150
 Les Besses et le christianisme.............................................................................................. 150
116. Sebastian Matei ....................................................................................................................... 151
(Buzau, Romania) ............................................................................................................................ 151
 Pietroasa Mică-Gruiu Dării: a particular Dacian cultic centre ............................................. 151
 Craft and creativity. A discussion on several Geto-Dacian belt buckles ............................. 151
117. Dimitris Matsas ........................................................................................................................ 153
(Institute of Thracian Studies, Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Greece) ............................................... 153
 The Mysteries of the Great Gods, Samothrace: Samothracian mythology and the reality of
archaeological research............................................................................................................... 153
118. Sergiu Matveev ........................................................................................................................ 154
(Moldova State University, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) ........................................................... 154
 Processing of horn and bones in the early Iron Age in the space between Prut and Dniestr in
light of discoveries from Lipoveni (R. Cimislia, Republic of Moldova) (poster) .......................... 154
119. Katya Melamed ....................................................................................................................... 155
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 155
 Thracians at the foot of Pirin Mountain (poster) ................................................................ 155
120. Charilaos Michalopoulos ......................................................................................................... 156
(Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece) .................................................................... 156
 Mythical Thrace in Latin poetry........................................................................................... 156
121. Philip Mihaylov ........................................................................................................................ 157
(Regional Museum of History, Pernik, Bulgaria) ............................................................................. 157
 Glass beads from Dren-Delyan necropolis (archaeological and chemical study) ............... 157
analyses. ...................................................................................................................................... 157
122. Biliana Mihaylova .................................................................................................................... 159
 On the Etymology of some Thracian Glosses ...................................................................... 159
123. Petar Minkov ........................................................................................................................... 160
 A Middle Bronze age ceramic jug from tell Rousse (poster) ............................................... 160
124. Albena Mircheva ..................................................................................................................... 161
 On the Etymology of some Thracian Glosses ...................................................................... 161
125. Alexandru Morintz ................................................................................................................... 162
 Balbus, A Roman Surveyor In Dacia (poster) ...................................................................... 162
126. Kabalan Moukarzel .................................................................................................................. 163
Babylonian Texts ......................................................................................................................... 163
127. Kate Mower ............................................................................................................................. 164
(Riverton, USA) ................................................................................................................................ 164
 Thracians as σφμμαχοι to the Greek settlements along the West Pontic coast ................. 164
128. Yana Mutafchieva .................................................................................................................... 165
(Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria) ................................................................. 165
 Bronze biconical pitchers from Thrace. Morphology and chronology (poster) .................. 165
129. Emil Nankov ............................................................................................................................. 166
(American Research Center in Sofia, Bulgaria) ................................................................................ 166
 (Sling) Bullet points on the military campaigns of Philip II of Macedon in southwest Thrace
166
130. Georgi Nekhrizov ..................................................................................................................... 167
 The Reality Before Seuthopolis: Early Iron Age Life in the Kazanlak Valley ........................ 167
 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace............................................................................................. 167
131. Nerantzis Nerantzis ................................................................................................................. 168
(University of Lille, France) .............................................................................................................. 168
 Mining in the Thracian world: The case of Lekani Mountains in Northern Greece ............ 168
132. Eugen Nicolae .......................................................................................................................... 169
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucarest, Romania) ..................................................... 169
Moldavie ...................................................................................................................................... 169
133. Ion Niculiță .............................................................................................................................. 170
(Moldova State University, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova) ........................................................... 170
170
 New views on the formation of the material culture of the Thracian communities .......... 171
134. Krassimir Nikov ........................................................................................................................ 172
135. Lazar Ninov .............................................................................................................................. 173
136. Johannes Nollé ........................................................................................................................ 174
(München, Germany) ...................................................................................................................... 174
 The Mythologocial Integration of Thrace into the Greek World – Various motives – various
strategies ..................................................................................................................................... 174
137. Liana Oța.................................................................................................................................. 175
 Dacians or Sarmatians? Tamga signs in Dacia (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD) ................................... 175
138. Asher Ovadiah ......................................................................................................................... 176
(Tel Aviv University, Israel) .............................................................................................................. 176
 A New Look at the Mythological Representations of the Panagyurishte Gold Treasure,
Bulgaria ........................................................................................................................................ 176
139. Sorin Paliga .............................................................................................................................. 177
(University of Bucharest, Romania)................................................................................................. 177
 Thracian v. Dacian (Daco-Moesian). How many ‘Thracian languages’ were there spoken in
the Antiquity? .............................................................................................................................. 177
140. Daniel Pantov .......................................................................................................................... 178
(Primorsko, Bulgaria) ....................................................................................................................... 178
 A treasure of gold appliques of horse harness from Primorsko ......................................... 178
141. Stratis Papadopoulos ............................................................................................................... 179
(University of Lille, France) .............................................................................................................. 179
 Mining in the Thracian world: The case of Lekani Mountains in Northern Greece ............ 179
142. Ioanna Papadopoulou ............................................................................................................. 180
(Democritus University of Greece, Komotini, Greece) .................................................................... 180
 Strabo’s account on the 'differentia' of the Thracian ethos ............................................... 180
143. Maria-Gabriella Parissaki ......................................................................................................... 181
(National Hellenic Research Foundation - Institute of Historical Research, Athens, Greece) ........ 181
 The inconspicuous coinage with the legend ΜΟΡΙΑΣΕΩΝ .................................................. 181
144. Meglena Parvin ........................................................................................................................ 182
(Museum of History "Iskra", Kazanlak, Bulgaria) ............................................................................ 182
 The inventory from the southwest chamber of the mound complex Ostrusha - new
observations. ............................................................................................................................... 182
145. Angela Pencheva ..................................................................................................................... 183
(Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany) ......................................................................................... 183
 Wreaths in Funeral Context: Chronology and Meaning in Ancient Thrace and Macedonia183
146. Emanuel Petac ......................................................................................................................... 184
(Numismatic Department, Library of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania) ................... 184
 Coin finds and payments in the Thracian and Getae area at the end of the 4th century BC
184
147. Aurora Pețan ........................................................................................................................... 185
(Dacica Foundation, Alun, Romania) ............................................................................................... 185
 Ovid in Thrace ...................................................................................................................... 185
148. Ulrike Peter .............................................................................................................................. 186
(Berlin, Germany) ............................................................................................................................ 186
 Die Münzprägung von Philippopolis in antoninischer Zeit .................................................. 186
149. Plamen Petkov ......................................................................................................................... 187
 Das Odrysenreich in Thrakien und Διήγυλις ὁ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεὺς / Zisemis, Diogyridis
filii, Thraciae regis ........................................................................................................................ 187
150. Ioannis Petropoulos................................................................................................................. 188
(Nafplio, Greece) ............................................................................................................................. 188
 Herodotus' ethnography of the Thracians: Myth, cliché, and reality ................................. 188
151. Horea Pop ................................................................................................................................ 189
(County History and Art Museum Zalau, Romania) ........................................................................ 189
 Măgura Moigradului-ritual sacred area and Dacian settlement (poster) ........................... 189
152. Hristo Popov ............................................................................................................................ 191
the regularities of the economic model ...................................................................................... 191
153. Ruja Popova ............................................................................................................................. 192
 Antonia Tryphaena and her successors. To the Thracian history in the first half of the 1st c.
AD 192
154. Kalin Porozhanov ..................................................................................................................... 193
 The ancient authors for Bithynians, Thynians and Mariandinians in Anatolia ................... 193
155. Alexandar Portalsky ................................................................................................................. 194
(South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria) ...................................................... 194
 Thracians in Palaeobalkan-westanatolian community (poster).......................................... 194
156. Hristo Preshlenov .................................................................................................................... 195
 The (Re)used Pagan temenoses in Thracia Pontica (4th-6th century AD) (poster) ............ 195
157. Stefka Pristavova ..................................................................................................................... 196
(University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria)........................................................................ 196
 Pistiros inscription – new investigations and comments .................................................... 196
158. Nade Proeva ............................................................................................................................ 197
(Skopje, Macedonia) ........................................................................................................................ 197
 Les représentations du soi-disant „Cavalier thrace“ en Macédoine romaine for the 13th
Congress of Thracology ............................................................................................................... 197
159. Ilya Prokopov ........................................................................................................................... 198
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 198
 Thassos Type Coinage in Thracia, 6–5 Century BC .............................................................. 198
160. Paul Pupeza ............................................................................................................................. 199
(National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) ............................................ 199
 The Dacian walls of Covasna – Fairies Fortress (Covasna County, Romania) ...................... 199
161. Silviu I. Purece ......................................................................................................................... 200
(Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania) .................................................................................... 200
 New approaches regarding the beginning and evolution of the Thracian coin in the regions
situated north to the Danube...................................................................................................... 200
162. Kostadin Rabadjiev .................................................................................................................. 201
 The Thracian Gods - the puzzle of anthropomorphism....................................................... 201
163. Milena Raycheva ..................................................................................................................... 202
 Imperial cult in private context? Some observations from Roman Thrace......................... 202
164. Nicolae Cătălin Rișcuța ............................................................................................................ 203
(Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania) ........................................................ 203
Hunedoara County) (poster) ....................................................................................................... 203
 The Myth of the Feast. The Early Iron Age situlae from Bălata (Romania) (poster) ........... 203
165. Lynn E. Roller ........................................................................................................................... 204
(University of California, Davis, USA) .............................................................................................. 204
 The Gluhite Kamani LiDAR survey and its implications for our understanding of Thracian
cult monuments .......................................................................................................................... 204
166. Viktoria Russeva ...................................................................................................................... 205
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology, Sofia, Bulgaria) ................ 205
 Cremated human remains from the tumulus N8, village Brestovitsa, Russe region -
anthropological study (poster).................................................................................................... 205
167. Aurel Rustoiu ........................................................................................................................... 206
(Institute of Archaeology and History of Art, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) ............................................ 206
communal identities .................................................................................................................... 206
168. Gaetano Santagati ................................................................................................................... 207
(Archivio Ceramografico, Università di Catania, Italy) .................................................................... 207
pottery ......................................................................................................................................... 207
169. Lucica-Olga Savu ...................................................................................................................... 208
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Braşov, Romania) ......................................................... 208
 Discoveries of tombs and funerary inventories in southeastern Transylvania ................... 208
170. Mustafa H. Sayar ..................................................................................................................... 209
(University of Istanbul, Turkey) ....................................................................................................... 209
 Thracian tribes in Southeastern thrace ............................................................................... 209
171. Paola Schirripa ......................................................................................................................... 210
(University of Milano, Italy) ............................................................................................................. 210
 Rois thraces et rois perses dans la tradition grecque ......................................................... 210
172. Thomas Schmidts .................................................................................................................... 211
(Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Kompetenzbereich und Museum für Antike Schifffahrt,
Germany) ......................................................................................................................................... 211
 Ainos – Interdisziplinäre Forschungen und mythische Vergangenheit ............................... 211
173. Cristian Schuster ...................................................................................................................... 212
 Buridava – eine dakische und römische Ansiedlung in Nordostoltenien ............................ 212
174. Tatyana Shalganova ................................................................................................................. 213
(New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria) ..................................................................................... 213
 The Scythian Art Horizon in Thrace From 5th Century BC .................................................. 213
175. Nicolay Sharankov ................................................................................................................... 214
 Thracarchs, archiereis, and neokoroi .................................................................................. 214
176. Valeriu Sirbu ............................................................................................................................ 215
(Museum of Braila / Institute of Archaeology ”V. Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania) .......................... 215
 The Dacian standard (draco) on a clay vessel north of the Danube (poster) ..................... 215
Grădina Castelului ....................................................................................................................... 215
 Pietroasa Mică-Gruiu Dării: a particular Dacian cultic centre ............................................. 216
 Dacians or Sarmatians? Tamga signs in Dacia (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD) ................................... 217
 Change and continuity in the funerary practice in the beginning of the second Iron Age in
North-Eastern Thrace .................................................................................................................. 218
177. Nikolay Sivkov .......................................................................................................................... 219
(Regional Museum of History, Pernik, Bulgaria) ............................................................................. 219
 The starry sky of the Thracians on an anthropomorphic stela (poster) ............................. 219
178. Katarzyna Skowron .................................................................................................................. 220
(University of Rzeszów, Poland) ...................................................................................................... 220
 Les éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule – un essai de révision ........................... 220
179. Mirena Slavova ........................................................................................................................ 221
 On the Thracian Syllable ...................................................................................................... 221
180. Adela Sobotkova ...................................................................................................................... 222
(Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia) ...................................................................................... 222
 Centralisation and autonomy in settlement patterns in Thrace (poster?) ......................... 222
 Places of Memory or Places of Power? Regional Approaches to Burial Mounds in Thrace
(poster?) ...................................................................................................................................... 222
181. Irina Sodoleanu........................................................................................................................ 223
(Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanța, Romania) .......................................... 223
 Roman Artifacts from Albești (Constața county, Romania) (poster) .................................. 223
182. Aliénor Solas ............................................................................................................................ 224
(Université Paris-Sorbonne 4, France)............................................................................................. 224
 Thracian studies and global history ..................................................................................... 224
183. Mina Spasova .......................................................................................................................... 225
(Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge, Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................. 225
(poster) ........................................................................................................................................ 225
184. Dan Ștefan ............................................................................................................................... 227
(National Museum of Eastern Carpathians, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania) ...................................... 227
 Living at extremes during the end of the Iron Age. The case of Dacian tribes in Eastern
Transylvania ................................................................................................................................. 227
Transylvania ................................................................................................................................. 227
185. Magdalena Ștefan.................................................................................................................... 229
(National Museum of Eastern Carpathians, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania) ...................................... 229
Transylvania ................................................................................................................................. 229
186. Marco Stefano Scaravilli .......................................................................................................... 231
(Archivio Ceramografico, Università di Catania, Italy) .................................................................... 231
pottery ......................................................................................................................................... 231
187. Krasimira Stefanova-Georgieva ............................................................................................... 232
(Museum of History "Iskra", Kazanlak, Bulgaria) ............................................................................ 232
 Die Antike Siedlung bei Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak.............................................................. 232
188. Stephan Steingräber ................................................................................................................ 233
(Università Roma Tre, Italy) ............................................................................................................. 233
 Figurative Representations in Thracian Tomb Paintings of the 4th and 3rd cent. B.C. -
Themes, Iconography, Ideology .................................................................................................. 233
189. Kalin Stoev ............................................................................................................................... 234
 Crises, Brigandage and the Emergence of the „Military Men” in the Balkan Region (ca. AD
170– ca. AD 300) ......................................................................................................................... 234
190. Alexey Stoev ............................................................................................................................ 235
(Space Research and Technology Institute, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) ............................................... 235
(poster) ........................................................................................................................................ 235
191. Svetozar Stoyanov ................................................................................................................... 237
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 237
 New types and denominations of Thracian tribal and royal coins published in studies of
Bulgarian collectors in the period of 1994–2014 (poster) .......................................................... 237
192. Totko Stoyanov ........................................................................................................................ 238
 Urbanization in Early Hellenistic Thrace:The case of Getic capital Helis in North-Eastern
Thrace The case of Getic capital Helis in North-Eastern Thrace ................................................. 238
193. Julij Emilov Stoyanov ............................................................................................................... 239
 The Upper Tonzos Valley with or without Celts (poster) .................................................... 239
194. Daniela Stoyanova ................................................................................................................... 240
 Architecture and decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis ............................................. 240
195. Yannis Stoyas ........................................................................................................................... 241
(KIKPE Numismatic Collection, Athens, Greece) ............................................................................. 241
 The inconspicuous coinage with the legend ΜΟΡΙΑΣΕΩΝ .................................................. 241
196. Nino Sulava .............................................................................................................................. 243
(Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia) ................................................................................ 243
 Alte Kolchis: Mythos und Wirklichkeit (auf der Grundlage der uralten Fibeln) (poster) .... 243
197. Lee Sungjoo ............................................................................................................................. 244
(Daegu, South Korea) ...................................................................................................................... 244
Southeastern Bulgaria ................................................................................................................. 244
198. Gabriel Mircea Talmatchi ........................................................................................................ 245
(Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanta, Romania) .......................................... 245
 About possible stages of the significance and role of monetary signs in the Western Pontic
Area in the light of recent research (6th century BC) ................................................................. 245
199. Mihail Tarassov ........................................................................................................................ 246
(Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, Sofia, Bulgaria) ....................................................... 246
National Reserve, Bulgaria (poster) ............................................................................................ 246
200. Eugenia Tarassova ................................................................................................................... 247
201. Stela Tasheva ........................................................................................................................... 248
(Institute of Art Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria) ......................................................................................... 248
 Architectural Images in Antique Coins from Bulgarian Lands (poster) ............................... 248
202. Rositsa Titorenkova ................................................................................................................. 249
203. Ivan Todorov ............................................................................................................................ 250
(University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria) .......................................................................................... 250
 The mythological story of Tyro and some its realia in ancient Thrace (Τυρώ; Apollod. I 9,8)
250
204. Nikola Tonkov .......................................................................................................................... 251
 Geophysical survey of Thracian burial mounds at the village of Bratya Daskalovi (Chirpan
eminences) .................................................................................................................................. 251
205. Eva Tonkova............................................................................................................................. 252
 Black glazed pottery from the pit fields in Bulgaria (poster) .............................................. 252
206. Milena Tonkova ....................................................................................................................... 253
 L’orfèvrerie des Odryses à la fin du IVe siècle av. J.-C. à travers les parures du tumulus
Malkata près de Chipka ............................................................................................................... 253
207. Ivo Topalilov ............................................................................................................................ 254
(Shumen University, Bulgaria) ......................................................................................................... 254
 Some Notes on Thracian soldiers ........................................................................................ 254
208. Stavri Topalov .......................................................................................................................... 255
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 255
 Contribution to the study to whom belong the first realistic portraits on ancient coins (mid
5th end of 4th centuries BC)....................................................................................................... 255
 A Bronze Spoked Wheel from Varna and it's relation to Thracian Religion (poster) .......... 256
209. Nartsis Torbov ......................................................................................................................... 257
(Regional Museum of History, Vratsa, Bulgaria) ............................................................................. 257
 Die Verzierung der Messer mit den geschwungenen Schneiden (poster) .......................... 257
210. Alexander Toromanov ............................................................................................................. 258
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 258
211. Despoina Tsiafakis ................................................................................................................... 259
("ATHENA" Research Center, Xanthi, Greece) ................................................................................ 259
and Findspots .............................................................................................................................. 259
 Exploring the reality through myths and archaeological evidence ..................................... 259
212. Georgios Tsomis ...................................................................................................................... 260
(Komotini, Greece) .......................................................................................................................... 260
 Der Wein und die antiken thrakischen Ortsnamen Ismaros und Maroneia: Eine literarische,
linguistische und geographische Annäherung ............................................................................ 260
213. Lyubomir Tsonev ..................................................................................................................... 261
(Institute of Solid State Physics, Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................. 261
 Megalithic construction techniques in classical Thracian buildings (poster) ...................... 261
214. Ion Tuțulescu ........................................................................................................................... 262
(Valcea County Museum, Ramnicu Valcea, Romania) .................................................................... 262
 Buridava – eine dakische und römische Ansiedlung in Nordostoltenien ............................ 262
215. Mykola Tymchenko ................................................................................................................. 263
(Kyiv, Ukraine) ................................................................................................................................. 263
 The Thracian phenomenon of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area .............................................. 263
216. Nikoleta Tzankova ................................................................................................................... 264
(University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria)........................................................................ 264
 Glass beads from Dren-Delyan necropolis (archaeological and chemical study) (poster) . 264
217. Chavdar Tzochev ..................................................................................................................... 265
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 265
 The Tomb in Chetinyova Mogila: Architecture and Historical Context ............................... 265
218. Julia Tzvetkova ......................................................................................................................... 266
 Ancient Thrace: GIS and reality ........................................................................................... 266
 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace............................................................................................. 266
219. Rodica Ursu Naniu ................................................................................................................... 267
(State University of Moldova / Bucharest, Romania) ...................................................................... 267
 Rituels funéraires et non-funéraires dans l’enceinte de Stolniceni (République de
Moldavie): observations, analyses, reconstructions ................................................................... 267
 Some observations regarding the “skull cult” in the Thracian space .................................. 267
220. Marina Vakhtina ...................................................................................................................... 268
 Greek Art and Female Depictions of Scythia and Thracia. Distinctions and Parallels ......... 268
221. Ivan Valchev............................................................................................................................. 269
 The Cult of Apollo in Cabyle ................................................................................................ 269
222. Todor Valchev .......................................................................................................................... 270
(Regional Museum of History, Yambol, Bulgaria) ........................................................................... 270
 The Dolmen in the Locality Kliftinova niva – 40 Years Later (poster) ................................. 270
223. Julia Valeva .............................................................................................................................. 271
(Sofia, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................... 271
 Eros in Thrace ...................................................................................................................... 271
224. Varbin Varbanov ...................................................................................................................... 272
(Regional Museum of History, Rousse, Bulgaria) ............................................................................ 272
 Late Hellenistic Mounds from Northern Bulgaria – the Case Study of Tumulus №8 from the
Village of Brestovitsa, Rousse Region (poster) ........................................................................... 272
225. Miroslav Vasilev ....................................................................................................................... 273
(Troyan, Bulgaria) ............................................................................................................................ 273
 Hecataeus' Knowledge of Thrace ........................................................................................ 273
226. Maya Vassileva ........................................................................................................................ 274
(New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria) ..................................................................................... 274
 Thracians and Phrygians: State of Art and Future Perspectives ......................................... 274
227. Aurel Vilcu ............................................................................................................................... 275
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucarest, Romania) ..................................................... 275
Moldavie ...................................................................................................................................... 275
228. Yuri Vinogradov ....................................................................................................................... 276
 Tumulus Baksy near Kerch. Cultural contacts on the Cimmerian Bosporus in the early 4th
century BC ................................................................................................................................... 276
229. Vlad Vornic .............................................................................................................................. 277
(National Agency for Archaeology, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) .............................................. 277
 Processing of horn and bones in the early Iron Age in the space between Prut and Dniestr in
light of discoveries from Lipoveni (R. Cimislia, Republic of Moldova) (poster) .......................... 277
230. Oya Yağız ................................................................................................................................. 278
(Istanbul, Turkey)............................................................................................................................. 278
 Les Monnaies des trois Rhoimetalkès, les derniers rois de la Dynastie Thrace .................. 278
231. Svetlana Yanakieva .................................................................................................................. 279
 Myth and Reality in Thracian Linguistics ............................................................................. 279
232. Kalina Yordanova ..................................................................................................................... 280
(Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria) ................................................................. 280
 Foureés and barbarian imitations of the coins of Apollonia Pontica (poster) .................... 280
233. Aurel Zanoci ............................................................................................................................. 281
(Moldova State University, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova) ........................................................... 281
 New views on the formation of the material culture of the Thracian communities .......... 281
281
234. Zhivko Zhekov .......................................................................................................................... 283
(University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria) .......................................................................................... 283
 Odrysian paradynast - one possible interpretation ............................................................ 283
235. Vladislav Zhivkov ..................................................................................................................... 284
 Thracian Pottery from Nicopol and Present day North Central Bulgaria on the Eve of the
Roman Conquest (II c. BC – early I c. AD) (poster) ...................................................................... 284
236. Boaz Zissu ................................................................................................................................ 285
(Bar Ilan University, Jerusalem, Israel) ............................................................................................ 285
 Figurative Paintings in The Necropolis of Hellenistic Maresha (Marissa), Israel ................ 285
ABSTRACTS
1. Sorin-Cristian Ailincai
("Gavrila Simion" Eco-Museum Research Institute at Tulcea, Romania)
 Once again on EIA Chronology at the Lower Danube
EIA at the Lower Danube is best known due to the research from the mid 20th century at sites
ascribed to Babadag culture (in Dobrudja, southern Moldavia and eastern Wallachia). This cultural
manifestation, defined by Dr. Sebastian Morintz, was dated from the end of 11th century to the late
8th century/early 7th century B.C. The dating was subject to many discussions and theories regarding
its ”ties” with the Late Bronze Age cultures (Coslogeni, Noua, etc.) and with the first Greek colonists
who arrived on the west coast of the Black Sea in the middle of the 7th century B.C. The new
archaeological investigations at sites like Babadag or Enisala-Palanca, supported by modern dating
methods (C14), have brought new signficant data regarding the evolution of the human communities
at the Lower Danube in the Iron Age.
2. Zeki Mete Aksan
(Sinop University, Department of Archaeology, Turkey)
 Reinvestigation of Vize A Tumulus in Southeastern Thrace (poster)
The tumuli excavated by Arif Müfid Mansel in southeastern Thrace more than 80 years ago, have
been reinvestigated as part of my doctoral thesis in 2015. Architectural remains and grave goods
within Vize A tumulus in Bizye, the capital city of the Thracian Kingdom in the Roman Period, all point
to a kingly burial, making the burial prominent among others.
There are several targets of this paper. First of all, it is aimed to present the burial in Vize A tumulus
which contains a sarcophagus within a burial chamber. Function and meaning of the artifacts both in
and out of the sarcophagus will be discussed and cultural influences will be determined based on
archaeological data. Suggestions will be made regarding the owner of the burial based on
archaeological evidence and also historical data. The problems of interpretation of the burial within
the tumulus will also be discussed.
3. Stefan Alexandrov
(National Archaeological Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Baley Necropolis and the Problems of the Appearance and Development of the “Grooved”
Decoration in the Western Part of the Lower Danube Region
(co-authors: Stefan Alexandrov, Georgi Ivanov, Tanya Hristova)
The second millennium BC necropolis at Baley revealed so far 61 cremation graves and 3 features
connected to the mortuary practices. The main ritual was cremation outside the boundaries of the
necropolis. Four chronological groups in the necropolis have been established: Middle Bronze Age;
Late Bronze Age - 1; Late Bronze Age - 2; Late Bronze Age - 3/Early Iron Age. The mortuary practices
presented at groups 2 and 3 include only amphorae used as urns while the graves included in group 4
show a particular change in the ritual – with adding large bowls (up to 3 in number), and even double
vessels used as containers for the burnt bones.
The pottery from that group is decorated exclusively with grooves. In both necropolis and settlement
a gradual development of the “grooved” decoration techniques and patterns is to be observed. This
gradual development is connected to a gradual change of the pottery shapes as well. Levels III-II from
the settlement (related to the Encrusted Pottery Culture) and the respective features from the
necropolis show a co-existence of “rounded” and “squared” cups/kantharoi decorated with both
encrusted patterns and fine grooves as well as the appearance of some new forms like bi-conical
amphorae. Level Ia and the last group of graves ceramic assemblages demonstrate an affiliation with
“Bistreţ type” finds and, most of all, with “Vârtop” ware that are generally accepted to represent the
end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, respectively.
4. Dimitra Andrianou
(National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece)
 Memories in Stone: Figured Grave Reliefs from Aegean Thrace in the Late Hellenistic and
Roman eras
The body of funerary reliefs found in Aegean Thrace, between the Nestos and Hebros rivers, unravels
the codes which molded the representation of the dead from the first century B.C. to the third
century A.D. Morphological, typological, iconographic and epigraphic analyses provide evidence
regarding the social history of the monuments, namely social roles, status and cultural identity,
revealing ideas that shaped aesthetic predilections and the choice of self-representation, and provide
important evidence concerning the synthesis of the population and the degree of integration of the
Thracian substratum. The scientific analysis of the type of marble used for the production of these
reliefs points towards centers of manufacture and locally available sources.The surviving decorated
funerary stelai from the first century B.C. and the second or third century A.D in Thrace are more
numerous than in earlier periods of time. The decoration is drawn from two main themes, namely
the funerary banquet, common in Asia Minor and the coast of west Pontos, and the Heros Equitans,
a motif widely spread throughout the rest of Thrace. Male figures in the so-called Normaltypus are
rare. When inscribed, decorated funerary reliefs preserve Thracian names, either in the purely
Thracian onomastic formula or with the adoption of a Roman name as an individual name. In terms
of iconography and architectural typology these reliefs conform to types used by the rest of the
population (stelai and plaques) and thus no particular decoration or architectural type may be
assigned to the Thracian substratum. Themes popular in the Roman repertoire, such as portraits and
imagines clipeatae, are not to be found east of the Nestos River. Roman influence is, however, noted
along the Hebros River, a route that connected the coast to the hinterland, in the presence of
gladiatorial reliefs and one important relief that might have belonged to a cavalryman from an
auxiliary troop.
5. Zosia Archibald
(University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)
 The Power of Images and Ancient Royal Portraiture: A View from Thrace
The discovery, in 2004, of a magnificent bronze portrait head, close to the entrance of the chamber
tomb of Golyama Kosmatka tumulus, north-west of Kasanlak, which nestles in the foothills of the
Stara Planina range, provided scholars of ancient Thrace with a potentially new type of evidence
relating to royal power in the region. The close resemblance between the features of the bronze
head, and portraits of Seuthes III on the king’s copper alloy issues, became quickly apparent. Yet, at
the time of its discovery, it was by no means easy for students of Classical antiquity to accept all the
claims made about this extraordinary find. Original bronze sculptures from the Classical and
Hellenistic periods are extremely rare. The best authenticated pieces have been recovered from
shipwrecks. Finds from excavations have more often consisted of small fragments of sculpture; rarely
of portrait heads. Not surprisingly, there were doubts about the authenticity of this portrait.
Scientific analyses (Lombardi 2009; Saladino 2012-13) have now vindicated many of the claims made
by the object’s discoverer, Georgi Kitov. The iconic use of this portrait head in the recent exhibition
at the Musée du Louvre seems amply justified. Close study of the artefact’s manufacture and design
provide a foundation on which we can begin to consider this sculpture in the context of other,
contemporary royal portraits, as well as coin portraits of earlier and later Thracian princes.
The existence of such a royal portrait nevertheless raises many historiographical and semantic
questions that have not been asked before. If the bronze head really is a portrait of Seuthes III, which
was deliberately cut from a full body representation and buried in the entrance to the king’s own
tomb, was the portrait in fact a religious dedication, and the burial of the head a religious act? In
view of the probable date of this portrait, should we see any analogies between the divine portraits
of Antigonos Monophthalmos or Demetrios Poliorketes, or the Alexander portraits on the silver of
Lysimachos (Kroll 2007), and this head of Seuthes III? Should we also reconsider the portraits of
earlier Thracian kings and princes in this light? This paper will provide some preliminary answers to
these questions.
Kroll, J. 2007. The emergence of Ruler Portraiture on Early Hellenistic Coins. The Importance of being
Divine, in: P. Schultz and R. Van den Hoff, eds, Early Hellenistic Portraiture. Image, Style, Context,
Cambridge.
Martinez, J.-L. ; A. Baralis, N. Mathieux, T. Stoyanov, M. Tonkova, eds, 2015. L’Épopée des rois
thraces, des guerres médiques aux invasions celtes, 479-278 av. J.-C. Découvertes archéologiques en
Bulgarie, Paris, Musée du Louvre, 2015, 119, Cat. 82.
Lombardi, G. 2009. The casting core composition and provenance of the Goljama Kosmatka (Bulgaria)
bronze head, Journal of Archaeological Science 36, 520-27.
Saladino, V. 2012-13. Il ritratto di Seuthes III. Con un appendice di Edilberto Formigli, Jahrbuch des
deutschen archäologischen Instituts, 127-128, 125-206.
6. Vessela Atanassova
(New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 A Thracian Tomb in Egypt? (poster)
For more than twenty-five years the Franco-Egyptian mission has excavated the Persian fortress of
Tell el-Herr in Sinai in north-eastern Egypt. According to their research the use of the site continues
for nearly a millennium: from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD. Two fortress walls enclosed a
2,16-ha area which housed a large number of residential and storage buildings. The first fortress wall
was built in the early 5th century BC in a period when Egypt became an Achaemenid satrapy. It was
built probably by the Achaemenid rulers to control the new Egyptian satrapy or to quell riots at the
end of the reign of Darius I. The second wall was erected shortly thereafter (at the end of the 5th
century BC).
In 2010 the research mission encountered unusual building called by its discoverers the "Hypogeum"
and dated to the first half of the 5th century BC. The building is oriented north-south and is about
20m long. It consists of a round room with a dome almost entirely dug into the ground and a long
staircase of two parts separated by landing. The displacement between the top of the stairs and the
floor of the domed room is nearly 5m. The entire building was constructed in a pit dug in the sand.
The walls are built mainly of rectangular gray unbaked bricks and deprived of any mortar. There are
no traces of a burial. Despite this the archaeologists of the site compare the building with the famous
Thracian tomb near the village of Mezek because of its long corridor and round domed room. We
know that Thracians were employed in the Persian army and reached Egypt. So, is it possible that
Thracian commander who settled in Sinai while serving the Persian army built the Hypogeum?
7. Nadezhda Atanassova-Timeva
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Sofia,
Bulgaria)
 The necropolis Dren-Delyan (11th-4th century BC.). Cultural and physical
anthropological analyses.
(co-authors: Philip Mihaylov, Nadezhda Atanassova-Timeva, Borislava Galabova)
The necropolis is situated in the south-eastern periphery of Radomir Valley on the left bank of the
creek at the bottom of the eastern slope of Konyavska Mountain. It was discovered accidentally in
2011 and extensively excavated during 2012.
Just below the sod are detected rock aggregations of crushed stones, wedged against each other.
Immediately below them chains of rectangular facilities constructed by slab stones were found. In
some of them were discovered graves. Others of the facilities were probably used for burial and
commemoration activities.
Two phases of existence of the necropolis were distinguished: early (11th – 8th century BC) and late
(6th – 4th century BC). Cremation was the only burial practice in the necropolis. The remains of the
deceased were burned outside the burial facilities. During the first phase, the bone remains were
placed in urns and covered with plates. In the second phase, the graves and the ritual facilities were
made of stone. The grave goods and the human bone remains were rarely placed together in the
urns. The grave goods are usually found on the ancient terrain or rocks facilities.
The human bones discovered in the necropolis are very fragmented, deformed and with small
dimensions as a result of high temperature combustion. That does not allow a detailed
anthropological investigation. The cortical surfaces are in very poor condition. Basic osteological
analysis of the individuals which includes determining of sex and age at death was undertaken.
8. Neşe Atik
(Tekirdağ, Turkey)
 Das Heiligtum der Hera/ Kybele und des Asklepios als zwei bedeutende Kultplätze der
Stadt Heraion Teikhos
Heraion Teikhos liegt an der Propontis (am Marmarameer) und gilt als eine thrakische Stadt. Durch
archaeologische Ausgrabungen wurden auf der Akropolis zwei Kultplätze lokalisiert, die eine groβe
Bedeutung für das Odryssenreich getragen haben muss.
Das ältere Heiligtum liegt im Nordostteil der Akropolis, am höchsten Ort der Stadt und war der
Hera/Kybele-Kult geweiht. Nachdem das Heiligtum der Hera/Kybele ihre Bedeutung verloren hatte,
verbreitete sich das Heiligtum des Asklepios, das ein Kult- und Heilplatz war, auf der ganzen
Akropolis.
Der Kult und die Rituale des Heiligtums der Hera/Kybele in Heraion Teikhos ist mit Hilfe der
archäologischen Gegenstände rekonstruierbar. Die Architekturreste und die Kleinfunde lassen sich ab
dem 7. Jh. v. Chr. Bis zum 2. Jh. v. Chr. nachweisen. Vor der Auswanderung der Griechen war die
Göttin-Kybele, die wichtigste Gottheit in Anatolien. Jedoch wurde die Stadt Heraion Teikhos, die
bereits vorher gegründet wurde, wie ihr Name bereits hindeutet, etwa im 8/7. Jh. v. Chr. erneut
besiedelt, also während der griechischen Kolonisationzeit durch die Samier. Aus diesem Grund
müsste die Urgöttin in Anatolien mit der Hauptgöttin der Samier in Berührung gekommen sein. Die
Thraker, wie schon bekannt, übernahmen etwa in selber Zeit viele griechische Götter bzw. Göttinnen
aus dem griechischen Pantheon, darunter Hera. Es fehlen allerdings schriftliche Belege darüber, ob
die Thraker die Göttin Hera der eigenen Muttergöttin gleichgestellt haben.
Die Muttergöttin der Stadt Heraion Teikhos ist mit tönernen Figuren vertreten. Stehende, sitzende
bzw. thronende Göttinnen weisen formenmäβig auf anatolische und griechische Göttinnen hin. Wie
hellenistische Exemplare, die auf dem Schoβ der Figur mit Löwen dargestellt sind deutlich machen,
so setzt sich inhaltsmäβig die Muttergöttin in Anatolien vermutlich fort, die seit dem Neolitikum
bekannt ist.
Der anatolische/griechische/thrakische Hera/Kybele-Kult in Heraion Teikhos weist, wie die Funde

belegen, thrakische Kultrituale auf dem Kultplatz nach. Wie z.B. Essenvorbereitung bzw. -verteilung
im Ort und auf dem Platz. Da thrakische Sitten und Bräuche und die Praktizierung der thrakischen
Rituale anders als zeitgenössische Kulturen sind, weihen die Gestaltung der Architekturreste bzw. der
Bauphasen das Heiligtum der Hera/Kybele alle bekannten anatolischen/griechischen Heiligtümer ab.
Nachdem das Heiligtum der Hera/Kybele ihre Bedeutung in der Stadt verloren hatte, wurde das
Heiligtum des Asklepios etwa im 1. Jh. v. Chr. gegründet. Das Heiligtum lag im westlichen Teil der
Akropolis. Im Laufe der Zeit, spätestens in der Zeit des Kaisers Nero, breitete sich die Anlage auf der
ganzen Akropolis aus. Die Ruinen des Heiligtums der Hera/Kybele, die durch eine Brandkatastrophe
zerstört worden waren, dienten als Räumlichkeiten zur Medizinherstellung. Die Medizinherstellung,
sowie medizinische Geräte und die Weihgaben in Form der Organe zeigen, dass das Heiligtum des
Asklepios, sowohl ein Kult als auch ein Heilort war. Wie lange der Kult des Asklepios für die Stadt
bzw. für die Umgebung eine Rolle gespielt hat, ist unklar, weil die Akropolis in moderner Zeit zum Teil
zerstört worden ist.
Ähnliche Beispiele der Weihgaben und der medizinischen Geräte waren in der Antike zwar sehr
verbreitet, jedoch werfen die Benutzung von Murex-Muscheln und die dazugehörigen Murex-Öfen
im Heiligtum des Asklepios ein neues Licht auf den thrakischen Alltag und deren Glaube.
Heraion Teikhos war durch den Handelsverkehr eine wohlhabende thrakische Hafenstadt und bildete
ein wichtiges Zentrum in Bezug auf Kultrituale. Die Ausgrabungen auf der Akropolis der Stadt Heraion
Teikhos im Rahmen der obengenannten Kultplätze sind von großer Bedeutung für die Forschung
hinsichtlich des thrakischen Religions- und Kultwesens. Jedoch fehlen die wissenschaftlichen
Forschungen, aus dem türkischen Teil Thrakiens. Aus diesem Grund hat die vorliegende Arbeit das
Ziel der Frage nach nachzugehen, ob neuere Erkenntnisse durch die Ausgrabungen auf der Akropolis
der Stadt Heraion Teikhos gewonnen werden konnten, in welcher Hinsicht Parallelitäten oder
Unterschiede in den beiden Heiligtümern Hera/ Kybele und Asklepios festzustellen sind und wie sich
bestimmte Kultrituale oder die die Zubereitung der Arzneimittel näher erklären lassen.
9. Amalia Avramidou
(Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece)
and Findspots
(co-authors: Amalia Avramidou, Despoina Tsiafakis)
The research project “Attic Vases in Thrace” began in 2015 with the initial collaboration of the
Democritus University of Thrace and the "ATHENA" Research Center, and the subsequent
participation of more archaeologists from Greece and beyond. The preliminary results presented
here are based exclusively on published painted Attic pottery of the 6th through the 4th c. BCE from
sites located in the area that once comprised ancient Thrace. The next step of our research includes
the study of unpublished Attic painted vases, as well as the imported black-glaze Attic pottery and its
local imitations.
Our preliminary research of Attic black- and red-figure vases allows us to observe certain preferences
regarding the shapes, usage, and quantity of pottery discovered at every site. Even though our
analysis is at an early stage, we can still create an outline of the types of Attic painted pottery
imported into each region, from Thasos and its peraia to Samothrace and the coast, and from the
Black Sea colonies to the Thracian inland. The study of vases attributed to well-known Attic vase-
painters vis-à-vis their findspots is also instructive because they may contribute in projecting
distribution patterns from the coastal colonies to Thracian inland sites, while the perspective of
iconography is equally revealing.
10. Petar Balabanov
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 A treasure of gold appliques of horse harness from Primorsko
(co-authors: Petar Balabanov, Daniel Pantov)
In 2016, as the result of massive looting, rescue archeological excavations have been conducted of
the Thracian burial mound in the “Silahlar” area.
The level of the antique terrain has been diligently leveled using clay mixed with pebbles. Below the
geometrical center of the mound, a heap of crushed and well-processed stones has been discovered,
likely originating from a destroyed orthogonal premise. Quadrae were found among the crushed
stone, along one of the surfaces, the line plastering of which has been preserved. An alley covered
with a single line of stones continued eastwards. Fragments of human skull and bones scattered over
a large surface area have been found on top of them. In the eastern section of the mound, below a
large heap of crushed and processed stones, the foundations of a rectangular premise have been
uncovered. The floor of the premise has been constructed out of a layer of ceramic fragments,
poured with mortar. The preserved parts of the northern and the western walls, and in some places
from the ground level, have collapsed in depth due to the settlement of the embankment.
In the course of examining the structure, a total of 40 gold appliques for decoration of a horse
harness have been discovered below the floor. Among them are 32 small appliques, in a semi-
cylinder form, decorated along its foundations with protruding edges, covered with a belt of notches.
The large appliques are 8 in total, four of which are round and are decorated with fretwork, moldings
and pseudo-filigree. The decoration of two appliques with elongated form is similar. The central part
is a shield covered with ornaments, to which the head of an eagle is attached. A round applique was
also placed above the nose of the horse, decorated with moldings.
Together with the gold objects below the northeastern corner stone of the premise, a fully-preserved
clay lamp has been found, according to numerous analogies, dated in the period 320 – 280 BC.
In its characteristics, the treasure is closely analogous to similar sets from Ivanski and Sboryanovo. A
series of specific features are the evidence of individuality in the creation of the treasure from
Primorsko.
11. Ioan Alexandru Bărbat
(Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania)
Hunedoara County) (poster)
(co-authors: Nicolae Cătălin Rișcuța, Antoniu Tudor Marc, Ioan Alexandru Bărbat)
The preventive archaeological research fulfilled on the Deva – Orăştie highway route, led us to
discover a large settlement belonging to the Late Bronze Age, on the terrace of the Mureş River, at
Şoimuş – Teleghi (Romania, southwestern Transylvania, Hunedoara County). Some of the
investigated features from this site contain large quantities of pottery and bone artefacts. These
artefacts are vessels with celestial symbolic representations, decorated hearths and portable stoves
(pyraunoi) with anthropomorphic plastic applications. Among these, there are animal bones such as
vertebras and phalanges, some of them processed and with intense using traces. Another category of
special objects were the whole or fragmentary clay wheel models found in several pits. Despite being
part of the assemblage of a clay wagon model, these items were found separately, indicating that the
wheel itself had a special meaning in the imagination of the community. We consider that all those
artefacts had a special function in ritual activities and also that they were probably used in shamanic
practices.
 The Myth of the Feast. The Early Iron Age situlae from Bălata (Romania) (poster)
(co-authors: Nicolae Cătălin Rișcuța, Cătălin Cristescu, Ioan Alexandru Bărbat, Antoniu
Tudor Marc, Ioana Lucia Barbu)
The preventive archaeological research in the summer of 2014 at Bălata – Schit, Șoimuș commune,
Hunedoara County, enriched the information on one of the most important terraces of the Mureș
River, many historical periods being documented in this point. Among the numerous findings,
fragments from at least two situlae were unearthed. The morphological characteristics, especially the
“T”-shaped handle appliqués, decorated with geometric patterns, allow their dating at the end of the
6th or in the first half of the 5th centuries BC, as shown by the analogies from the neighbouring
western area. Although lacking the representations of the so-called “Situla art”, the bronze recipients
from Bălata reveal an unknown chapter in the archaeology of Ha D in south-western Transylvania:
the feast. This paper explores the possible symbolism of the vessel deposit, bringing into discussion
other Early Iron Age ritual discoveries from the mentioned region.
 The Afterlife Reality. The Early Iron Age Funerary Contexts from Bacea (Romania)
(co-authors: Ioan Alexandru Bărbat, Cătălin Cristescu) (poster)
The recent salvage archaeological excavations on the A1 motorway led to the discovery and research
of some funerary contexts in the point Sărături near Bacea village, Ilia commune, Hunedoara County.
They consist of a cremation urn grave and a cremation grave in a large pit, surrounded by a stone
ring. The architecture of the features, the graves’ inventory, as well as the composition of the
assemblage allow the dating of the respective findings at the final of the Transylvanian Early Iron
Age, towards the end of the 6th-first half of the 5th centuries BC. The present paper explores the
significance of the burial complex regarding the identity of the deceased, as revealed by the funerary
structures and several details of the rituals performed inside them. We presume that the discoveries
from Bacea testify the practice of multiple steps burials at the end of the Early Iron Age in south-
western Transylvania.
12. Ioana Lucia Barbu
Culture
(co-authors: Antoniu Tudor Marc, Cristina Bodó, Ioana Lucia Barbu)
The site from Uroi – Sigheti (Simeria, Hunedoara County) was discovered in 2011, during the
archaeological preventive investigations, by the construction of the highway segment Deva – Orăştie,
and is located in the floodable area of Mureș meadow. Most complexes (housing, pits with different
destinations) belonged to the Middle Bronze Age (Wietenberg Culture).
The discoveries from the Bronze Age provide interesting information regarding the spiritual life of the
community here – such as pieces with special character (eg, fragments of Pyraunos-type vessels, a
bird-shaped vessel, wagon models etc.), but also features with different deposits – pits with vessel
deposits, fragments of a decorated hearth, a complex consisting of a succession of hearths, two
tombs (one of burial and one of cremation).
We will present the complex Cx 223, found in the south-eastern side of the investigated area
(probably representing the edge of the settlement from the river). It is a complex deepened about 1
m from the ground level of the time. Here they were discovered several overlapped hearths. There is
a succession of hearths crusts, levels of pot shards (some of whole vessels), layers of ashes and coal.
On the bottom of the pit, under the first hearth, it was found a layer of earth, with coal pigments,
ashes and a large quantity of river shells.
13. Marius Gheorghe Barbu
Iron Age
(co-authors: Iosif Vasile Ferencz, Marius Gheorghe Barbu)
The end of the Iron Age in south-western Transylvania (Romania) is characterized by the so-called
”Dacian horizon” (between ca. 190/175 BC and AD 106). This chronological interval is characterized
by open settlements and plane or tumular graves. Beginning in the first century BC hillforts with
stone walls were built on some hill tops. In this geographical area there are walls which were built in
Hellenistic manner.
Concerning the religion, even if we have few data about this topic, there are to be pointed out the
monumental buildings made of stone and wood interpreted as temples, found in connection by
hillforts.
On the lowlands cult manifestations were archaeological identified as pits with depositions. Their
inventories suggest a dedication to some deities.
This paper is proposing to take into consideration some pits recently investigated on a lowland first
century AD settlement in Tărtăria, Romania.
14. Maguelone Bastide
(Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris, France)
 Thracian sanctuaries' myths and realities
Anyone getting interested in sanctuaries in Iron Age Thrace, will be struck by the contrast between
Greek and Bulgarian literature on that subject. The discrepancy can be explained by the tendency in
Northern Greece to study areas around Ancient Greek cities, whereas Bulgarian projects focused on
sites without any Greek material are numerous. This opposition is even more striking as we consider
cult archaeology. There isn't any study on indigenous cult places in Aegean Thrace, whereas in
Bulgaria, several works were recently published addressing that subject, and a database is in the
making. We would like to show, through a historiographic study, how contemporary administrative
limits came to match with such an archaeological border. We will also suggest other criteria to
analyse the local archaeological sites, hoping to enrich our understanding of cult practice, and, more
widely, of settlements' dynamics in Iron Age Thrace.
15. Mihail Băț
(Moldova State University, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova)
 New views on the formation of the material culture of the Thracian communities
(co-authors: Ion Niculiţă, Aurel Zanoci, Mihail Băţ)
Archaeological investigations during the late 20th – early 21st centuries revealed several sites with
significant material, including indicators of time, that show a link between the late Bronze Age and
the early Iron Age.
Investigations at multilayered sites in the southern region of the Middle Dniester – Saharna Mică,
Saharna Mare/Dealul Mănăstirii, Saharna-Ţiglău, Saharna-La Şanţ – tell us about the existence of an
early layer that belongs to the horizon with incised ceramics of the Holercani-Hansca type.
Thus, as a result of archaeological investigations at the site of Saharna Mică there were found closed
complexes, remains of dwellings and household structures containing objects that were typical of the
Holercani-Hansca culture of the 12th-11th centuries BC.
At Saharna Mare/Dealul Mănăstirii there was found a religious complex containing ceramic material
with incised and stamped decor that are typical of the Cozia-Saharna culture of the 11th-10th
centuries BC. Under this complex there was a layer of 0.5 to 0.55 m thick, without signs of upheaval,
which covered a hole containing pottery decorated by incision in its filling. Such a situation clearly
demonstrates not only a sequence of layers, but also chronological succession of complexes. At the
same site was discovered a closed complex which contained several fragments of vessels, some with
the decor executed by incision or in relief, and a bronze hairpin (Ösennadel) dated Bz C2-D. Materials
typical of a horizon with incised pottery have also been found in other sectors of the Saharna Mare
interfluve, that indicates the existence of an open settlement there in the 12th-11th centuries BC.
Based on the materials from closed complexes and the finds from the cultural layer, it was found that
there existed a settlement of the 12th-11th centuries BC on the Saharna-Ţiglău promontory, located in
close proximity to Saharna Mare and Saharna Mică.
Based on studying the stratigraphy of the sites in southern Middle Dniester region, and in particular
of the settlements of Saharna Mare/Dealul Mănăstirii and Saharna-Ţiglău, it was established that the
cultural horizon with incised pottery contributed directly to the formation of the Cozia-Saharna
culture of the early Iron Age.
In turn, the pottery found in the Middle Dniester region corresponds by its modeling technique,
firing, shape and decoration to the pottery assortment of Pšeničevo-Babadag spread north and south
of the Balkans, as well as in northwestern Anatolia. The discovery of pottery decorated with
geometric motifs made by incising and stamping in the strata of Troy VII b2 and Troy VII b3 might
indicate the presence of a “Northwest Pontic” element in the North Aegean Basin.
 Correlation of anthropomorphic and animalistic styles in the Thraco-Getae and Scythian

art
A number of art samples were found fortuitously or in archaeological research in the Balkan-
Carpathian-Pontic area and the northern and western regions of the Pontus Euxinus. The earliest
pieces with artistic decor are luxury vessels imported from the Eastern Greek cities, which are dated
between the end of the 8th century BC and the 7th century BC. The following period from the 6th to
the 3rd centuries BC is characterized by the spread mainly of ornaments, toreutics items, pieces of
horse harness, festive/religious arms made of precious metals.
The study of the forms of the objects, the decor content and techniques for presenting scenes as well
as the ornamentation techniques reveals two distinct chronological stages. The early stage (6th – 5th
centuries BC) presents the time when animalistic style was predominant, for example,
representations in the form of a moose head used to decorate the tops of canopies or birds of prey
claws used for decoration of Scythian quivers “goryti”, handles of swords, or as clothing items. In the
second stage, which is dated in the 4th – 3rd centuries BC, both in the Thraco-Getic and the Scythian
metalwork two styles were practiced simultaneously: anthropomorphic and animalistic.
The analysis of Scythian art objects made of gold, silver and, rarely, of bronze highlights the accuracy
and perfection in the process of their manufacturing. This means that the overwhelming majority of
works of art attributed to the Scythians were made in the workshops of the Greek poleis.
At the same time, the detailed analysis of art objects discovered in the Getic sites of the 4th and 3rd
centuries BC located north of the Balkans shows that the iconographic concept usually has a coded
religious-mythical nature associated with the contemplation of the periodic changes in the
environment and man’s place in cosmic space. The most explicit example in this regard is the case
with the presentation of Aquila (Cosmos) with a fish in its beak (Water) and a rodent in its claws
(Earth), which thus represents three areas in which people carry out their activities.
In terms of material, the Thraco-Getic works of art are made of gold, silver, bronze, and, in rare
cases, of iron. The products, regardless of their shape or nature of the scenes, were made in the
technique of repoussage and pressing, a technique borrowed from the Achaemenid art, combined
with Greek geometric style.
The clumsiness in the depiction of scenes, the ignorance of the principles of perspective, the failure
to comply with the proportions in rendering anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures, when the
disproportion between rider and horse is about 1:3 in favor of the rider, reveal a primitivism which
prevailed in the Thraco-Getic metalworking and point to the fact that these products were made by
local craftsmen.
The mapping of the Thraco-Getic works of art outlines their area of use – the space between the
Balkan Mountains in the south, the Carpathian mountains in the west, the Black Sea in the east, and
the middle reaches of the Dniester River in the northeast.
16. Dimitar Bayrakov
(Historical Museum Velingrad, Bulgaria)
 Clay portable hearths/altars in the valley of Chepino (Northwestern Rhodopes) in "Tsepina
type " decoration (poster)
The article studies specific clay equipment discovered in the Western Rhodopes during the last few
years. It is about so called portable clay hearths/altars for which in Bulgarian archaeological literature
have been expressed different views. It is supposed that some of them are used as а permanent
inventory in cult practices of many sanctuaries, which is the main reason for calling them "portable
altars". On the far side, some of these facilities were found in places in the same area, the character
of which is still unclear (villages, shrines), and this poses numerous questions to their researchers.
In the present text the clay equipment is studied as a part of a wider group linked to the static clay
altars (decorated or undecorated), but in their opposition they have mobile character and can be
moved from one place to another which makes them special and probably is related to their
functional qualities.
The geographical context of the examined finds is a limited number of sites in the Western
Rhodopes, some of which are nominated as sanctuaries, while others as settlements. The article
focuses on the finds from Chepino valley area (Northwestern Rhodopes), which emerged as a specific
and special center of their production and probably of their distribution.
The clay equipment has a number of distinctive characteristics in terms of shape and decoration,
which permits to classify it in the cultural group "Tsepina" known in the literature under the name
"Thracian cult pottery." The examined equipment has a full range of ornamental schemes and
application techniques outstanding for the ceramics in this group. Their use in many sanctuaries
combined with the rich decoration of various solar signs and symbols indicates that probably in
certain areas of the south Thracian lands the religious consciousness of the population facilitates the
emergence of specially designed vessels exclusively used for ritual practices, comparable to so called
"paraphernalia" in the Crete island sanctuaries or to the Christian church plate. To this type of
equipment the portable clay hearths/altars with closed or open cylindrical bottom and sometimes
sculpted top with zoomorphic image on top and incised decoration "Tsepina type" have to be added.
On the other side, their interpretation uniquely as religious practices items would be problematic
when they are found within settlements.
17. Bartłomiej Bednarek
(University of Warsaw, Poland)
 Lykourgos of Thrace, the king of Edonians
This mythological figure, although quite shadowy, was clearly well known at least to well-educated
ancient Greeks of all periods. This results from the popularity of his iconography and brief mentions
about him in various literary sources form Homer to Malalas. Most notably, he is mentioned in the
fourth stasimon of Sophocles' Antigone and in the Iliad 6.130-40. These two passages are in my
opinion crucial to the understanding of the whole Antigone and the Iliad 6. At the same time, the
story of Lykourgos is also extremely important for our understanding of Dionysus, since it is the
oldest attested story about him. In spite of the fact that many scholars analysed the myth under
discussion (as a part of research on the literary texts in which it is incorporated or on Dionysus), no
profound and exhaustive study of the figure has been proposed. Moreover, each scholar seems to
notice only one (either religious or literary) dimension of the narrative, completely ignoring the
other. My overarching goal is to propose a multi-layered survey of the subject matter, starting with a
narratological analysis of the Lykourgos passages contextualized within the texts to which it belongs.
At the conference I would like to share with other scholars some parts of my work in progress,
focusing on the question as to what degree the mythical Thracian king was actually Thracian. My
working hypothesis is that only in the period of Roman domination this figure was adopted by
Thracian people, becoming one of possible focal points of their group identity (or identities). Before
that time it can be said to have been an exclusive part of the Greek culture. This means that (1) the
myth of Lykourgos may have had no Thracian sources, and that (2) the characteristics of the mythical
figure derive only from a stereotypical image of the Thracians and as such have only little to do with
Thracian cultural reality.
18. Ioan Bejinariu
(History and Art Museum of Sălaj County, Zalău, Romania)
 Recent research concerning to the end of the first Iron Age - Early Latène period in the
South-Eastern region of the Upper Tisza
Our paper presents a series of phenomena, archaeologically found in Upper Tisza region at the final
period of a first Iron Age – Early Latène period. It is a period of about two centuries preceding the
appearance in this area of the first Celtic artifacts.The findings are mostly from recent research
carried in the South-Eastern extremity of the Upper Tisa area, in Salaj county territory. The most
complex archaeological site was investigated at Porț (com. Marca) at "Paliș" point. This
archaeological site is located in the area of an important natural pass on the Barcău river; the older
findings demonstrated that this has been one of the pathways of penetration of Celtic population
groups in Transylvania.
The new research enabled us to obtain important information regarding products and evolutions and
changes in habitat landscape, probably because of the threat of Celtic raids. Important new data
were obtained on the funerary customs of peoples who lived in area. In Upper Tisza region at this
chronological stage, pottery on the potter's wheel appears for the first time, and the latest
excavations enhanced the areal of this phenomenon toward south-east, to the area connected to
Transylvania. It is worth to underline that the pottery realised on the potter's wheel from Porț site is
not limited to imitations of local forms (certain forms of bowls and cups) but imitations of Greek
pottery were also discovered. The latest discoveries lead us to a reassessment of potential factors
which led to an early production of pottery on the potter's wheel in the Upper Tisa region. The so
called "Scythian" artifacts found in the latest archaeological sites investigated are also reviewed,
however these are restricted in number compared to the findings from Vekerzug culture sites
identified in this area.
Finally, we propose to research in which way the newest findings can be integrated in cultural
manifestations, previously defined for this area of Upper Tisa region (Vekerzug culture, Sanislău-Nir
cultural group).
19. Engin Beksaç
(University Of Thrace, Edirne, Turkey)
 The Thracians' Presence And Balkanic Identity on The Northwest Anatolia
The aim of the paper is to present information on some cult monuments along with the other
archaeological and historical data about Thracian presence and Balkan identity in Northwest
Anatolia.
20. Alexandru Berzovan
(Iași Institute of Archaeology, Romania)
 The Dacian standard (draco) on a clay vessel north of the Danube (poster)
(co-authors: Valeriu Sîrbu, Alexandru Berzovan, Alin Frânculeasa)
So far, this is the only known representation of the Dacian standard from archaeological finds in pre-
Roman Dacia and, as such, it is a very special item. The absence of the famous Dacian standard in the
Geto-Dacian hoards of the 2nd c. BC – 1st c. AD is inexplicable, given its notoriety, highlighted by the
many representations on Trajan’s Column in Rome or by the written sources.
The vessel fragment, probably from a cup, was found by V. Teodorescu in 1980, in the Dacian
settlement from Vadu-Săpat-Budureasca. However, for reasons difficult to explain, there was
insufficient focus on the extraordinary meaning of the representation. There was a genuine silentio
stampa on the item, even the suspicion of forgery, perhaps because V. Teodorescu dated it to the 5th
– 4th c. BC, which goes far beyond the accepted archaeological and historical context of this
representation.
A new analysis of the item, including by means of an electron microscope, has shown that the Dacian
standard was rendered on the vessel before the firing, namely on the crude paste, as there are
deposits and calcifications inside the incision. Therefore, it is beyond any doubt that we are dealing
with a genuine artefact and, implicitly, with a representation that, so far, is unique.
For that reason, we aim to discuss this finding anew and to bring it back into the scientific circles,
accompanied by all the available data, including that offered by the new technologies. A new analysis
of the discovery conditions has led us to date it, most likely, to the 2nd – 1st c. BC, and to discuss its
meaning in the context of the figurative representations of the late Dacian art from that period.
This finding carries a special meaning, as it confirms the written and iconographic sources attesting
the use of the draco by the Geto-Dacians north of the Danube. The meaning of the Dacian standard
has been analysed by renowned specialists, such as V. Pârvan, D. Tudor, S. Sanie and M. Eliade, to
name just a few.
We believe that this metaphorical creature – wolf head on a dragon/snake body – is a symbolic cross
between two animals with profound meanings in Geto-Dacian mythology. The wolf is an apex
predator (that is to say, an exemplary warrior) and the snake stands for regeneration (namely,
immortality), thus pointing to the mythological side of their history, as M. Eliade so beautifully put it.
21. George Bevan
(Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
 Pistiros inscription – new investigations and comments
(co-authors: Lidia Domaradzka, George Bevan, Stefka Pristavova)
In the past three years a series of interdisciplinary analyses have been carried out to further shed
light on the provenance of the Pistiros inscription, aimed at localising the source of origin of the
stone slab on which the inscription was carved. Petrographic analysis was carries out in the
laboratories of the University of Mining and Geology ‘St. Ivan Rilski’, polished samples and thin
sections were studied by SEM-EDX. On the basis of the analysis carried out, their chemical and
compositional features, but also based on presently known data about the rocks from the region, has
been arrived at a conclusion about the source of the rock fragment from the Pistiros inscription.
Furthermore, extended investigation of the surface of the Pistiros Inscription was made, using
photogrammetric techniques. A high-quality 3D data was processed in the open-source Cloud-
Compare software to reveal small surface variations difficult to detect with the naked eye. Using a
process called “an adaptive depth-mapping” a high-contrast image of the inscription was produced,
so that the ambiguous characters could be clearly seen, corrections to the text made by the carver
and thus far not observed by epigraphers could now be inferred.
The aforementioned research allows us to draw conclusions about the provenance of the stone slab,
as well as to make in-depth observations about the creation process of the inscription, including
notes on mistakes, made during the inscribing process and then corrected by the carver; re-
assessment of contentious parts of the inscription in light of the new data collected; and a definitive
resolution to hypothetical readings of certain unclear sections of the Pistiros inscription, made by
various scholars since its discovery.
22. Tomasz Bochnak
(University of Rzeszów, Institute of Archaeology, Poland)
 Les éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule – un essai de révision
(co-authors: Katarzyna Skowron, Tomasz Bochnak)
La question de la présence des éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule était étudiée par les
chercheurs polonais depuis longtemps. Nous savons que dans le bassin de la Vistule arrivaient les
impulsions venant de plusieurs cercles culturels européens, et qu’elles souvent influencé le rythme
de changements des cultures archéologiques locales survenus à plusieurs siècles avant l’arrivée des
Slaves. Les impulsions transcarpatiques sont de grande importance sur les terrains polonaises.
Dans notre communication, nous allons rappeler et réviser quelques découvertes sur les terres
polonaises considérées comme des témoignages « thraces ». Souvent le terme « thrace » désignait
des éléments variés venant du sud et du sud-est, visibles dans le bassin de la Vistule à partir de la fin
de l’âge du Bronze. On rapporte ce phénomène à la culture lusacienne, celle de Poméranie et de La
Tène, même à la culture de Przeworsk du IIème âge du Fer. On parle de la présence de la céramique
thraco-scyte en Pologne de la fin du VIème siècle avant notre ère à la première moitié du IVème
siècle avant notre ère. L’afflux de cette céramique en Pologne est liée avec les influences scythes
venant de l’est et du sud-est, alors est-il justifié d’utiliser dans ce cas-là le composant « thraco- » ?
Dans le cas des découvertes plus récentes il est souvent impossible de préciser s’il s’agit des
influences thraces ou daces. Le problème des importations méridionales et leur origine précise reste
actuel aussi pour la période préromaine. Dans notre communication, nous allons rappeler aussi
d’autres découvertes d’armement de le période préromaine, considérées dans le bassin de la Vistule
comme des témoignages d’influences méridionales. Notre but est de vérifier la provenance des
objets pris pour des importations thraces et de présenter la dynamique des contacts avec les tribus
thraces.
23. Cristina Bodó
Culture
 Considerations regarding the Dacian discoveries from the Mureş Corridor
The archaeological finds from different periods argue that Mures Valley represented, throughout
history, one of the most important roads linking the intracarpathian region and Pannonia or Western
Balkans. The advantages of the territory were exploited in the Dacian period also (2nd century BC – 1st
century AD), if we consider the repertoire of the localities with such discoveries.
In this paper we will analyze the Dacian findings in the area that geographers call Mureş Corridor,
bordered by Apuseni Mountains (North), Poiana Ruscă Mountains and Lăpugiu hills (South) and
comprising Brănişca gorge (8 km in length), depression Ilia (22 km long and 4-8 km wide), Lăpugiu
corridor and Tătăreşti – Zam gorge (8 km long). In this area were situated the Dacian fortresses from
Câmpuri Surduc and from Bretea Mureşană, on the hill Măgura (dominant position at the entrance in
Brănişca gorge). The abundant coin finds – drachmas issued by Dyrrhachium, Dacian coins of
Hunedoara type, tetradrahmas from Thasos – should also be mentioned. Ceramics specific of the
Dacian era are known from Zam and Răduleşti. Most of the discovered finds known so far date back
to the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
24. Jan G. de Boer
(Ghent University, the Netherlands)
 A Small World and Middle Grounds in Ancient Thrace
The development of models in archaeology progressed significantly during the last few decades.
Although most of these were applied to prehistoric archaeology, the Greek archaic period was
recently treated by I. Malkin using the historic “middle ground” model combined with the overall
used network model. As there are several resemblances between the development of Greek
maritime colonisation in the Archaic period and Hellenistic, mostly river orientated, inland
settlements, it would be interesting to apply the above mentioned models to the region of Middle
and Eastern Thrace during this period. However, the fact that these trade networks in Thrace are
attributed to Greek traders probably needs revision, as so-called “Middle Grounds” were probably
more numerous, then earlier considered, casting doubt on the overall ethnicity of the traders.
Among others, amphorae and amphorae stamps are the remains of the package of products used by
both the Greeks and the Thracian elite in this area, they can be used to prove or dismiss the
possibilities of these models. This paper should be seen as an onset for this kind of research.
25. Borislav Borislavov
 The rock sanctuaries in southern Thrace - traditions, rituals and continuity
During the Second millennium BC a new phenomenon appears in Thrace – rock sanctuaries on
mountain peaks. Although this problem has periodically attracted the attention of Bulgarian
archaeologists many questions remain unanswered. None of the sanctuaries are completely studied
yet, but there is enough archaeological data for some preliminary conclusions. This article aims at
presenting the complex and multiple aspects of research of the rock sanctuaries in Southern Thrace.
Sites located in Sakar and the Rhodope Mountains which were studied mainly during the last twenty
years – some of them by the author, will be discussed. The ritual practices and structures visible in
the archaeological records will be presented along with the organization and structuring of the
sacred space. The offerings, sacrifices and the way of deposition of the remains will be analyzed.
Changes during the Bronze and Early Iron Age will be marked. Special attention will be attributed to
the cases in which topographic and ritual continuity is demonstrated. The significance of rock
sanctuaries in the settlement system, especially during periods of transition, is great because such
shrines remain the only constant structural element in this system.
26. Dilyana Boteva
(University of Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Sitalcas/Seitalkas extra finis Thraciae
Surprisingly enough, the characteristic name of Sitalkas, well known mostly due to the famous king of
the Odrysian Basileia, appears also in Rome and in Laodicea ad Lycum. This intriguing information has
been left without attention for almost a century. The present study is aiming at initiating a discussion
on these two personalities, despite the scanty information about them which has come down to us.
27. Anelia Bozkova
 Pour une chronologie du IVème siècle av. J.-C.
La communication avance un examen des complexes funéraires du IVème siècle av. J.-C. en Thrace du
point de vue des caractéristiques de leur contenu, surtout en ce qui concerne leur position
chronologique. À la base de la présence des objets qui permettent une datation plus précise comme
la céramique grecque peinte ou à vernis noire et les amphores commerciales on a essayé d’arranger
dans un ordre chronologique plus exacte et authentique un nombre de contextes archéologiques
parmi les plus remarquables de cette époque en Thrace, surtout du temps du roi odryse Kotys I et de
ses successeurs. Les similitudes existantes entre le mobilier funéraire de certaines sépultures thraces
du IVème siècle permet l’établissement de quelques groupes de contextes synchroniques, ce qui mène
à l’élaboration d’un arrangement chronologique général.
28. David Braund
(Exeter University, United Kingdom)
 An Odrysian “speaks” of Bendis: some observations on her significance
On the island of Paros, amidst its famous marble quarries, stands an extraordinary bas-relief, which
was cut in the natural rock. The large and simple inscription that has been cut in the rock beneath
the relief declares, in Greek: Adamas, an Odrysian, (dedicated this) to the Nymphs. This remarkable
creation has been known to scholars since the 15th century, at least, when it was recorded by
Cyriacus of Ancona. The image is now badly worn and damaged, but we have good drawings by
Stuart and, particularly, by LeBas, which help our understanding of the image today. In the early
1970s Bodnar realised that a figure shown in a Phrygian cap is most likely not Attis (as had been
supposed), but Bendis. Although the image is often overlooked in discussions of Bendis, more
thorough treatments of the goddess recognise that here on Paros we do indeed have Bendis (notably
e.g. Gocheva and Popov, LIMC).
My paper first considers Adamas’ choice of “Odrysian” as an ethnic. It is exceptionally precise in a

Greek world. Further, his inclusion of Bendis in the image offers support to the modern tendency to
see the Athenian adoption of her cult as part of a larger diplomatic effort towards the Odrysians. For
it shows an Odrysian including Bendis in his religious act(s) on Paros. However, Adamas’ choices do
not make that kind f interpretation much more plausible. The Athenians’ interest in Bendis goes far
beyond their Odrysian diplomacy, as we may infer from the survival of her cult at Athens into the
hellenistic period, or Plato’s decision to begin his Republic with her festival. We should understand
her in a much broader, religious way.
29. William Bubelis
(Washington University in Saint Louis, USA)
 Contractual Minting of Coinage on the Aegean Coast of Thrace, c. 490-475?
This paper offers a possible solution to an old problem concerning a sharp disparity in minting
activity across Thrace’s Rhodope littoral c. 525-475 BC. Located upon the Thracian side of the
Strymon River’s mouth, Eion produced an abundant civic coinage in silver and occasionally in
electrum, commencing as early as c. 525, and struck mainly in small denominations like the
hemihekte on the Aiginetic weight standard. In contrast, the so-called Thraco-Macedonian tribal
groups such as the Derrones and Bisaltai produced their own coinage much later in time (**c. 490-
475) and did so with relatively brief series of exceptionally large denominations. Some groups, such
as the Mygdones and Krestones, appear to have also issued fractional coinage in moderate
quantities. However, these coins also appear to have been struck upon Eion’s earlier civic standard
and bear remarkable similarity to the coins of Eion with respect to certain, key aspects of their style
and fabric.
This paper will explore whether Eion served as the mint not only for its own coinage but also that of
the tribal groups who required coinage but perhaps did not wish to establish their own mints. The
arrangement would thus be one of contract minting, whereby representatives of the tribal groups
would pay an extra fee to some mint for it to transform silver bullion into finished coin. Another
advantage of such an arrangement would be immediate proximity to coastal markets where coinage
of reliable purity and weight would be preferred, if not required.
Eion’s proximity to Mt. Pangaion would also provide easy access to major silver stocks, and its
abundant civic coinage demonstrates its capacity to mint large quantities of coin therefrom. Much
the same arrangement might also have been employed at Argilos (across the Strymon from Eion) and
possibly several other coastal mints. Questions of sovereignty were not necessarily a barrier, since
we do not know if the tribal groups attached the same value to the minting of one’s own coinage as
did the coastal Greeks, and even the Greeks on occasion might share minting facilities or capacity
[e.g. the fifth-century treaty of Mytilene and Phokaia to alternate their striking of electrum at a
single, shared mint (IG XII.2, 1, with revised text of A. J. Heisserer ZPE 55 [1984], 115-32)]. Even if
most tribal groups preferred only very large denominations for their customary use, by having those
coins struck at coastal mints they would have ample access to the low denomination civic coinage of
mints like Eion to stand in for or to supplement any low-denomination coinage they needed. In other
words, Eion’s (or any mint’s) own coinage would have supplied the smallest denominations that
would perhaps be as critical to commercial exchanges in a Greek emporion as irrelevant in a tribal
society that greatly preferred denominations many dozens of multiples in value.
30. Laura Burkhardt
(Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, Vienna, Austria)
Preliminary functional interpretation
(co-authors: Laura Burkhardt, Barbara Horejs)
The Ada Tepe Mountain lies next to the modern village of Krumovgrad in the eastern Rhodopes and
is up to now the only known prehistoric goldmine in Europe to be excavated. Due to the high gold
concentration, which is embedded in quartz on the surface in the upper part of the hill, this section is
going to be mined by a modern miningcompany. For this reason excavations by H. Popov and his
team of the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Science
(NIAM – BAS) took place between 2005 and 2013. They provided evidence of remains of Late Bronze
Age open cast mining structures (around the hilltop), waste heaps (which are situated in broad areas
on the slopes of the hill) and two settlements. One on the peak and one on the north-eastern slope -
both are connected with the mine. Our presentation is focusing on the north-eastern settlement and
its functional aspects. This settlement quarter consists of nine houses, which are situated in two rows
along the hillside. The evaluation of the house inventories and their broader contextualization is the
key aspect of our contribution. Regarding the description of the ceramics, not only its shape but also
its paste/fabric were analysed macroscopically. With this approach, in context with the
archaeological structures of the settlement, it is possible to get a basic understanding of its function.
31. François de Callataÿ
(Royal Library of Belgium / Free University of Brussels / École pratique des Hautes Études,
Brussels, Belgium)
 Reflections about how the Roman paid their Thracian auxiliaries. Number of hoards,
numbers in hoards (Thasos, Maroneia, Macedonia First meris, Aesillas, Roman denarii,
Dyrrachium and Apollonia)
The amount of coin hoards buried in late Hellenistic times on the modern territories of Bulgaria and
Romania is gigantic and, as far as Greek coin hoards are concerned, without any comparison for
another area or period of time. Out of the c. 5,000 recorded Greek coin hoards, more than 500 were
then buried by owners who are supposed to have served as auxiliaries in the Roman army. Are here
concerned two types of coinages: the “Greek” tetradrachms in the name of the Thasians and the
Maronitans, the tetradrachms of the first meris of Macedonia and those in the name of Aesillas, as
well as the “Roman” coinages of Dyrrachium and Apollonia and, to be sure, the Roman Republican
denarii themselves, being struck in Rome or not. A close look to the deposits of “Greek”
tetradrachms indicates an interesting peculiarity: a substantial number of these hoards are made of a
round number, a multiple of 20 (40, 80, 200, 400, etc.). This has to be checked with the composition
of the deposits of denarii and assimilated issues. As it seems, the owners came back home with what
was paid to them at the end of their military time... and in many cases didn’t use this money at all for
transactions. If so, such a pattern calls for two questions: were these coins still “all purpose money”?
And what kind of circumstances could explain that these precious savings were not recovered in so
many cases?
32. Francesca Ceci
(Musei Capitolini, Roma, Italy)
 Das Münzbild als Instrument zur Volksidentität: Liebe und Tod am Beispiel der
Darstellungen von Orpheus und Eurydike und von Hero und Leander auf kaiserzeitlichen
Münzen Thrakiens
Dieser Beitrag stellt ein paar Themen vor aus dem reichen ikonographischen Programm der
provinzialrömischen Münzprägung in Thrakien, mit einer zeitlichen Spanne von der Gründung der
kaiserlichen Provinz unter Claudius im Jahre 46 n.Chr. bis ins 3. Jh. n.Chr.
Die provinziellen Münzen zirkulierten hauptsächlich in den unterworfenen Regionen selbst und
standen unter direkter Kontrolle Roms. Sie zeigen jedoch eine größere kreative ikonographische
Freiheit und konzentrieren sich bewusst auf die Verherrlichung des Nationalstolzes der annektierten
Gebiete, dargestellt durch lokale Gottheiten, besondere Kultformen, Gebäude und Landschaften.
Die Bildthemen auf den Münzen des römischen Thrakiens zeigen neben den üblichen Göttern des
römischen Pantheons auch heilige Orte, Befestigungen, Figuren lokaler Mythen, die bestimmt an die
Geschichte Thrakien gehoren. Die Städte Thrakiens wählten für ihre Prägebilder mythologische
Gestalten wie Orpheus (Philippopolis), Hero und Leander (Sestos), Apollon-Kendrisos (Philippopolis),
oder berühmte Tempel und Heiligtümer wie das Heiligtum von Asklepios und Hygieia (Pautalia).
In erster Linie wollen wir hier die Ikonographie von Münzen untersuchen, die Orpheus zeigen, wie er
durch seinen Gesang die wilden Tiere betört. Auch der romantischen Geschichte von Hero und
Leander war in antiker Zeit weitverbreiteter Erfolg beschieden und auch sie hört sich an wie eine
"nationale" Angelegenheit und wird dementsprechend auf den Münzen dargestellt.
Die Stempelschneider der lokalen Prägestätten wussten auf kleinstem Raum die wichtigsten und
berühmtesten Szenen darzustellen, die in der ganzen antiken Welt bekannt und damit Symbole der
kulturellen Identität des antiken Thrakiens waren.
33. Mihai Ciocanu
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucarest, Romania)
Moldavie
(co-authors: Eugen Nicolae, Aurel Vilcu, Mihai Ciocanu)
Les auteurs présentent un trésor trouvé en République de Moldavie, dispersé immédiatement après
la découverte. On a obtenu des informations sur deux monnaies d’or, 53 monnaies d’argent, une
fibule et un bracelet d’argent. La structure du dépôt a été reconstituée presque entièrement, parce
qu’il est certain qu’il ne contenait pas d’autres monnaies d’or et bijoux et seulement une monnaie
d’argent est probablement restée inconnue. Le lot de monnaies inclut deux statères posthumes de
type Alexandre le Grand, 43 monnaies d’argent frappées par Istros et dix imitations de
tétradrachmes de type Philippe II. L’un des statères de type Alexandre le Grand, sans monogramme,
est attribué à la cité d’Odessos (M. J. Price n° 1132, env. 300 – env. 280 av. J.-C.). L’autre statère de
type Alexandre le Grand semble être une imitation. Selon des recherches récentes, les monnaies
istriennes en argent du trésor ont été mises en circulation dans la seconde moitié du IVe siècle et la
première moitié du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. Après l’examen des découvertes de la région du Bas-Danube on
discute la chronologie des monnaies istriennes en argent. Les imitations de tétradrachmes de
Philippe II appartiennent à la catégorie connue sous l’appellation de Huşi-Vovriești. On discute la
circulation, l’utilisation et la chronologie des imitations de type Huși-Vovriești. L’établissement du
moment de la clôture du trésor selon les monnaies permet quelques considérations sur la
chronologie des types de bijoux associés avec celles-ci – la fibule et le bracelet en argent.
34. Bogdan Ciuperca
(Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology , Ploiești, Romania)
 Cultural exchanges in the Lower Danube area in Late Antiquity
(co-authors: Andrei Magureanu, Bogdan Ciuperca)
Lower Danube area is a region split it between two worlds: Roman Empire and Barbaricum. Even
those worlds seem to be antagonistic, as the written sources try to make us believe, in fact the
situation look to be quite an opposite one.
In this paper we try to explain, from an archaeological point of view, the cultural exchanges between
those two worlds, starting from the lowest level of discussion like kitchen ware (hand made pottery)
till the highest level like Christianization.
From a chronological point of view, the discussion is going in the time span of 4th – 7th centuries, the
time when Europe, as we know it today, was born, Lower Danube being a cradle of nations.
35. Alexandra Comsa
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania)
 Some observations regarding the “skull cult” in the Thracian space
(co-authors: Rodica Ursu Naniu, Alexandra Comşa)
Numerous archaeological find from the Thracian space had attested the custom of animal or human
skull depositions in various contexts, funerary or non-funerary-ones. The practice of ritual
depositions of skulls is no specific just to the Thracians, being generally found in the Indo-European
range. Which were the reasons of these rituals, what beliefs had determined them and which are the
possible interpretations resulting from the archaeological context of the finds is a challenge for any
researcher who deals with such a situation during his fieldwork. And this in the conditions when not
only the archaeological context is different, but also the treatment of the skulls (with processing
traces or unprocessed), their association with other depositions, etc. A considerable role in clearing
up these ritual behaviors is played by the anthropological and archaeozoological studies, which could
establish the particular characteristics regarding the age/sex and even the ethnic assignment of the
individual (in the case of the human sacrifices), as well as those connected to the species/age of the
sacrificed individuals, in the case of the animal depositions.
36. Federica Cordano
(Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy)
 Rois thraces et rois perses dans la tradition grecque
(co-authors: Paola Schirripa, Federica Cordano)
Le regarde grec sur la Thrace et sur la Perse nous consigne des traits communs et des analogies
évidentes pour ce qui concerne l’image des rois et, surtout de la royauté.
Si l’on regarde la formation de la tradition grecque sur la Thrace, c’est Homère qui nous permet
d’isoler des clichés plutôt précis, tels le topos de la richesse (Il. 23, 808 ; 24, 234) et avant tout celui
de la royauté, du paysage hivernal et neigeux, autant que la première occurrence de l’ethnique se
référant à Thamyris (Il. 2. 595: Thamyris le Thrace, puni par les Muses).
Chez l’épopée, l’image des Thraces demeure confinée dans la fluidité d’un monde où la perception
de l’altérité, de la barbarie, n’est pas présente et où tous les acteurs du récit partagent les mêmes
cultes, les mêmes coutumes, la même langue, la même culture. Ceci étant, il est tout à fait indéniable
que la Thrace d’Homère, dans ses sporadiques épiphanies, nous présente des traits récurrents, de
détails qui renvoient à une culture matérielle qu’on pourrait définir spécifique et idiosyncratique.
Encore chez Homère les Thraces figurent comme des éleveurs des chevaux, provenant de la terre
“pleine de vent”, comme Rhésos, le roi thrace par excellence de l’Iliade.
Si l’image de la royauté thrace se déroule ainsi à travers des topoi fixes, tels la richesse, les chevaux,
la chasse, ce sont des traits qu’on le peut détecter même dans le portrait grec des rois perses et qui
demeurent lisibles dans l’ensemble des sources grecques à l’âge historique.
A travers la relecture d’Homère, d’Hécatée, d’Hérodote, de Thucydide et de Xénophon, nous allons

relire et réinterpréter l’image des rois thraces et perses, à partir des activités qui viennent être leur
apanage exclusif, comme la guerre, la chasse et le banquet, pour en illuminer la transmission et
l’exhibition du pouvoir, tout comme les armes du contrôle des peuples sujets.
37. Andrei Corobcean
 Rituels funéraires et non-funéraires dans l‟enceinte de Stolniceni (République de
Moldavie): observations, analyses, reconstructions
(co-authors: Rodica Ursu Naniu , Andrei Corobcean)
Dans la pensée archaïque, la vie et le bien-être, tant individuel que collectif, étaient garantis par un
lien particulier avec la divinité, à laquelle on portait des offrandes et pour laquelle, dans des
moments critiques de l’existence, on faisait des sacrifices, dont le plus important était le sacrifice
humain. Similairement, le passage dans l’au-delà ne pouvait être fait que par la prise en compte
consciente de ce moment critique, c’est-à-dire par l’accomplissement de certains rites et rituels
funéraires, ayant de rôle d’éloigner tout péril dans lequel pouvait se trouver non seulement le
parcours de la personne décédée mais aussi la paix de la communauté.
Ces deux pratiques culturelles ont été surprises dans l’enceinte doublement fortifiée de Stolniceni, et
les recherches au cours des campagnes de fouilles de 2015 et de 2016 ont fait apparaître de
nouvelles particularités de la vie religieuse, particularités qui ont permis aux auteurs de formuler des
considérations sur la fonction et le symbolisme des aménagements et des objets découverts,
regardés d’une double perspective, celle de la vie et celle de la mort.
 La question de l‟interprétation ethnique des monuments du VII-III-ème siècles av. J.Chr.

de l‟espace entre le Prut et Dniestr
L’espace entre le Prut et le Dniestr pour le Ier millénaire av. J.-C. est abordé dans l’historiographie
comme une zone de contacte entre les monde thrace (thraco-gète) et scythe. La possibilité de la
corrélation des données archéologiques avec les sources écrites a soulevé la question de
l’interprétation ethnique des monuments du Ier millénaire av. J.-C. de la région entre les Carpates et
le Dniestr. L’attribution ethnoculturelle de ces monuments est réalisée par des catégories concrètes
des vestiges, qui se conceptualisent comme des critères «ethniques». Un rôle distinct dans ce sens
appartient au caractère des pratiques funéraires (le rite et l’inventaire), parce que ce domaine est lié
avec une sphère plus traditionnelle de la culture. Aussi, d’une grande importance, dans les
attributions ethniques, est le style céramique. La variation stylistique peut suggérer des aspects
sociaux et des particularités d’habitat. Cette sphère est très relevant pour la conception de la
différence entre les Gètes, considérés sédentaires, et les Scythes nomades. La corrélation des
données archéologiques avec les sources écrites restent un argument principal pour la
reconstruction ethnoculturelle. L’ambiguïté des analogies historique-archéologiques a déterminé une
diversité des opinions sur le caractère de l’information ethno-géographique des sources anciennes et
la relevance «ethnique» des catégories archéologiques.
38. Viorica Crişan
(National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
 The Dacian walls of Covasna – Fairies Fortress (Covasna County, Romania)
(co-authors: Viorica Crişan, Paul Pupeză)
The archaeological site Covasna – Fairies Fortress is located in the south-east of today Transylvania,
Romania. The Dacian fortress found here is an important power center of the Dacian Kingdom. The
fortress oversees a rich metallurgical and agriculture area and controls the trade route across the
Carpathians.
As a result, the site, placed on top of the mountain, was heavily fortified: 700 m of stone walls with
wooden palisade on top. The walls defend and sustain three large terraces and an acropolis (covering
approximatively 8000 m2). Inside the fortified area were discovered traces of dwellings, workshops
and temples. The walls were made of stones summarily processed, bounded with clay, a
characteristic technique of this area of the Dacian Kingdom. Along the walls, especially near the
access road, quadrilateral towers were raised. The fortress had an obvious military role and it was
destroyed in the Dacian wars with the Romans in the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
This military main function of a fortress, to control and protect a territory, cannot outline the whole
picture of its significance. The fortresses are rather an expression of peace and prosperity than the
consequence of a conflict. The constructive effort mobilization, the work organization and
development cannot be made in wartime or in conflict periods of any kind. The resources
concentration for such large projects can take place only in the absence of immediate military
pressure.
Apart from the functionalist point of view, from an abstract angle, the Dacian fortresses, like the one
from Covasna, were symbols of power, a direct result of an elite ideology. Materialized in different
forms (walls, temples, roads) this ideology should be visible in order to transmit a distinctive
message. The fortifications location in visible places from nearby, close to an access road, amplifies
this message. So the fortresses have to see a territory but also to be seen from a territory.
39. Cătălin Cristescu
 The Afterlife Reality. The Early Iron Age Funerary Contexts from Bacea (Romania)
(co-authors: Ioan Alexandru Bărbat, Cătălin Cristescu) (poster)
The recent salvage archaeological excavations on the A1 motorway led to the discovery and research
of some funerary contexts in the point Sărături near Bacea village, Ilia commune, Hunedoara County.
They consist of a cremation urn grave and a cremation grave in a large pit, surrounded by a stone
ring. The architecture of the features, the graves’ inventory, as well as the composition of the
assemblage allow the dating of the respective findings at the final of the Transylvanian Early Iron
Age, towards the end of the 6th-first half of the 5th centuries BC. The present paper explores the
significance of the burial complex regarding the identity of the deceased, as revealed by the funerary
structures and several details of the rituals performed inside them. We presume that the discoveries
from Bacea testify the practice of multiple steps burials at the end of the Early Iron Age in south-
western Transylvania.
40. Bea de Cupere
(University of Leuven, Belgium)
Bronze Age and Iron Age in South-eastern Bulgaria
(co-authors: Delphine Frémondeau, Elena Marinova, Bea de Cupere, Plamen Georgiev,
Ivanka Hristova, Lazar Ninov, Krassimir Nikov, Hristo Popov)
From the Late Bronze Age onwards, ancient Thrace underwent major social and economic changes:
increased stratification of society, intensification of production and the establishment of a market
economy, which resulted in a large human impact on the natural environment. All this likely brought
about the necessity to adapt agricultural economy and animal husbandry practices, and affected the
landscape and its use by humans. This paper aims at investigating past husbandry practices and their
evolution in modern southeastern Bulgaria over the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, by integrating the
results from archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological and stable isotope analyses. We will address
questions such as domestic plant or animal species preferential choice, crop manuring and watering,
or livestock feeding management and scale of animal husbandry; and their change through time
within their environmental context.
 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality

(co-authors: Stanislav Iliev, Elena Marinova, Bea de Cupere, Delphine Frémondeau,
Ivanka Hristova)
Studying the Early Iron Age faces various problems. It is intriguing that until recently in various parts
of present-day Bulgaria, the number of the detected “sanctuaries” from the period exceeded several
times the settlements. In the last few years, this somewhat peculiar model of interpretation of the
archaeological record gave way to a more logical and less mystic interpretation of certain structures
as settlements.
The paper offers an analytical presentation of the results from the investigations of a dwelling and
the adjoining (household?) structures near the village of Vaskovo in Southwestern Sakar. The
archaeological remains provide a glimpse in the everyday life of an Early Iron Age household. This
approach reveals a number of problems, such as the period and the stages of its existence, the
organization of the inner space, the place of the institution of the “household” in the structure of the
Early Iron Age society (at least in this microregion). These questions will be discussed in the paper
with the full knowledge that we cannot offer definite answers. The aim is rather to define a circle of
problems for future investigations, and in the same time to present in a synthesized form our
interpretation of the archaeological record.
Of particular interest is also the cultural layer of the settlement. A group of dolmens have been
investigated in its immediate vicinity. Investigating a dwelling/settlement in such proximity to
dolmens offers hope for closing the settlement-necropolis/ dwelling-grave relation in this
microregion.
the regularities of the economic model
(co-authors: Hristo Popov, Elena Marinova, Bea de Cupere, Delphine Frémondeau)
The Kush Kaya hilltop-settlement is located in the Eastern Rhodopes. Archaeological investigations
during three successive campaigns revealed intriguing evidence about the occupation of the site in
the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The interdisciplinary studies of the agricultural economy
and animal husbandry were based on the conventional analyses of animal bones and plant foods
remains, as well as on stable isotope analyses. Combining the results from the interdisciplinary
investigations with stratigraphic observations and the data about the relative and absolute
chronology of the site led to a number of interesting conclusions. During various periods of human
habitation, the site went through major changes of the economic model of main agricultural
activities and animal husbandry. The paper will comment on the specifics of these changes and will
provide possible explanations about what brought them.
41. Jelena Cvijetić
(University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia)
the Turn of New Era
(co-authors: Marija Ljuština, Jelena Cvijetić)
The region of Southwestern Serbia and Northern Montenegro is generally rich in archaeological sites
from late prehistory. The greatest number of tumular burials belongs to the final horizon of the First
Iron Age/Hallstatt period. It is under no doubt that in the Late Hallstatt the area was an integral part
of the cultural complex Glasinac – Mati. In spite of the fact that ethnic attribution of the complex was
Illyrian in a wider sense, some of the graves have specific material (e. g. pottery of Basarabi style, a
fibula of Thracian type) connected with the north-Thracian cultural circle. What strikes us as odd is
that the latest date of the prehistoric finds from the region can be the 3rd century BC. The following
centuries BC left almost no trace in an archaeological sense.
Funerary practice, epigraphic material and historical sources from the centuries at the turn of the
new millennium reveal potential presence of varied ethnical entities (Celtic, Thracian). According to
epigraphic monuments from this area, a significant number of Roman officials had names of Thracian
origin. The presence of certain elements of Thracian funerary practices and epigraphic confirmation
of Thracian personal names during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD refers to the mines in the area of
present day Northern Montenegro and Southwestern Serbia.
42. Margarit Damyanov
 Hand-made Pottery in the Greek Colonies in the Black Sea: The Case of Apollonia Pontica
(poster)
The hand-made pottery of non-Greek shapes in the Greek colonies in the Black Sea has been subject
to extensive discussions, mostly in Northern Pontic context, with opinions ranging from equating it to
the presence of non-Greeks to totally denying any possibility for ethnic attribution – replaced with a
socio-economic interpretation. Due to state of research and lack of interest, so far the Greek cities on
the present-day Bulgarian littoral have been absent from these discussions. The intensive
investigations in Apollonia Pontica (present-day Sozopol) in the last decade provide the opportunity
to partly fill that gap. Without claiming to be exhaustive, the present paper will present finds of
hand-made pottery (almost exclusively coarse jars) from various sites and contexts – from the
Archaic temenos on the Island of St. Kirik, from the sanctuary of Demeter on Skamni Promontory,
from domestic contexts in the ancient city, and from the Classical and Hellenistic necropolis.
Although not numerous, these materials cover a period of at least three centuries and illustrate the
use of these specific vessels for a variety of occasions and purposes.
43. Diana Dăvîncă
(Deva, Romania)
Grădina Castelului
(co-authors: Valeriu Sîrbu, Diana Dăvîncă)
A detailed analysis – from an archaeological, anthropological and interdisciplinary standpoint – has

highlighted that these vestiges reflect remarkable changes in the mortuary practices related to the
sex, age and social status of the dead. This is a rare case of encountering many human bones, with a
rich and diverse inventory, given the almost total absence of necropolises in the Geto-Dacian world,
particularly those for common people, during the 1st c. BC – 1st c. AD.
The 34 deposits of human bones from Grădina Castelului have yielded 57 individuals, 48 of them
inhumed and just nine cremated, from the period between 300 BC – 101/106 AD. Most of the
inhumed were children, 38 of them under the age of seven, and 20 of them less than one year old!
On the other hand, of the cremated individuals, only one was a child, but with a warrior´s inventory.
There was no discernible pattern of placing or orienting the inhumed individuals based on sex or age.
The number of individuals in a single deposit differs greatly, from one to six dead. Of the 48 inhumed
individuals, only 25 had complete skeletons, one did not have the skull and 22 of them consisted of
just isolated bones!
For all these reasons, it is very difficult to interpret the vestiges.
Was this a necropolis where the Dacian community applied, for four centuries, a strict age, sex and
social status “filter” on the rites and rituals applied to the dead present here?
If this was a standard necropolis, it means that: a) in the first stage, only cremation was practiced,
and the dead were warriors (including an Infans I) and b) a transition stage followed, when one
practiced cremation, as well as inhumation, for adults, adolescents and children, and c) in the last
stage, only children were placed here, all of them inhumed.
Or did this become in the last stage of use, namely the 1st c. AD, a sacred area where only children
were inhumed, after corpse exposure/decomposing? If so, we have to ask what happened to the
other dead, to those that did not meet the community’s selection criteria, which varied so much over
time.
The dead originated from local communities, given that there is a fortress in the immediate vicinity of
the area with human deposits and the inventory can be classified as characteristic of the Dacians.
44. Peter Delev
 Between Myth and Reality: 45 Years of Thracology in Bulgaria
In 1972, the First International Congress of Thracology was held in Sofia. In the same year, an
Institute of Thracology was established by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. So, even if Thracian
studies were launched long before both internationally and in Bulgaria, 1972 can be viewed as the
birth year of thracology under this name as a multidisciplinary effort for the study of ancient Thrace
and the Thracians. The paper attempts a general evaluation of the development of Thracian studies
in Bulgaria both (briefly) before and (in more detail) after 1972. Notice is made of some delusions
and disillusions, of state involvement and disinvolvement, of collective efforts and personal
contributions. The effects of looting, collectorship and the market of antiquities on the Thracian
cultural heritage in Bulgaria will also be discussed, as well as the role, functions and capacity of the
institutions devoted to its investigation and preservation. The establishment of fields of study like
thracology can be viewed as a logical reaction to Graeco- and Romano-centric attitudes to the
ancient world, but – as many new developments – it has also often been prone to pretention and
exaggeration; the balance between thracologia and thracomania has been (and still is) a difficult one.
With all its follies and deficiencies however, Bulgarian thracology has contributed to a considerable
advance of scientific knowledge.
45. Ioannis Deligiannis
 Ancient Thrace in the Roman encyclopaedists
The first two centuries of the Roman Empire experienced a passionate interest in collecting and
classifying information on a variety of issues and objects to be used as exempla mostly at the schools
of rhetoric and for educational purposes. Two of the most acclaimed Roman authors who engaged in
this sort of writing were Valerius Maximus and Aulus Gellius. The paper will focus on the reception of
Thrace and its peoples by the aforementioned authors within the framework of what may be called
Roman Encyclopaedia. Among the questions addressed in the paper will be the following: 1) What
kind of information on Thrace they included in their writings? 2) How much were they informed
about Thrace? 3) Where did they get their information? 4) How accurate or inaccurate this
information might have been? 5) What was the purpose of this information? 6) Was it factual,
historical or mythological? 7) Are there are references to the topography, characters, modes of life,
and/or specific people of the area?
46. Zdravko Dimitrov
 Thracian sanctuary in the region of Angel voyvoda village, Eastern Rhodopes
In the summer of 2016, for the first time were conducted archaeological excavations of one of the
most attractive archaeological sites in Haskovo region. The area of "Hasara", near the village of Angel
Voivoda, in the foothills of Mechkovets ridge, Eastern Rhodopes is studied by the surveys of
colleagues Dimtcho Aladzhov, Irko Petrov, Georgi Nekhrizov and Zharin Velichkov. They reported
materials, ceramic pieces and coins from the late Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic period, Roman era
and late Antiquity. On top of the site lie a fortress of late antiquity (IV-VI c. AD) and an earlier
Thracian sanctuary.
Most interesting are the cult complexes carved into the rocks, which are scattered over a large area
and are extremely diverse in their nature.
On top of the archaeological site is a tomb, carved into the bedrock. This construction is the closest
analogue of the sarcophagus-like chamber of Tatoul, Momchilgrad region. The “grave bed" is located
under the open sky on the most highly expressed cliff dominating the whole area. In 2016, we were
able to confirm the presence of several rock altars and sharapans. In the site near the village of Angel
voyvoda we documented over 50 niches with different forms and parameters. They are located on
different rock formations on the slopes of "Hasara." Among the most interesting objects is a famous
rock sundial from the area called “Ak Kaya”.
The focus of this presentation will be on the description and analysis of the cult rock ensembles of
Angel Voyvoda, which have not been presented to the wider international scientific community. The
dating of these complexes also raises interest, because their chronology could vary from the Late
Bronze Age to the Roman Imperial Era.
47. Peter A. Dimitrov
 The Thracian language and the epigraphical evidence
Although considered an ill-attested language belonging to the group of the “fragmentary languages”
with short inscriptions that have no agreed-upon interpretation, Thracian is also to be traced in many
Greek literary sources, as well as in Latin ones.
As long as it goes about facts written in Thracian language there are some epigraphical texts as well
as genuine texts that are seemingly bilingual in essence in Thracian and Greek. This is the way to be
explored.
It is hard to apprehend the geography of the habitat of the Thracians through the ages. This fact is
due to lacking comprehensive evidence on the history of the populous Thracian ethnos, being among
the oldest Indo-Europeans that settled in Anatolia most probably at the end of the 3rd millennium
BC.
In this paper, in a specific fashion the evidence of a long-time extinguished language such as the
Thracian is presented. The reader should have in mind that language is not a means to determine
whether an ethnos or people that once spoke the ancient Thracian is, ethnically speaking, by all
means Thracian. And I would like to underline this particular statement limiting my observations to
the linguistic side of the question. I think that there is no way of determining the inner aspects of the
culture of the ancient Thracian ethnos as far as one is informed in many ways only partially of the
totality of the story.
Therefore, I tend to present evidence pertaining to one specific language system with its specific
features within the sphere of the material obtained from different sources but mainly onomastics.
Among the many questions that might arise as a result of scrutinizing the few texts that seem to be
written in the Thracian language there is this along general lines logic one: How do we know that this
is in Thracian? On one hand, the fact is that there are but two longer inscriptions, the Kyolmen one
on a reused stele and the Ezerovo one on a gold ring. Both are our longest and oldest evidence of the
Thracian antiquity ever to be found on proper Thracian territory (beside some short inscriptions on
gold rings and objects). Those two inscriptions were found in what is now Bulgaria. This mere fact
was used for political purposes over the last century. The reader of this text has to be aware of it in
trying to comprehend the multifarious history of scholarship involved. I am puzzled with this strange
situation, and am fully confident that there is a possibility of other inscriptions in the Thracian
language existing outside of present-day Bulgaria to be found.
The archaeological site of Mesemvria/Zoni on the Aegean coast in north Greece has produced some
interesting evidence on clay sherds of vases; a bilingual text on a stele is said to have been found in
the late eighties of the past century. Unfortunately, the long awaited publication of these materials is
being delayed.
48. Yana Dimitrova
 Reconstructions of Early Iron Age women‟s costume in West Rhodopi Mountain (Bulgaria)
(poster)
According to recent studies, clothing is a form of nonverbal communication. Its accessories are the
archaeological signs of status and belonging, as they indicate the adaptation of fashion influences
and the formation of local styles in the material culture. Previous research on the subject
distinguishes some of the characteristics of the female costume of the specified area, based on data
mainly from chance finds and destroyed graves. The focus is on the analysis of separate elements
(accessories and jewelry), their typological diversity, prototypes, their dating and distribution (the
biggest diversity of types in the 8th – 7th c. BC).
The recent archaeological research of Early Iron Age necropoleis in the West Rhodopi Mountain has
produced a good database for the creation of hypothetical reconstructions of the costume, based on
the information about the location of its elements in the excavated graves. 38 complexes allow the
determination of the typological diversity of the elements, and in 24 of them the precise location is
determined, which allows the hypothetical reconstructions (as also the comparison with costume
reconstructions in other territories). The data for the materials of the clothing are indirect – the
instruments for their production, textile remains in neighboring and more distant territories, and the
scarce data from the previous periods.
49. Diana Dimitrova
 Odrysian 5th – 4th century BC Burial Rites Along the Toundzha River Big Turn
The present-day municipality of Sliven covers a territory clearly defined to the north and to the east
by the big turn of the Toundzha River to the south which marks the boundary between its upper and
middle flow. On the basis of the several tumuli excavated in the 1970s, as well as in the last decade,
peculiarities of the Odrysian 5th – 4th century BC burial rites in the area could be specified. Rich
inhumations in which parts of the skeletons were missing or were not placed in anatomical order
furnish the major features. Unlike the territory of the Kazanluk Valley to the west, here, along the
Toundzha turn, monumental constructions – tombs where the Odrysian aristocrats were buried are
almost completely missing. Instead, pits dug in the ground and primitive tombs were used. One could
suggest that here the transition occurred from the rich graves in pits, which prevailed in the southern
Odrysian lands near Elkhovo – Bolyarovo, to the exquisite ashlar constructions of different plans and
roofing in the area of the Valley of the Thracian rulers in the Kazanluk area.
50. Stoyanka Dimitrova
(Centre of Thracology, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 KOΣΩN – Cotisoni – Cotiso
Some оbservations on data of KOΣΩN – Cotisoni – Cotiso and a new attempt to identify the dуnasts
and to restore the events in North Thrace after the death of Burebista, during the civil war in Rome
(44-42 BC) and strengthening the authority of Octavian Augustus.
51. Lidia Domaradzka
52. Helena Dominguez del Triunfo
(Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain)
 A zoomorphic vase handle of the Classical period in the Kanellopoulos Collection:
rethinking the impact of Achaemenid material culture in the West (poster)
This presentation deals with a previously unpublished handle belonging to a vessel of Achaemenid
typology. This is an opportunity to re-examine the evidence of this type of vessels in the Achaemenid
world and possibly add one more piece to the repertoire of Achaemenid toreutics in Europe. With
typological parallels in Thrace, it should also be an opportunity to review the question of diplomatic
gifts in the Achaemenid Empire, as well as the impact of Achaemenid material culture in
Southeastern Europe.
53. Dimitar Draganov
(Numismatic Museum Ruse, Bulgaria)
 The Coinage of Apollonia Pontica (Vth – Ist c. BC): Iconography (poster)
Apollonia Pontica is one of the earliest and most famous Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast. It is
believed to have been founded by Milesian colonists (together with some Phocaeans and Rhodians)
in the end of the 7th c. BC.
Apollonia produced a very interesting and large scale siver and bronze coinage using several weight
standards during the Classical and Hellenistic ages. This coinage was characterized by a certain
degree of conservatism featuring the city’s parasemon – an anchor – on almost all coin types. Some
other characteristic depictions on pre-Roman issues were: rosette, swastika, crayfish, gorgoneion,
head of Apollo - on silver coins; head of Apollo, Apollo on omphalos, figure of Apollo Iatros – on
bronze coins.
This presentation includes all iconographic types and denominations of Apollonia Pontica during the
pre-Roman period. It is based on the study of the large collection of Apollonian coins – that of the
Numismatic Museum Ruse – as well as a number of specimens kept in other museum and private
collections.
54. Zeynep Erdem
(Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey)
 Cult Studies At Turkish Thrace : Understanding The Thracian Religion – New Approaches
The researches of the cult areas on Turkish Thracia are at the beginning stage. In the light of the
recent studies such as excavations and surveys help to understand the several features of these cultic
areas, the cult practices and the belief system of the Thracians.
Turkish Thracia has always been in transition and interconnection region between the Balkans,
Anatolia, Aegean and the Black Sea. The new archaeological findings have revealed the connections
between them.
The cult areas on the summits which were connected with the mother goddess, the cult places on
the rocky areas resembling the Phrygian region and also the cult places in the settlements reflect the
diversity of the sacred areas on the region.
In our presentation the recent findings from the cult areas which were revealed during the surveys
on the Southeastern part of Turkish Thracia – conducted at Tekirdağ Province and at the Gallipoli
Peninsula (Thracian Chersonese) since 2008 – and the new approaches will be presented.
55. Alexander Falileyev
(Institute for Linguistic Studies, St. Petersburg, Russia)
 On the linguistic attribution of some geographical names in Thrace
In this paper I am planning to consider geographical names in Thrace, the linguistic attributions of
which remain disputable in the history of scholarship. I will concentrate on a number of
methodological points which may contribute to a discussion of this difficult and questionable layer of
ancient onomastics.
56. Cristinel Laurentiu Fantaneanu
(National Museum of Union, Alba Iulia, Romania)
 Depositions of Ceramic Pots in the Bronze Age. A Discovery from Transylvania (Romania)
(poster)
The archaeological discoveries processed in this paper are coming from the rescue archaeological
excavations carried out in 2014 and 2015 on the Lot 3 Sebes – Turda highway (Romania).
Geographically, the settlement is located on the left bank of the Mures river, on the first terrace,
near the northern part of the Gambas village (belonging to the municipality of Aiud, Alba County,
Romania).
“The vessel deposition” was deposited into a pit and contains eight ceramic pots. The biggest pot was
deposited upside down covering three vessels. The other vessels were scattered on the bottom of
the pit. Among them was found a double bowl.
Chronologically, the archaeological complex which is the subject of our paper, belongs to the second
phase of the Wietenberg culture.
57. Iosif Vasile Ferencz
communal identities
(co-authors: Aurel Rustoiu, Iosif Vasile Ferencz)
Throughout history, south-western Transylvania has been a well-defined geographic, cultural and
economic entity. The region is naturally bordered by the southern and western Carpathians and the
Transylvanian plateau, while the Mureş River is the main route of communication. Among the most
important natural resources are gold, silver and copper as well as huge salt deposits. Consequently,
south-western Transylvania was densely inhabited during all historical periods. The access to, and
exploitation of, the aforementioned resources was a matter of almost continuous social-political and
economic competition between different indigenous communities and incoming populations. These
diverse interactions and their outcome are frequently revealed by archaeological evidence.
In this region the Late Iron Age was defined by two cultural and chronological horizons: the so-called
“Celtic horizon” (between ca. 350 and 190/175 BC) and the “Dacian horizon” (between ca. 190/175
BC and AD 106). The first chronological interval was characterized by the arrival of some Celtic
groups from the Central-Western Europe. They had cohabited more-or-less peacefully with the
indigenous populations. These interactions led to the hybridization of material culture and practices:
typical Central European La Tène elements were often combined with the indigenous ones. The
second chronological interval is characterized by the appearance of Dacian communities in this
region and the subsequent emergence of the Dacian Kingdom. The corresponding material culture is
different from that of the previous period, being oriented towards the Lower Danube region.
Taking into consideration the specific features of the two successive cultural horizons, the paper is
going to identify and compare the manner in which different communal identities were constructed
and expressed through time in the aforementioned region. The analysis is going to bring into
discussion the settlements’ internal organization, as well as their relations with the funerary areas
and the surrounding landscape. Other related aspects which are going to be discussed include diet
and food processing practices, styles of bodily ornamentation, commemorative practices.
Iron Age
(co-authors: Iosif Vasile Ferencz, Marius Gheorghe Barbu)
The end of the Iron Age in south-western Transylvania (Romania) is characterized by the so-called
”Dacian horizon” (between ca. 190/175 BC and AD 106). This chronological interval is characterized
by open settlements and plane or tumular graves. Beginning in the first century BC hillforts with
stone walls were built on some hill tops. In this geographical area there are walls which were built in
Hellenistic manner.
Concerning the religion, even if we have few data about this topic, there are to be pointed out the
monumental buildings made of stone and wood interpreted as temples, found in connection by
hillforts.
On the lowlands cult manifestations were archaeological identified as pits with depositions. Their
inventories suggest a dedication to some deities.
This paper is proposing to take into consideration some pits recently investigated on a lowland first
century AD settlement in Tărtăria, Romania.
58. Valeria Fol
 Culte héroïque dans la Thrace – images littéraires grecques ou images réels du chevalier-
hèros thrace
Les contactes entre les colonies grecques sur le bord de la mer Noir et nord-égéen et les thraces sont
habituellement explorés du point de vue économique et politique. Mon travail examine comment les
renseignements quant à la vénération des chevaliers dans la Thrace sont-ils arrivés jusqu’aux auteurs
helléniques en résultat de ces contactes. La question principale est si l’information concerne un culte
réel et un ritualisme honorant des héros, ou bien, s’il s’agit d’une transformation littéraire des
histoires issues des habitants de la Thrace.
59. Alin Frânculeasa
(Museum of Braila ”Carol I” / Institute of Archaeology ”V. Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania)
representation.
name just a few.
60. Delphine Frémondeau
(University of Reading, United Kingdom)

Ivanka Hristova)
as settlements.
microregion.
61. Oleg Gabelko
(Russian State University for the Humanities, Institute for the Oriental and Classical Studies,
Department of Ancient History, Moscow, Russia)
 Bithynian Funeral Steles of the Hellenistic Time: Some Historical Considerations
The so-called Stockwerkstelen, discovered on the territory of historical Bithynia and dated mainly by
the IInd c. BC, are, as a rule, well-executed tombstones, often with the depictions of battle-scenes,
and could be estimated as an extremely important category of sources which throw light on the ill-
documented history of the Bithynian kingdom. They were thoroughly studied during the last decades
by several specialists (M. Cremer, H.-L. Fernoux, T. Corsten et al.), but still present rich possibilities
for a complex analysis. In this paper the following aspects of these monuments are examined: 1) the
peculiarities of territorial distribution, regional specifics of the iconographic style of these reliefs and
their place in the corpus of the Hellenistic steles with military scenes as a whole; 2) the character of
names on the stones and their relations to the Thracian onomastic massive as well as the kind and
degree of Hellenization; 3) the possibility to connect the steles with the military-political context and,
if possible, with concrete events in the history of the Bithynian kingdom and its neighbours, known
by other evidence.
62. El-Sayed Gad
(Tanta University, Egypt)
 Thrace and the Thracians in the Speeches of Demosthenes
The importance of Thrace to ancient Greece and to Athens in particular is a well established fact. Not
only did strong relationships between Athens and Thrace go back to the mid-sixth century BC, but it
also continued through the mid-fourth. This paper studies the references to Thrace and the Thracians
in the speeches of the fourth century Athenian politician, Demosthenes. It argues that these
references demonstrate most clearly the strategic importance of the region to Athens and mainland
Greece, visible all along from the age of Pisistratus.
The fact is well illustrated and succinctly summarized by the Athenian politician in one of his earliest
speeches, Philippic I, where he states that the main lines of defense against Philip II of Macedon lay,
interestingly enough, up in Thrace. As it turned out, Athens' decline to follow this advice deprived it
of the Thrace's valuable resources and, moreover, paved the way to Philip's advancement further
south. The paper also aims to continue the important study of Matthew A. Sears, entitled "Athens,
Thrace and the Shaping of Athenian Leadership," on the relationship between Athens and Thrace in
the archaic and classical periods.
63. Borislava Galabova
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Sofia,
Bulgaria)
64. Nadiya Gavrylyuk
(Kyiv, Ukraine)
 The Thracian phenomenon of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area
(co-authors: Nadiya Gavrylyuk, Mykola Tymchenko)
1. There are two Thracian (Saharna, Şoldăneşti) groups of handmade pottery (HMP) in the burials of
the later pre-Scythian period (9-7 c. BC).
2. The Thracian ceramics of so-called "southern" group had dominated in HMP of Borysthenes and its
near hinterland (settlements of Bolshaya Chernomorka 2, Beykush, Shyroka Balka, Victorovka) in the
Archaic period (7-6 c. BC).
3. The quantity of HMP of Thracian form among the materials of Olbia and its near hinterland was
sharply reduced in the classical period but didn’t disappear completely. A possible reason for this was
the strategic dominance of the nomadic Scythian ethnic component in the Northern Black Sea area.
4. In the post- Scythian (Late Hellenistic) period there was a steady presence of the so-called
"northern" group of Thracian pottery in the hillforts of the Lower Dnieper. At the same time there
was an increasing intensity of the presence of HMP of Thracian forms in the hillforts of Zolota Balka,
Velyka Znamenka, Gavrilovka versus hillforts located downstream of the Dnieper: Annovka – Great
Lepetikha, Konsulovka – Gornostaevka, Zmievka – Cairy, KrasnyLighthouse – Lyubimovka.
5. Besides HMP of Thracian forms, other Thracian ethno-cultural components, including building
remains of dwellings with cultic places, household structures and other constructions were surely
fixed in the post-Scythian (Late Hellenistic) period in the hillforts of the Lower Dnieper
6. The presented archaeological evidence from settlements of the Low Dnieper/Southern Bug area
confirms the ideas of a strong Thracian impact on the components of the Scythian nomadic culture
which were already stated repeatedly before (e.g. by A. P. Mantsevich).
7. The archaeological evidence not only indicates the continuous presence of Thracian components
on the sites of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area but also shows that the general line of development of
the Thracian world was synchronous to the manifestations of the phenomenon of Thracian culture in
the studied region.
65. Plamen Georgiev
66. Diana Gergova
 The investigations of the elitarian Getic necropolises in Sboryanovo: Society, Beliefs and
Politics
The advanced studies of the Hellenistic necropolises of the Getic spiritual and political Centre
"Dausdava – Helis" in the Sboryanovo Natonal reserve reveal a specific planning in clusters of tumuli
of different construction and functions; extreme diversity and hierarchy of tombs architecture,
corresponding to a hierarchy of a remarkably diverse burial rites, cult facilities, sacrifices and gifts.
They contribute to the more precise characterization of the Getic burial “rites of immortalization”,
and allow to establish the specific Getic cults to some gods in the context of the Pythagorean and
Orphic ideas.
The multiethnic population of the area, including Celts, Greeks, etc., raises the question about the
character of the relationships between locals and foreigners.
The identification of the burials of two of the most famous Getic rulers from 4th - 3rd century BC gives
ground to discuss their policy in the period of the apogee of the Getic state.
National Reserve, Bulgaria (poster)
(co-authors: Eugenia Tarassova, Mihail Tarassov, Diana Gergova, Rositsa Titorenkova)
Subject of the present study are pigments used for the painted decoration of the altars – escharae,
found in some dug out in the ground Getic tombs (IV-III BC) as a central and specific only for the Getic
burial practices cult construction. The studied pigments are taken from two escharae found in the
tombs of tumuli №№ 21 and 31, on the eastern Necropolis of the Sboryanovo National Reserve. The
two escharae have the form of short truncated pyramid decorated with incised geometric ornaments
colored in red, dark-blue and white. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and micro-Raman spectroscopy are applied for
investigation of phase and chemical composition of the used pigments and binding material. On the
base of obtained results, several conclusions on the provenance of the used raw materials are made.
67. Filippo Giudice
(Università di Catania, Italy)
pottery
(co-authors: Filippo Giudice, Gaetano Santagati, Marco Stefano Scaravilli)
This Paper is part of the Post-Paralipomena project aimed at building of the reference-framework of
Attic pottery related to the 13 areas in which the Mediterranean basin has been divided. (see F.
Giudice, Le rotte commerciali dei vasi attici dal VI al IV secolo, in Archeologia e Calcolatori, 4, 1993,
pp.181-196). In particular, it approaches the problem of imports to Thrace in the light of the
historical context and the relations between Thracians, Greeks and the Macedonians. Special
attention will be reserved to the IVth century B.C.
68. Aleksey Gotsev
 Sanctuaries, Megalithic Complexes and Settlement System in Ancient Thrace
The area discussed includes the Western Rhodope Mountains and their adjacent territories; to the
north it reaches the Balkan Range (Haemus) focusing mainly on the Western Sredna Gora Mountain.
The plains between the mountain ranges are also considered and their natural and geographical
peculiarities are taken into account. Such a distinction allows a synchronous investigation and
comparisons between the mountainous area and the lower lands in between.
Recent progress in Thracian archaeology featured new problems and even created new trends in the
field work. The increased interest in Thracian religious beliefs and especially in cultic places as
archaeological sites, as well as the huge amount of empirical data compiled, permits launching of
new hypothesis. Thus the reconstruction of Thracian antiquity would become more detailed and
vivid. Now there is more confidence in the type variety of “sacred places” and their characteristics
which would lead to a better understanding of the reasons for the existence of different cult centers.
At the present stage of research three major groups of Thracian sacred centers can be defined:
Thracian rock-cut/mountainous sanctuaries, pit fields and the so-called megalithic complexes. Each
of them displays characteristic features which objectively require a particular approach in their
investigation. To understand, however, reasons for the formation of various religious centers must
seek their place in the Thracian settlement system in different geographical regions.
69. William Greenwalt
(Santa Clara, CA, USA)
 Macedonian and Thracian Relations Through Early 334 B.C.E.
This paper will first review the political and military relationship between the Argead kingdom and
various Thracian polities until Alexander III left Europe for Asia. More importantly, it will review the
numismatic and archaeological evidence (the latter having mushroomed over the last generation)
which demonstrates economic, social, and cultural interactions between Argead Macedon and
(especially western) Thrace in general. It is clear from the non-literary evidence that Macedonia and
Thrace had a well established (albeit tempestuous) relationship from at least the beginning of the
fifth century, and almost certainly earlier. This should come as no surprise given the geographical
proximity of the two regions, their comparable environments, and their common exposure to Persian
dominance. Nevertheless, when the development of Macedonia has been considered by most
scholars, the emphasis has largely been placed upon contact with the Greek world. While it cannot
be denied that the Greeks came to influence the development of Argead Macedon, especially
beginning with the reign of Archelaus, the Argeads’ interaction with so called “barbaric” polities in
Thrace and Illyria (but the latter is beyond the scope of this paper) dominated the early history and
pre-history of Macedonia. Both Macedonia and Thrace remained “heroic” in their ethos long after
the Greeks had developed beyond Homeric ideals in daily life. For a very long time it remained in the
interests of the political elite in both Macedonia and Thrace to retain more than just vestiges of
Homeric culture.
70. Valentina Grigorova-Gencheva
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Thassos Type Coinage in Thracia, 6–5 Century BC
(co-authors: Ilya Prokopov, Valentina Grigorova-Gencheva)
The authors study all published hoards and single coins from Thracia. Two major maps are presented,
created in accordance with the GIS requirements. The publication also contains analytical and
quantitative tables of the coin types and nominals.
The presence of coins and hoards is studied from territorial and chronological perspectives. The
authors trace the South–North circulation roads, localize important trade centres and crossroads and
comment upon the “contact zone” of circulation of the large nominals. The analysis includes
observations of other coin types distributed together with the Thassos type coins. In addition to the
known coins and hoards, the publication presents several inedita, as well as detailed tables with
photographs.
71. Lily Grozdanova
 Notions and Reality on the Coins of Pautalia
The interpretation of the ancient coins as a medium of notions and information has been a hot topic
of discussions in the scientific literature for a long time. Furthermore questions as to what extend or
even if at all the coins are able mirror the reality, also how can they be used for the dissemination of
ideas and suggestions, are also objects of active research. Regardless of the argumentation and
defended thesis the scholars agree that the coin imagery is meaningful and closely controlled. In the
case of the roman provincial coinage that is even more important as our understanding of the issuing
system itself is in ongoing development, due to the lack of ancient sources directly describing the
process. Nevertheless the central authorization of the city minting bestowed by the emperor and his
administration is most certainly the key element making the existence of the polis coinage possible.
The coins of Pautalia, a city in the province of Thrace founded in the time of Traianus (AD 98–117),
are potentially capable to shed new light on the enlisted above questions. Though issuing just over
seven decades in the time of the Antonine and Severan dynasties, the city mint is very active. These
numismatic materials are not just opulent in quantity but the type and die design diversity is more
than impressive, thus presenting the researchers with intriguing cases of reality and notion
representations on coins.
72. Martin Gyuzelev
(University of Burgas "Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov", Bulgaria)
 Crossing the Strait: A View to the Bosporian Seafarers‟ Pantheon in Antiquity
Following the prophecy of the Thracian basileus Phineus the Argonauts passed by the Kyaneai and
the Pontus became accessible for navigation but the Thracians inhabiting the Bosporan coast were
well aware of the difficulties related to crossing the Bosporan Strait itself. Thus we come across the
local deities who helped the sailors and their ships. In Antiquity these deities occupied both sides of
the Bosporus. The erection of the altar of the Twelve Olympians on the Asian coast was ascribed to
Argonauts; and it is not a coincidence that the Hieron of Zeus Urios appeared to be at the same
place.
There was even an earlier local tradition – the Old man from the Sea. He was the pilot who helped
Jason and his companions to sail through the Bosporus. In the Thracian-Anatolian beliefs this sea god
shows some similarities with Phineus and was commonly worshipped at a cape named after him on
the European coast of the Strait. Probably the Old man from the Sea might be discovered in some
aspects in the depictions on the votive reliefs of Heros Stomianos in the next centuries.
Besides the mentioned ones, there were other Anatolian and Hellenic deities protecting the sailors,
such as the Great Mother of Gods, Saron, Poseidon, etc. We can trace their presence on the grounds
of literary sources and artifacts that help us reveal the variety of the Bosporan seafarers’ pantheon.
73. Barbara Horejs
(Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, Vienna, Austria)
Preliminary functional interpretation
(co-authors: Laura Burkhardt, Barbara Horejs)
The Ada Tepe Mountain lies next to the modern village of Krumovgrad in the eastern Rhodopes and
is up to now the only known prehistoric goldmine in Europe to be excavated. Due to the high gold
concentration, which is embedded in quartz on the surface in the upper part of the hill, this section is
going to be mined by a modern miningcompany. For this reason excavations by H. Popov and his
team of the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Science
(NIAM – BAS) took place between 2005 and 2013. They provided evidence of remains of Late Bronze
Age open cast mining structures (around the hilltop), waste heaps (which are situated in broad areas
on the slopes of the hill) and two settlements. One on the peak and one on the north-eastern slope -
both are connected with the mine. Our presentation is focusing on the north-eastern settlement and
its functional aspects. This settlement quarter consists of nine houses, which are situated in two rows
along the hillside. The evaluation of the house inventories and their broader contextualization is the
key aspect of our contribution. Regarding the description of the ceramics, not only its shape but also
its paste/fabric were analysed macroscopically. With this approach, in context with the
archaeological structures of the settlement, it is possible to get a basic understanding of its function.
74. Sophia Hristeva
 Condition of the surveys of the Late Iron Age in the Rhodope Mountains (poster)
In recent decades, interest in the Rhodope region resumed the need for new reference material and
the extension of the territorial scope of the study of Thracian culture. At this stage of archaeological
studies the main part of the sites carrying information about the second half of the 1st millennium
BC, are the mounds, flat cemeteries and sanctuaries that have been studied methodically and
thoroughly, at the expense of the settlements, the fortresses and the manufacturing centers. The
lack of sufficient number of complex and interdisciplinary research is observed – in the statistical
processing of data at our disposal, out of 149 sites (some of which complexes), 90 were registered in
field searches, 9 in drilling studies and 50 via regular or rescue archaeological excavations. Another
147 were generally related with the Thracian period or Iron Age.
This poses many questions about the status quo of the studies of the Late Iron Age in the Rhodope
region:
- To what extent we can rely on accurate dating and interpretation of the most of the objects
registered and studied in the early stages of exploration of the area?
- On how many of them is conducted a repeated study to confirm or disprove the initial
interpretation and dating?
- To what extent the data accumulated from field surveys are confirmed by subsequent excavations?
Are we restricted by the territorial imbalance studies? YES or NO to statistical methods?
This work aims to carry out a comparative analysis between two separate studies. The first will
include the sites studied in full or via drilling, with confirmed dating and interpretation. The second
will be based on the overall information we have: excavations, sampling, and field surveys of sites
with uncertain dating and interpretation.
75. Hristomir Hristov
(Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany)
 Der Hügel Grifonite. Zum Aufbau wie Funktion thrakischer Tempelanlagen der
klassischen und hellenistischen Periode (poster)
Die Anlage im Hügel Grifonite im sog. Tal der thrakischen Könige in der Gegend der heutigen Stadt
Kazanlak in Südbulgarien wurde im späten 5. oder im frühen 4. Jh. v. Chr. errichtet. Sie zählt zu einer
Reihe thrakischer Tempel der klassischen und hellenistischen Periode, deren Grundriss und
prinzipieller Aufbau identisch mit zahlreichen thrakischen Hügelgräbern derselben Epochen sind.
Ich möchte vorschlagen, dass der Tempel in Grifonite nicht nur die Anlage im Hügel umfasst, sondern
den gesamten Hügel. Dafür sprechen nicht nur die kleinen Räume, die als ein selbständiger Tempel
kaum denkbar sind, sondern auch die Tatsache, dass die mit der Anlage von Grifonite etwa
gleichzeitigen vermutlichen Heroon-Anlagen im Hügel Maltepe in der Nähe von Mezek und im Žaba-
Hügel bei Strelča jeweils den gesamten Hügel umfassen. Eine Reihe von Kulthandlungen fand
anscheinend im Gang statt, der nicht nur in Grifonite, sondern auch in den meisten anderen Fällen
insgesamt mehr Raum im Vergleich zu den übrigen Bestandteilen der Anlagen bietet. Kulthandlungen
wurden aber auch unter freiem Himmel – auf dem Hügel und um ihn herum –, abgehalten. Hierzu ist
zu betonen, dass aus einer Vielzahl der Hügel Befunde bekannt sind, die gerade auf Kulthandlungen
auf den Hügeln selbst hindeuten.
Somit würde die Anlage in Grifonite den eigentlichen Kernbereich des Tempels darstellen, der dann
mit dem gesamten Hügel gleichzusetzen ist.
76. Ivanka Hristova
(Sofia, Bulgaria)

Ivanka Hristova)
as settlements.
microregion.
77. Rositsa Hristova
(Daegu, South Korea)
Southeastern Bulgaria
(co-authors: Rostitsa Hristova, Lee Sungjoo)
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the transformation processes in the ceramic production and
distribution system based on the analyses of the fabrication procedures and the consumption
patterns of the ceramic vessels discovered from the various archaeological contexts of the
Southeastern Bulgaria from the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age. For this study, the all surface marking
associated with the various fabrication procedures of the pottery samples selected from the
collections of the Yambol and the Karnobat museum were carefully analyzed and recorded.
According to the comparative analyses of the fabrication procedures, especially during the forming
phase, of each period, it could be suggested the noticeable changes in the ceramic production
systems between the early and the late Iron Age in the Southeastern Bulgaria. After the adoption of
the wheel-throwing methods and the new kiln type of which firing conditions could be completely
controlled, the ceramic production systems had be diversified into the different types in the levels of
specialization and the intensities of production. On the base of this investigation we can give more
detail information about the pottery production systems and makes it possible to trace the changes
in technologies during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
78. Tanya Hristova
“Grooved” Decoration In The Western Part Of The Lower Danube Region
79. Stanislav Iliev
(Bulgaria)
Ivanka Hristova)
as settlements.
microregion.
80. Ekaterina Ilieva
(Regional Archaeological Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
 Pottery on the move – geographical distribution of the Tsepina pottery (poster)
During the Late Iron Age a peculiar type of handmade Thracian pottery emerges in the Western
Rhodopes. The Tsepina pottery is known for its rich incised decoration, debated function and most of
all for its unclear genesis. In the years after its discovery it provoked many scientific discussions
about its decorative and morphological characteristics, supposed function and even about its exact
dating. But a thorough study of the geographical distribution of the Tsepina pottery still lacks,
although there are a couple of successful attempts for systematization of the available data. Recently
its distribution limits have changed considerably due to the intensive archaeological activity in
Bulgaria. Thus the main subject of this article is to define the geographical distribution of the Tsepina
pottery in the light of those new discoveries. The author aims not only to map the known appearance
of Tsepina pottery, but also to track the eventual routes and diffusion specifics. Recognizing the
spatial and contextual differences and similarities between the sites where Tsepina sherds are found
and those, where there is no evidence for such presence, plays a key role in this study.
81. Petya Ilieva
 Maron, xenia and plundering Odysseus
The Homeric episode dealing with Odysseus’ plundering the city of the Cicones living in Ismaros and
the story of his and his fellows banqueting with Maron, who also lives in Ismaros, presents us with
some discrepancies and at least one anachronism more suitable for the world of heroes. The nature
of the Homeric epics is a subject of long-lasting debate and it is generally accepted that they should
be seen primarily as a literary construct composed around 700 BC with the Odyssey being the later
one. Yet, a number of elements in the narrative present affinities to the period of their composition
or slightly earlier while certain details seem to be more relevant to the Mycenaean era. Considering
the plausible foundation date of Maroneia before the mid-7th c. BC the composition of the Odyssey
is not that distanced in time from this event. Could, therefore, the Homeric narrative provide
glimpses at an early 7th c. BC reality in that part of Aegean Thrace? The most striking discrepancy lies
in Odysseus’ contrasting attitude towards the two categories of inhabitants of Ismaros as seen in his
actions. On one side Maron and Odysseus develop a typical xenia-bond which serves to portray them
as equals sharing the virtue of civilised life through the symbols of banqueting and gift-giving. What
the poet does not tell us, however, is why did Maron and his family need Odysseus’ protection which
was the prelude to the guest-friendship. On the other hand Odysseus attacks the Cicones for no
apparent reason, in an act not too dissimilar to piracy where social values were not respected. Could
this dichotomy reflect certain knowledge on various inhabitants of Ismaros at the time of the
composition of Odyssey and their perception in the Greek world?
82. Theodor-Iulian-Vlad Isvoranu
 Consequences of the "Scythian War" on the monetary circulation at Histria and Tomis
The war between the Roman Empire and the coalition of "Scythian" populations lead by the Goths
affected seriously for several decades the life of the Lower Danubian provinces. Histria and Tomis,
two of the most prosperous cities of Moesia Inferior in the first half of 3rd century A.D., suffered
significant damage, in fact confirmed by archaeologists. The loss of control of the Thracian-Moesian
area by the Roman armies had the effect of their economic isolation, the slowing or cessation of
commercial activities and, not least, a disruption in the supply of new currency. It can be assumed,
therefore, that at certain times the local monetary market was based solely on the stock of old
currency, the transactions being minimized. The chronology of events that have affected the two
cities is still disputed. While the fate of Histria is explicitly mentioned in the Historia Augusta by the
term excidium, the ancient sources do not provide relevant data for this period about Tomis.
In support of completing the sequence on the situation of the two cities, we appealed to the
numismatic data through a comparative statistic analysis of the monetary finds in Histria and Tomis
in the interval of AD 238-282. Our observations are based on two groups of coins almost equal in size
but with different chronological distribution, as follows: 140 antoniniani and 32 provincial coins
(Histria), face to 143 antoniniani, a denarius and 44 provincial coins (Tomis). The different
percentages of their presence on the two monetary markets at certain times show a different
chronological order of events, such as the financial collapse and the return to normal economic life.
83. Milen Ivanov
 King Rhesus and his Mountain Cave
The paper researches into the ancient Thracian religiousness in the perspective of a few verses from
the tragedy “Rhesus”, supposed to have been written by Euripides. They tell about the anticipated
posthumous being of the Thracian ruler when he will become an anthropo-daimon and a prophet of
Dionysus in the caves of the Mount Pangaion. Some more literary evidence in Homer, Philostratus
and Parthenius may be further added, in which the figure of the king has been related to the horse
and the chariot. In this line Rhesus has been considered as an archetype of the Thracian hero from
the Roman age. Philostratus’ text about Rhesus as a hero of the Rhodope mountains and his sacred
place, is of considerable importance. A parallel could be drawn between the written evidence, and
the iconography of the Thracian rider, emphasizing on the specific nature of the cultic topos. These
sacred places, as well as other similar places, described in the ancient tradition, find their analogues
in the rock topoi of faith-and-ritualism in South-East Europe and Asia Minor. At the same time, there
is evidence of Apollonian type of religiousness, related to Orpheus, again in the Mount Pangaion, as
well as in ancient Thrace in general. Based on interdisciplinary analysis, the paper presents one more
step in the study and understanding of the ancient Thracian religiousness, considered also as a
synthesis of the Dionysian and the Apollonian principles and features.
84. Georgi Ivanov
“Grooved” Decoration In The Western Part Of The Lower Danube Region
85. Hristina Ivanova
(German Archaeological Institute Athens / Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany)
 Apollonia of Pontus and Thrace and the allocation of its weight standards
The foundation of the earliest apoikia on the Thracian coast of the Black Sea, Apollonia, is said to
have been set in motion by Miletus or Anaximander. Although the stories don’t coincide
chronologically, they firmly attest the importance of a connection to Ionia.
The impact of these mythoi and the link to the south are visible in both archaeological finds and
various iconographical depictions. Maintaining the tradition of foreign origin, split between a span of
Thrace and the Pontic coast, locates the polis in a position to develop adaptable fiscal system and
respectively weight standards. Those correspond to public finance and state administration, vaguely
known from this polis. A reexamination of the coin standards provides data about the orientation of
the economic interest of the polis. The occurrence of changes in the weight system sheds light to
references to traditional relations or historical events.
This summarized review of the weight standards of the coinage of Apollonia reveals the
correspondence to and from surrounding regions. Alongside with the distribution of hoards they
represent the outlines of a polis’ alliances. This leads to the answer of the question of Apollonia
being attributed to the Pontic (as in the “Thoudippos’ decree”) or to the Thracian region.
86. Miroslav Iliev Izdimirski
 Deported Paeonians in Achaemenid Empire as kurtaš – Workers
In this article I would like to reexamine the information in Herodotus for the deportation of
Paeonians in the Achaemenid Empire. I will put the evidence in the context of the mass deportations
of people, and whole families like workers – kurtaš from different origin in the Persian Empire. They
were war captives and worked in the Royal estates, and also in the economic structures of Persian
noblemen like the satraps. The Paeonians were settled in Anatolia in one ‘kome kai hora’ as workers
in Persian estates (royal or satrapal) and worked in agriculture. The ethological myth for the hard-
working paeonian women clearly states that Paeonian workers were settled in the Persian provinces
‘tayaiy drayahya’ (Hellespontine Phrygia) and ‘sparda’ (Sardis, Lydia). Some of the Paeonian workers
probably were settled in Persis and Elam and named Iškudra / Skudra in the Persepolis Fortification
Tablets and Old Persian Inscriptions. With the ethnonym Skudrians (in Old Persian language) were
described the Thracians and probably also the Phrygians.
Babylonian Texts
(co-authors: Kabalan Moukarzel, Miroslav Izdimirski)
In this paper we would like to examine some sources about the Skudra people in the Achaemenid
Empire. They are mentioned in the Akkadian versions of some Achaemenid Royal inscriptions, and
also in a few Late-Babylonian documents. Our first aim is to review the passages mentioning the
ethnonym itself and its social context.
Separately we investigate the mentions of Skudrians in Achaemenid royal inscriptions like dependent
people of Persian crown.
All this we relate with the ethnonym Skudra as dependent people – workers in Achaemenid Royal
estates attested in the Persepolis Fortification Tablets. We discuss the current state of actual
knowledge about the ethnicity of this group which appears in edited and non-edited cuneiform texts
from the Persepolis Fortifications.
87. Michaela Jordanova
 Asclepius Rasuprenos (IGBulg. III/1, 1185) – Some Notes on the Possible Reinterpretation
One of the witnessed appellations of the Heros Asclepius from the big sanctuary near Batkun is
Rasuprenos (IGBulg. III/1, 1185). According to the interpretation of Dechev the first part of this
appellation contains the personal Rhasos, as a parallel form of Rhesos. In this line of thought it makes
impression also the noticed analogy between the mythologemes of Rhesos and the Thracian Heros.
The first line of approximation stems from the linguistic fact that both Rhesos and Heros are not
personal names but appellatives, most likely synonymous, meaning “lord”, “ruler” and from here also
“king”. This conclusion creates the opportunity of interpreting in a new light the semantics of the
relief images of the Heros with the help of restored structural cores of the primary myth for Rhesos.
The hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that the name Rhesos in its Thracian transcription is most
likely an ancient cult name. It is preserved in the epic, but it is not attested in the epigraphic
monuments of the cult. Additional proof to the theses is the fact that the reliefs whose vocative part
contains the formula kurios hērōs are witnessed in the sanctuaries of Asclepius Zelmidrenos located
in the northern slope of the Rhodopes (Izvor, Batkun, Philippopolis), the district where, according to
the belief, is the Heroon of Rhesos. According to the map of Kazarov, the Rhodopi district with its
surrounding territories is the region with the highest density of findings of votive tiles with images of
the Thracian Heros. Thus there is a belief for the Thracian Heros that, being powerful to take the soul
of the man to the underworld, he is able also to repel every disease and mortal danger, thus getting
aspects of healer, similar to those of Rhesos and Asclepius, from where most probably originates the
iconographic approximation of the myth-ritual complexes.
88. Lenče Jovanova
(Skopje, Macedonia)
 Thracian influence in the Roman colony Scupi and the Skopje-Kumanovo region
In this paper I will examine the relations between the Roman colony Scupi, more precisely the Skopje
– Kumanovo region, on the one hand, and the Thracian area that belonged to the Roman provinces
of Thrace and Moesia Inferior, on the other. My analysis is mostly based on the different forms and
aspects of Thracian influence recognized in the onomastic data, beliefs, funeral rituals, and
archeological findings.
The presence of Thracian settlers in Scupi, i.e. in the Skopje – Kumanovo region, is evident by the
onomastic data, especially the anthroponyms. In this context, of special significance is the
appearance of the cognomen Bessus on a few inscriptions, as an ethnonym through which the
bearers of the name highlighted their origin from the Thracian tribe of Bessi. Beside the onomastic
testimonials, the presence of Thracian settlers or influences is also confirmed by the religious belief
in Thracian deities such as the Thracian god Zbelsurdos (Zbelsurdus, Zbeltiurdus), and the so-called
Thracian Horseman (Thracian Hero). There are a few votive reliefs from the Skopje – Kumanovo
region that depict a Thracian Horseman. Votive monuments devoted to the god Zbelsurdos who is
identified with Zeus or Jupiter are most often erected from the members of the military.
Various elements found in burial rites also indicate Thracian influence. This is especially evident in
graves where cremation was performed. The presence of carbonized fruits, as part of the funeral
rites, can also be interpreted in the same manner. Furthermore, Thracian influences can be observed
in the material culture, mostly in the burial gifts found in the graves from Scupi’s city necropolis.
Typically Thracian elements are recognizable in handmade ceramic, rectangular sacrificial vessels
(kernoi), wooden toilet caskets, parts of dismantling chairs, and similar. I believe that all these
findings confirm that the Thracian settlers did not give up on their identity and stayed faithful to the
deities form their homeland. They continued to practice and respect their old customs, beliefs, and
rites in their new environment.
89. Hazar Kaba
(Sinop University, Turkey)
 Comparing the Luxurious Metal Vessel Acquisition Patterns of Thracian aAnd Cypriot
Elites During the Classical Period
A burial chamber of a tomb complex that was discovered in 2005 in the necropolis of Soloi in Cyprus
yielded an aristocratic family burial with a rich repertory of artefacts. This rich repertory comprised
finds such as gold jewellery and metal vessels along with many other artefacts. Among the finds of
this burial, dated to the mid 4th century B.C., especially a symposium set of bronze, silver and gold
gilt vessels attracts attention. Owing to this symposium set, nowadays Cyprus could also be placed
amongst the areas, such as ancient Thrace and Macedonia, that supply us with valuable information
related to luxurious metal vessels.
This symposium set and the vessels that constitute it, points to the presence of a wide network that
once stretched from Athens to Thrace and Macedonia and was used by the Solian aristocracy for
obtaining luxurious symposium vessels. This paper will compare the patterns used by the Solian
aristocracy for acquiring luxurious metal vessels with the known Thracian patterns. With this
comparison it is aimed to contextualize the “acquisition patterns for luxurious vessel” of the Solian
and Thracian elite during the Classical Period, to reveal the similarities and differences between the
two patterns as well as to understand the reasons behind this conjecture.
90. Gergana Kabakchieva
 Die Antike Siedlung bei Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak
(co-authors: Gergana Kabakchieva, Krasimira Stefanova-Georgieva)
Die Untersuchungen der antiken Siedlung bei Stadt Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak sind während der 80-
er Jahren des 20.Jahrhundert durchgeführt. Nach der Ergebnissen der archäologischen Ausgrabungen
sind drei Bauperiode festgestellt: die erste – von der hellenistischen Zeit; die zweite – von der
spätrömischen Zeit und die dritte – von der spätantiken Zeit.
Die früheste Spuren von der Besiedlung auf diese Stelle sind mit einem Kultgebäude verbunden. Man
datiert sie in der Blütezeit der thrakischen Kultur im Kazanlak Tal. Die Baureste und die Funde der
reich verzierten Dachziegeln nehmen sich mit großem Interesse an.
Nach einer langen unbesiedelten Periode ist einer Militärstützpunkt an dieser Stelle gebaut worden,
der der Weg nach dem Schipka Pass gestützt hat. In der Regierungszeit von Tetrarchie sind hier
Civilleute auch besiedelt. Damals ist eines eigenes Teil für die Soldaten erreicht. Die Siedlung
bewährt ihre militärische Funktion bis zum Ende der Antike. Durch dieser Zeit ist die
Umwehrungsanlage einige Malen renoviert. Das Leben dieser Festung beendet sich in der letzten
Viertel des 6. Jahrhundert n.Chr.
91. Maya Kashuba
(Institute for History of Material Culture, St. Petersburg, Russia)
 "Thrakische Hallstatt" im Nördlichen Schwarzmeergebiet. Auf der Begriff, der Kultur und
der modernen Forschung
In allen Konzepten wird Osteuropa als ein einheitlicher Raum mit gleichmäßigem Entwicklungstempo
betrachtet. Die archäologischen Quellen zeigen aber ein vollkommen anderes Bild unterschiedlichen
kulturhistorischen Rhythmen. Das östliche Karpatenvorland zum Ende der Bronzezeit und zum
Beginn der frühen Eisenzeit von Trägern der verschiedenen archäologischen Kulturen, die aus dem
Karpatenbecken, dem mittleren und dem unteren Donauraum stammen, besiedelt war. In ihren
Herkunftsgebieten entsprechen sie chronologisch den Stufen HaA bis HaD. Deswegen werden sie in
der rumänischen Forschungstradition “Hallstattkulturen” genannt. In der russischsprachigen
akademischen Welt wurde zu der Sowjetzeit für ihre östlichen Gebiete der Begriff “thrakisches
Hallstatt” verwendet. Heutzutage wird dieser Begriff nicht mehr gebraucht. Es geht in der Forschung
um diese Hallstattzeitlichen Kulturen des Karpaten-Donau-Raumes und nicht um die Hallstattkultur
Mitteleuropas. Die Rede ist von drei Hallstattzeitlichen Kulturen und einer Kulturgruppe. In dem
Vortrag werde ich die wichtigsten Merkmale dieser Kulturen präsentieren. Die technologischen
Innovationen, die die Träger der Kulturen im Nordpontikum am Ende des 2. Jt. v. Chr. gebracht
haben, werden auch beschreiben (Die Forschung wird durch die Russische Stiftung für Geistes- und
Sozialwissenschaften (RGNF), Projektnummer 15-31-10162а(ц) unterstützt).
92. Veselka Katsarova
(National Archaeological Institute, Bulgaria)
 The Sanctuary of the Nymphs and Aphrodite near village Kasnakovo - between myths and
reality
New archaeological exploration (2007-2016) of the site known as the Sanctuary of the nymphs and
Aphrodite, near the village Kasnakovo, revealed a large architectural complex of Roman times. It
consists of seven lavishly decorated buildings with various functions (residential, religious, hygienic,
etc.) and spans on an area of approximately 15 acres. Archaeological excavations took place in three
of these buildings. At the current stage of research there is a conspicuous lack of artifacts or finds,
related to the cult of the nymphs and to Aphrodite. The results of the investigations lead to
suggestion about a private sanctuary in a villa of wealthy family with Thracian origin. Some of the
features of Kasnakovo architectural complex are comparable to two of the famous examples of
Roman villas in present day Bulgaria - Chatalka and Armira.
The construction activities around the spring of nymphs started not earlier than the middle of the
2nd century. All buildings are constructed according to a single concept and plan. In the middle of the
3rd century some of these buildings are destroyed. One of the residential buildings reveals multiple
renovations and habitation there continued until the middle of the 4th century, when the
architectural complex Kasnakovo is abandoned.
93. Nadezhda Kecheva
 The Reality Before Seuthopolis: Early Iron Age Life in the Kazanlak Valley
(co-authors: Nadezhda Kecheva, Georgi Nekhrizov)
The report aims at characterizing the cultural development in the Kazanlak valley in the first half of
the Ist mill. BC. The goal is to present the settlement system before the region transformation into a
center of a Thracian state organization that happened after 4th c. BC. Main sources are the results of
the systematic archaeological surveys that have been conducted since 2009 using modern methods
for non-destructive surveys and application of GIS technologies. Data is also gathered from the few
excavated EIA sites, isolated finds or single artifacts uncovered by the excavations of later sites.
Spatial analysis using GIS technologies allows for drawing the dynamics of the settlement life in the
Kazanlak valley in the period 11th – 6th c. BC. The results from the trial excavations on some EIA
settlements provide data for sketching out their internal organization. The EIA burials, though few in
number, allows also to infer about the funerary rites during the period and to compare with those
from the LIA, attested by a numerous excavated complexes.
94. Petya Kirilova
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 The Dolmen in the Locality Kliftinova niva – 40 Years Later (poster)
(co-authors: Petya Kirilova, Todor Valchev)
In 1973 – 1976 Prof. Ivan Venedikov and Prof. Alexnader Fol from the Institute of Thracology
organized two expeditions: “Sakar” and “Apolonia – Strandzha”. The aim of the projects was to visit
and report all known and preserved dolmens in the Sdrandzha and Sakar Mountains. During the two
projects, 98 dolmens were visited and 5 dolmens were excavated.
One of these dolmens was situated in the locality Kliftinova niva near the village of Sakartsi, present
Haskovo district. It was excavated in 1974 and 1976. The dolmen has a rectangular chamber and
dromos, with huge stone blocks in front. During the excavations of the dolmen, pieces from hand-
made and wheel-made pottery were found, as well as parts from two bronze fibulae.
The aim of the report is to show the results from the old archaeological excavations in a new light.
Development of our knowledge about Thracian culture and megalithic monuments allows us to have
a new point of view about the dolmen in locality Kliftinova niva and its place in the world of Ancient
Thracians.
95. Slavcho Kirov
(Université Bordeaux Montaigne, France)
 Le passé thraco-phrygien à la lumière de l‟inscription RIMA, 2, A.0.100.5, 115b-127
Une nouvelle attestation du passé commun, par ailleurs connu depuis l’Antiquité, entre les peuples
d’Europe et ceux d’Asie Mineure, peut être discernée à travers les Annales du roi assyrien Tukultī-
Ninurta II (890-884 a.C.). La restitution du nom de la cité Pīruna, tenant une position clef au pays des
Mušku, permet de souligner à la fois la proximité linguistique et culturelle avec la capitale des Maides
en Thrace et au-delà d’apporter un nouvel exemple confirmant l’existence d’une entité
ethnoculturelle des deux côtés du Bosphore vers la fin de l’Age de Bronze.
96. Marina Koleva
(Institute of Art Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Greek Myths, Roman Art and Thracians
Among the sculptural monuments from Moesia Inferior and Thrace occur such depicting plots from
Greek mythology, associated with Apollo, Dionysos, Zeus, Artemis, and Heracles. On the one hand,
these monuments provide an opportunity to study the nature of Roman art in those provinces and to
compare it to the art attested in other parts of the Empire. The finds also make possible to trace the
reproduction of iconography, of models current in Roman Imperial art, and featured in the two
provinces. On the other hand, they present an opportunity to extract information about the
provincial settings in which they functioned. The inscriptions associated with some of the depictions
make known some of the makers and some of the users of those monuments, including also some of
Thracian decent. By and large, this is an inquiry into the reception of Greek culture and art, redefined
during the Roman Age, within a particular provincial setting.
97. Dobriela Kotova
 GYNE und SYMBIOS: Die Erinnerung an die Ehefrau in den griechischen Grab- und
Votivinschriften aus Thrakien
Als Medien der Erinnerung verfasst, leiten die Grab- und Votivinschriften ein persönliches und
selektives Bild des vergangenen Lebens weiter und wecken Emotionen.
Der Beitrag setzt sich mit dem Problem auseinander, inwiefern die Grab- und Votivinschriften der
römischen Zeit aus Thrakien eine Aussagekraft hinsichtlich der Familien-Verhältnisse und der sozialen
Stellung der Frau besitzen. Analysiert werden vor allem epigraphische Texte in griechischer Schrift,
was aber den Vergleich mit lateinischen Inschriften nicht ausschließt. Dabei ist die Frage nach der
emotionalen Seite der sozialen Verhältnisse vom besonderen Interesse. Darüber hinaus ist es
interessant zu untersuchen was aus der gemeinsamen Vergangenheit dem Mann, der Frau und den
Verwandten wichtig war, für die Zukunft auf einem Stein festzuhalten. Im Fokus der Überlegungen
stehen zwei Begriffe, die die Ehefrau und das gemeinsame Leben bezeichnen: "Gyne" und "Symbios".
Im Hinblick auf ihre unterschiedliche geographische Verbreitung wird der Versuch gemacht ihren
Gebrauch zu erklären und zu diskutieren, ob sie den gleichen rechtlichen und emotionalen Inhalt zum
Ausdruck bringen oder auf verschiedene soziale Gegebenheiten beruhen.
98. Jeffrey Lerner
(Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, USA)
 The Persian Conquest of Thrake and Skudra
In c. 514-512 BCE Dareios I undertook his Pontic expedition against the Skythians as part of his plan
to turn the Aegean into a Persian Lake. Once across the Hellespont, he marched through Thrake,
whereupon he encountered various Thrakian tribes.
From the end of the campaign to the early years of the Ionian Revolt in 497-496 BCE, no Persian
general undertook an inland expedition in Thrake. The sole exception was Megabazos, who in 510
BCE obtained earth and water from the Makedonian king Amyntas and extended Persian authority to
Thessaly and some of the islands. Under Xerxes’ general Mardonios in 492 BCE the Persians initiated
a program to reconquer as many Greek cities as possible in Europe that had fallen out of their hands
since Megabazos’ earlier campaign.
In the immediate aftermath of Xerxes’ unsuccessful invasion against the Greeks in 479 BCE, a period
of political turmoil ensued in Thrake marked by the rapid appearance in the archaeological record
along with epigraphic and numismatic material of a series of tribes undergoing the burgeoning
process of state formation. The process of state formation appears to mirror the degree to which
Persian presence was or was not directly involved in particular regions of the country. Xerxes’
invasion seems to have stymied this trend, except for a few tribes.
The difficulty in understanding the status of Thrake in the Persian empire lies in the fact that there is
no known cognate in the Old Persian texts that resembles the Greek form of the name. It is not
known whether Thrake was a satrapy, province, or frontier region. The standard interpretation is to
regard the country as a satrapy and denoted by the Persian name “Skudra.” Unfortunately, the only
documents that we possess from the Achaemenids is a rather small corpus of inscriptions that
contain the names of lands and peoples in the Achaemenid Empire.
It has long been noted that depictions of Skudrians and various Skythians are similar. Skudrians have
been identified as Phrygians, and were thus “Phrygian” or “(Asian) Thrakian” who could easily have
migrated to Thrake where the Persians would have recognized them as European Sakai. Others find
the identity of Skudra in the Naqsh-i Rustam inscription, and conclude that the “Saka across the sea”
were in Europe near the Black Sea, or should be identified as a Thrakian tribe. Still others seek to
locate them in Central Asia and equate them with the Dahā mentioned in Xerxes’ Persepolis
inscription. Finally, in Dareios’ lists, Skudra is often situated in conjunction with the two groups that
comprise the Yaunā.
This paper will argue that a reexamination of the source tradition reveals that a qualitative and
quantitative differentiation of the name Thrake/Skudra exists and should be understood as a
designation of different peoples in different places at different times. In making this distinction, we
also gleam some insight into how Dareios and Xerxes understood one aspect of the Persian Wars.
99. Lyuben Leshtakov
 A Bronze Spoked Wheel from Varna and it's relation to Thracian Religion (poster)
(co-authors: Lyuben Leshtakov, Stavri Topalov)
The article discusses two bronze items and their relation to the Thracian cult practices during the
Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. A bronze spoked wheel has been found by treasure hunters
in the vicinity of Aksakovo, near Varna. It was part of the so called „Kesselwagen“ or „Kultwagen“.
Sometimes these artefacts were decorated with bird protomes. Such bronze protome was found
again in the vicinity of Varna. It is decorated with numerous notches which depict the plumage and
has a rivet at its base for fastening to another, bigger item.
These finds are unique for the teritory of modern Bulgaria. Until now there were no data about the
existence of „Kultwagen“ in Ancient Thrace. However their emergence is not unexpected since
similar items are known from the neighboring countries, Serbia and Romania. These finds allow us to
compare some cult practises from Central or Western Europe and those in Thrace during the Late
Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The state of research shows that such similarities exist also in
other areas of the cult such as the so called „rondel enclosures“. Thus it seems that the early
Thracian beliefs had some common traits with the beliefs of the other tribes inhabiting different
parts of the European continent during the Bronze Age.
100. Marija Ljuština
(University of Belgrade, Serbia )
the Turn of New Era
(co-authors: Marija Ljuština, Jelena Cvijetić)
The region of Southwestern Serbia and Northern Montenegro is generally rich in archaeological sites
from late prehistory. The greatest number of tumular burials belongs to the final horizon of the First
Iron Age/Hallstatt period. It is under no doubt that in the Late Hallstatt the area was an integral part
of the cultural complex Glasinac – Mati. In spite of the fact that ethnic attribution of the complex was
Illyrian in a wider sense, some of the graves have specific material (e. g. pottery of Basarabi style, a
fibula of Thracian type) connected with the north-Thracian cultural circle. What strikes us as odd is
that the latest date of the prehistoric finds from the region can be the 3rd century BC. The following
centuries BC left almost no trace in an archaeological sense.
Funerary practice, epigraphic material and historical sources from the centuries at the turn of the
new millennium reveal potential presence of varied ethnical entities (Celtic, Thracian). According to
epigraphic monuments from this area, a significant number of Roman officials had names of Thracian
origin. The presence of certain elements of Thracian funerary practices and epigraphic confirmation
of Thracian personal names during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD refers to the mines in the area of
present day Northern Montenegro and Southwestern Serbia.
101. Ivaylo Lozanov
 Nicopolis ad Nestum: between Mark Antony and Trajan
This paper aims to present further arguments on the date of the foundation of Nicopolis ad Nestum
on the southwest border of provincia Thracia. Complex analysis of the archaeological information
and the written sources compared to recently published Roman military fleet diplomas from AD 142
strongly associate the city’s foundation with the aftermath of emperor Trajan’s victorious campaigns
against the Parthae in the East in AD 116.
102. Sasha Lozanova
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Architectural Images in Antique Coins from Bulgarian Lands (poster)
(co-authors: Sasha Lozanova, Stela Tasheva)
The proposed report will be focused on images of architectural objects, their features, semantics and
symbolism, which were depicted on ancient coins from Bulgarian lands. The considered artefacts,
stored in our museum and private collections, will cover the period between the 6th century BC and
the 5th century AD.
The rich Bulgarian heritage of ancient coins is a long-standing subject of scholarly interest from
thracologists, archaeologists, numismatists, historians and others. Architectural images were also
being investigated in their publications, following their specific author’s perspectives. As a new
approach, this report will attempt to systematize the architectural images in semiotic and functional
plan and will use an interdisciplinary research mode.
103. Vanya Lozanova-Stantcheva
 Ancient Thracia and the Thracians as paradigm of otherness and other in Old-Attic
comedy
The paper examines the paradigm of the relation-interpretation of the ancient Thracian world and
the Thracians applied by classical Old-Attic culture, and accordingly by the Old-Attic comedy in
constructing the polis identity of the Athenian citizens.
The Otherness is – in general – the result of a discursive process in which the dominant group (We)
constructs one or more dominated groups (They, Other) by stigmatization of difference – real or
imaginary, presented as a denial of identity, but also as a motive for potential discrimination.
A conclusion is proposed that Ancient Thrace, transformed and reduced to dramaturgical and
cultural topos, was interpolated in the Old-Attic comedy so as to materialise the system of otherness
and to be modelled as a paradigm of otherness, but also as an effort to overcome it by constructing
models of increasing closeness.
104. Kalin Madzharov
 Trading post at Rousse? - the evidence of the amphora stamps
During the excavations of the pit complex in Rousse in 1977–1978 and 2005–2016 were found 47
amphora stamps (Heraclea – 2, Sinope – 6, Rhodes – 26, Cnidus – 2, undefined centers – 2,
anepigraphic – 9). They date from the first quarter of the 3rd to the second half of the 1st century BC.
About 20 % of the amphora stamps, found in Rousse belong to local production centres and date to
the 2-nd – 1-st century BC. The main part of the import of amphorae within the interior of
Northeastern Thrace was implemented along the river Danube and its floatable tributaries. Emporia
existed on important points along the riverbank, where the transportation of the amphora tare along
the Danube tributaries towards the centers in the interior was organized. Such an emporium is
identified at Satu Nou, and according to indirect data the existence of such redistribution centers is
presumed near the mouths of the rivers Yantra and Krapinets. The recently increasing number of
amphora stamps, discovered inside the basins of the rivers Beli Lom and Cherni Lom allows a
precautious presumption for the existence of such an emporium in the area of Rousse, close to the
mouth of the Roussenski Lom river.
105. Penka Maglova
(Space Research and Technology Institute, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria)
 Lights and shadows in cult monuments of the Thracian civilization: astronomy and
calendar (poster)
(co-authors: Alexey Stoev, Penka Maglova, Mina Spasova )
The history of astronomy in the prehistoric era is associated with observations of the horizon (so
called "Horizontal astronomy"), i.e. with fixing points on the horizon from one observation point.
Later, in the first appeared architectural structures, astronomical knowledge began to "embed" by
observing a bright projection that extends into the interior of the facility.
In Antiquity, astronomy became a tool for embedding in architectural and religious facilities
characteristic angles such as latitude, tilt of the ecliptic, etc. Some researchers are trying to establish
a link between the size of the facilities and religious and speculative knowledge system for the
respective culture and epoch. Knowledge of astronomy generates an interest in the general
categories of space and time at a very early stage of human development. It is an undisputable fact
that the first complex calendar entries appeared as early as in the Paleolithic.
Thracian tombs and temples are the only almost completely preserved representatives of
monumental religious architecture in Thrace from Antiquity. Almost all of them are buried in tombs
and thus were preserved until today. In Bulgaria there are over 50,000 such Thracian mounds, of
which have been explored only about 500. Similar to the Thracian mounds and tombs are also found
in the northern Black Sea shore, near the Caucasus, in Asia Minor and Central Asia.
The mechanism for incorporation of lights and shadows in religious monuments (mound temples and
tombs) is shown in the article. Archaeoastronomical hypothesis for light calendar effects is associated
with the position of the sun (or moon) on the axis of the facility, between the centers of two
entrances or right on the axis of a corridor. This axis is marked by the middle of the lower outer edge
of the lintel (upper threshold, which is projected) in the desired lower point – middle of the lower
threshold (step or artificial marker). By selecting appropriate "foster markers" that must meet certain
objective criteria, it is quite possible to detect calendar dependencies with the sun. Moreover, in
certain cases, astronomical dating of the site is possible – using the height of the sun during the
winter solstice.
Search for horizontal and vertical "astronomical" angles in the cult premises, often in dimentions
expressed in whole numbers, represents a major difficulty in coordination with the new hypothesis
for gnomon projections in the axis. At first glance, the design of bright or dark projection contradicts
the very principles for planning an architectural object. Complication is associated with the prior
requirement for fitting of integer number of units (along the central corridor) with the length of the
horizontal projection of sunlight, in a specific calendar date, i. e. there is a theoretical and practical
difficulty in fitting the measuring unit with the height of the entrance of the facility (additionally,
orientations almost always are not just in the south – in the meridian, but with deviations).
 Megalithic and rock-cut monuments: geometry, modules, categories (poster)

(co-authors: Alexey Stoev, Mina Spasova, Penka Maglova)
The theory of categories is a mathematical attempt to reveal the fundamental principles common to
various fields of science. By definition, the category is a special class of uniform mathematical
structures (groups, linear spaces, topological spaces) and the relations between them.
The report presents basic concepts and structures of the theory of categories used in the description
of megalithic and rock-cut monuments. Object of the investigation is the essence of the process of
formation of shapes during the emergence and development of the megalithic culture. An attempt is
made to define the categories of "form" and "surroundings" of the range of megalithic monuments
from the Eneolithic Age and later. The basic laws and regulations of the shapes' formation are
exposed - systematization, structuring and designing the geometry of the shapes of megalithic
monuments from the ancient builders.
An example of systematization and classification of shapes and spatial relations of the megalithic
monuments in prehistoric times is presented. There are noted the basic principles and methods of
organization and building associated with horizons of development of mathematical and
astronomical knowledge of people about the world around them. Moreover, the basic rules of
creating shapes made by ancient builders of megalithic structures are probably based on their
knowledge of the organization of forms in living and non-living nature.
It has been defined the notion "structure of megaliths and their constructions" as a set of
interconnections to ensure the integrity of the megalith and its strength and durability. Structural
types of megaliths have been identified with specific structural types. It is shown that one and the
same structure may be realized by various constructions - monolithic, skeletal, rock-cuts, and
through a variety of ways of constructing. Proposed is the following hierarchy of megalithic
structures: while the system is the quantity of items and quantity of relationships between them, the
structure is qualitatively sustainable organization of the elements of a particular type of system,
subordinated to certain regularities and interaction with the natural environment and the society.
The structure implemented realization of its primary purpose through various modes of operation
and different types of structures.
In this sense, the report proposes to understand the concept of dynamic structure of megalithic
monument, which means that it is characterized not only with space but also with time parameters.
Weather parameters are cyclicity and duration of existence of the megalith, its connectivity with
various cults and cult practices. For those of megaliths and rock-cut monuments related to specific
astronomical practices, it is necessary to add seasonal occurrences of the observed heavenly bodies
(sunrises and sunsets, culminations, conjunctions) to time parameters.
106. Andrei Magureanu
 A discussion about understanding what pottery can tell
Lower Danube basin covers, from geographical point of view, the north part of Balkan Peninsula. In
Late Antiquity here was the contact zone between roman world and barbarians coming from either
from steppe regions, either from forest zone of the East Europe.
There were many cultural influences between those two worlds. From this point, pottery can be seen
as one of most expressing one.
The hand made ceramic is seen as reflecting a tradition forgotten by roman potters. In the same
time, wheel made ceramic is seen as a superior technology proving roman influences in the barbarian
zone.
But a closer look to ceramic discoveries dated in Late Antiquity can tell us a lot more.
 Cultural exchanges in the Lower Danube area in Late Antiquity

(co-authors: Andrei Magureanu, Bogdan Ciuperca)
Lower Danube area is a region split it between two worlds: Roman Empire and Barbaricum. Even
those worlds seem to be antagonistic, as the written sources try to make us believe, in fact the
situation look to be quite an opposite one.
In this paper we try to explain, from an archaeological point of view, the cultural exchanges between
those two worlds, starting from the lowest level of discussion like kitchen ware (hand made pottery)
till the highest level like Christianization.
From a chronological point of view, the discussion is going in the time span of 4th – 7th centuries, the
time when Europe, as we know it today, was born, Lower Danube being a cradle of nations.
107. Despina Măgureanu
 Craft and creativity. A discussion on several Geto-Dacian belt buckles (poster)
(co-authors: Despina Măgureanu, Sebastian Matei)
Several finds belonging to the costume were brought to light by archaeological research in the dava
type settlement at Cârlomănești, Buzău County. Among these, belt buckles can be regarded as
special items.
Our approach is intended to outline the biography of these special finds, marking the similarities and
differences between them. The skillfulness and creativity of the craftsmen can be viewed by
reconstructing the operational chain of making the belt buckles, by observing what materials they
choose and by studying their decoration technique.
Noticed in the literature as a significant piece for the Late Latène set of clothing adornments, the belt
buckles are considered, according to the archaeological context, either as a part of women dress
garniture, or as a part of the warrior’s panoply.
We will try to establish if the appearance of these finds in the dava type settlements and their
ornamentation can be seen as a reference to a polysemantic symbolism existing within the Geto-
Dacian society in the late Iron Age.
 Evidence of non-ferrous metallurgy in the Geto-Dacic extra-Carpathic area.
In diverse sites of Latène epoch were discovered different tools used to produce non-ferrous
artifacts. Moulds, crucibles, small tools like piles or anvils, usually insignificant from a typological
point of view, represent the evidence for local production.
This paper tries to gather all the available data that can be useful for an understanding of the process
of this kind of production, but, most of all, to reconstruct how the production area may have looked
and its place in the topography of the Geto-Dacian settlement.
This kind of demarche can complete the information about the non-ferrous metallurgy and bring new
hypotheses on understanding this important part of artisan activity in the time of the Geto-Dacian
classical epoch (2nd-1st century B.C.).
108. Flora Manakidou
 Quelques aspects des “Abderites” par C.M. Wieland (Geschichte der Abderiten):
réflexions sur la relation entre Antiquité classique et Europe modern
Wieland fut un penseur original et influent de la vie culturelle allemande du XVIII siècle et après,
élève d’esprit de Socrate et classiciste qui produisit des œuvres inspirés par l’Antiquité gréco-
romaine. Son livre sur les Abdérites (1774-1780) explore son connaissance des penseurs Grecs et
Latins afin de critiquer les folies de ses contemporains Allemands. Démocrite, Hippocrate et Euripide
se présentent comme un miroir du savant cosmopolite qui est obligé de se mêler avec la petitesse
d’une communauté. Abdère dévient symbole d’une communauté philistine des esprits bornés, de
démagogues, pénétrée de bêtise, de manipulation. Cette allégorie fondée sur le monde ancien offre
une contemplation sur la nature humaine et sur le rôle du savant. La présentation se demande
comment Wieland utilise l’idéal classiciste pour critiquer la société européenne contemporaine et s’il
trouve dans les textes classiques un vrai soubassement pour sa propre nature d’un esprit tolérant et
critique.
109. Dragoș Măndescu
(Argeș County Museum, Pitești, Romania)
 Where did they put the akinakes? On the Late Hallstatt Ferigile warriors‟ panoply starting
from the recent discoveries in the necropolis at Valea Stânii
The topic of this paper is firstly based on the evidence of graves with weapons discovered in the
necropolis of Valea Stânii (Țiteşti commune, Argeș county, Romania), most recently investigated
cemetery belonging to the Ferigile group (Late period of the Early Iron Age, 7th-5th centuries BC) in
the sub-Carpathian area of Central-Southern Romania. The archaeological excavations at Valea Stânii
began in 2014 and continues until today (the recent 2016 season with a generous financial support
from the Ministry of Culture), six of the ten explored graves containing weapons (axes, spears, sword,
arrows) as grave goods. The author extrapolates the issue of finding a common pattern of panoply on
all the graves containing weapons in the Late Hallstatt cemeteries belonging to Ferigile group. An
amount of 74 cremation graves with weapons were identified (sealed complexes, well documented)
in nine cemeteries (Cepari, Curtea de Argeș, Ferigile, Rudeni, Teiu, Tigveni- "Babe", Tigveni-
"Pietroasa", Țițești, Valea Stânii). The statistical analysis of the types of weapons and associations
between them reveals the predominant role of the battle-ax and spear, according to an obvious
"Tracian" pattern, and a somewhat less visible "Scythian" influence by arrowheads or akinakes type
swords.
110. Consuelo Manetta
(Italy)
 Architecture and decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis
(co-authors: Consuelo Manetta, Daniela Stoyanova)
The aim of the paper is to present new evidence about the monumental architecture of the basileia
of Seuthopolis, the capital of Seuthes III. The data about the plan of the entrance to the palace and
the few preserved architectural details – a drum with the base and a capital of a Doric column – allow
for the reconstruction of a monumental propylon in Doric order. In addition to the order decoration,
there was also sculptural decoration, as evidenced by a fragment of a marble coffer from a ceiling
with a male head in high relief. Despite its fragmentary state, the coffer finds good parallels in
coffered ceilings from the Late Classical Period, especially with the coffered ceiling of the Ionic
propylon of the Hall of the Choral Dancers in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace, and is
a positive proof of the activity of Greek artists in Thrace. Although preserved only in fragments, the
decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis is of particular importance also for the possibility to
determine more or less precisely its chronology, namely during the creation of the city in c. 315 BC.
111. Metodi Manov
 About the author and the time of the statue of Seuthes III
One of the most significant discoveries of the archaeologist Georgi Kitov and his team in 2004 was
finding the magnificent bronze head from a statue of the Thracian ruler Seuthes III, found just a few
meters from the entrance of the tomb in Golyama Kosmatka mound.
This masterpiece of Hellenism caused immediately after finding it a variety of discussions in Bulgaria
and abroad and still continues to cause. There have been various attempts for reconstruction of the
general appearance of the statue of which was the bronze head and were presented different
opinions in terms of its dating.
In the paper provided it will be confirmed my assumption that the head had been of an equestrian
statue of Seuthes III rather than a conventional as most contemporary researchers consider.
Moreover, in the paper will be given answers to the most important issues related to the making of
this bronze statue, including who was the artist – the author of this masterpiece, who recreated with
details the portrait image of the Thracian ruler Seuthes III in a very expressive style characteristic of
Hellenism. In the paper will be indicated also at whose order was made this magnificent statue. The
other most important issues will also be presented – the exact dating of this statue – exactly when it
was made, where it was made and what exactly place this statue stood. It will be shown for what
reasons and when the head has been separated from the statue of Seuthes III and symbolically
buried in front of the tomb in Golyama Kosmatka mound.
112. Antoniu Tudor Marc
Culture
practices.
113. Elena Marinova
(University of Leuven, Belgium)

Ivanka Hristova)
as settlements.
microregion.
114. Vassil Markov
(South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria)
 Mythological Symbols from the Thracian Megalithic Sanctuaries (poster)
The ancient Thracian megalithic and stone-hewn sacred places are full of symbols closely connected
with the Thracian mythology and ancient cult practices which were typical for this area. Among them
the most numerous are the huge stone-hewn human footprints, which in Bulgarian folklore were
regarded as the footprints of the hero Krali Marko, who was thought of as the guardian of the people
in Bulgaria. In the contemporary science studying Thrace he is believed to have been the folklore
successor of the Thracian Dionysus.
Marking the sacred place with a stone-hewn footstep altar of the hero was an authentic evidence for
the believers in ancient times that the god had been there in primordial mythological times. In this
way, through the contact with the divine, monumental rock turns into a sacred and the place turns
into a sanctuary. The raw becomes boiled, Nature becomes culture.
With the establishment of Christianity as the sole religion in the Roman Empire since 4th century,
some of the Thracian megalithic sanctuaries have been abandoned. Others have been Christianized.
Later, others in the Middle Ages were converted into Islamic sacred places. In this way they became
permanently sacred places on the Balkans. Part of the signs-symbols in them got a new meaning in
the spirit of the new religions.
115. Boryana Markova
 Les Besses et le christianisme
Le présent rapport concerne le thème de la christianisation de la tribu thrace des Besses. Les sources
historiques sont peu nombreuses – deux sources écrites, œuvres des auteurs chrétiens (Paulin de
Nole et Saint Jérôme) et autres cinq sources (Cyrille de Scythopolis, Théodore de Petra, Jean
Moschus, Antonini Placentini Itinerarium, les Actes des Conciles de Constantinople) qui mentionnent
la présence des Besses comme moines en Palestine et à Constantinople.
D’une part l’analyse des témoignages donne de l’information sur la question du convertissement
tardif des Besses au christianisme à la fin du IV siècle et leur participation au monachisme oriental au
V et VI siècle. Les sources parlent en faveur de l’hypothèse de la grande mobilité des Besses à
l’époque de l’Antiquité tardive qui a amené à la création de plusieurs communautés des Besses en
Thrace, en Palestine et en autres régions de l’Empire Romain. Cette hypothèse trouve une autre
preuve dans les données qui proviennent de nombreuses sources épigraphiques qui mentionnent
des Besses comme des soldats présents en Europe, en Asie et en Afrique.
D’autre part l’analyse des sources écrites ne donne aucune information sur la création d’une Bible
des Besses (ce qu’on appelle la Biblia Bessica) dont l’existence est supposée par la plupart des
savants bulgares. La source unique (une homélie de Saint Jean Chrysostome) mentionne l’existence
hypothétique de la Bible traduite en langue thrace mais ne donne aucun témoignage d’un lien
probable d’une Bible créée par les Besses ou d’une Bible qui pourrait être liée avec eux.
En conclusion on peut dire que la question des événements historiques qui font des Besses des
chrétiens ou des moines est d’une grande importance parce qu’elle concerne profondément la
problématique portant sut le développement historique de la Thrace à l’époque de l’Antiquité
tardive.
116. Sebastian Matei
(Buzau, Romania)
 Pietroasa Mică-Gruiu Dării: a particular Dacian cultic centre
(co-authors: Valeriu Sirbu, Sebastian Matei)
Gruiu Dării has a series of unusual features in comparison with other Geto-Dacian discoveries, first of
all by the succession of the types of sites, then by certain categories of the identified complexes. By
the end of the 4th and in the 3rd century BC, also in the second half of the 2nd – early 1st century BC
there was on the Plateau an unfortified settlement, then a fortress in the 1st c. BC, and in the 1st
century AD an important cultic place.
The archaeologists have found only two types of characteristic complexes dated in the 1st century AD
– 69 deposits of the mound type and 6 isolated fireplaces. 53 of the 69 deposits of the mound type
were surrounded by stone rings, while inside there were in situ fireplaces or in fragments; the other
16 deposits had no stone rings. The rings measured 0.40-0.80 m in diameter, and 0.20-0.50 m, the
present height.
The deposits of the mound type display a wide range of burnt pieces of dwellings, together with a
part of their inventory, brought from other settlements. As certain categories of objects are missing
while others are very numerous, one could suppose a certain selection.
Deposing a rich and varied inventory, consisting mainly of artefacts already used, sometimes items
with a great value or very often used, could mean a strong cultic motivation, otherwise it would be
difficult to explain why they gave up such belongings. The essential remark is that no type of
habitations or household annexes dating back to the first century of the Christian era has been
found.
On the unfortified Terrace I, there was no inhabitation complex, but only a great number of deposits,
mount type, similar to those of the Plateau, still having certain particular features, plus some
fireplaces and pits, all of them dated in the first century AD.
Consequently, we could consider there is conclusive evidence to state the existence of an important
sacred enclosure (temenos), a cultic centre, so far unique in its manifestation elements. By analysing
the complex types and their inventory, we will try to identify the order of the rituals, then the
significance of these deposits.
Gruiu Dării is an example testifying the variety of the types of known sacred zones in the 2nd century
BC – 1st century AD in the Geto-Dacian world.
 Craft and creativity. A discussion on several Geto-Dacian belt buckles

(co-authors: Despina Măgureanu, Sebastian Matei) (poster)
Several finds belonging to the costume were brought to light by archaeological research in the dava
type settlement at Cârlomănești, Buzău County. Among these, belt buckles can be regarded as
special items.
Our approach is intended to outline the biography of these special finds, marking the similarities and
differences between them. The skillfulness and creativity of the craftsmen can be viewed by
reconstructing the operational chain of making the belt buckles, by observing what materials they
choose and by studying their decoration technique.
Noticed in the literature as a significant piece for the Late Latène set of clothing adornments, the belt
buckles are considered, according to the archaeological context, either as a part of women dress
garniture, or as a part of the warrior’s panoply.
We will try to establish if the appearance of these finds in the dava type settlements and their
ornamentation can be seen as a reference to a polysemantic symbolism existing within the Geto-
Dacian society in the late Iron Age.
117. Dimitris Matsas
(Institute of Thracian Studies, Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Greece)
 The Mysteries of the Great Gods, Samothrace: Samothracian mythology and the reality of
archaeological research
Samothrace in antiquity was the island of the Mystery Cult of the Great Gods; their initiation rites
promised protection at sea and the opportunity to "become both more pious and more just and
better in every respect than they were before." The nature of the Mysteries’ initiation rites was
secret; today, their power is signaled by the deployment of a series of innovative buildings that once
framed the rites within the sacred landscape of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace, one
of the most important expressions of Hellenistic sacred space in the Aegean. The archaeological
research, since the mid 19th century has explored most of the details of its development without,
however, having much success in connecting the archaeological findings with the associated
information transmitted through the fragmentary literary tradition of the Samothracian mythology.
This paper offers an overview of these rather independent sources of evidence and tries to combine
them; however, neither texts nor archaeology can lift the veil of secrecy covering the mysteries and
the various buildings of the Sanctuary.
118. Sergiu Matveev
(Moldova State University, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova)
 Processing of horn and bones in the early Iron Age in the space between Prut and Dniestr
in light of discoveries from Lipoveni (R. Cimislia, Republic of Moldova) (poster)
(co-authors: Sergiu Matveev, Vlad Vornic)
Archaeological research completed in the last years on the site with multiple levels of dwellings in
Lipoveni (r. Cimislia, R. Moldova) has lead to the discovery of several pieces of horn and bone that
are helpful in demonstrating how the industry of hard animal materials has developed in the
beginning of the Iron Age. If the cultural belonging of this living level on the site near Lipoveni is one
still under discussion, while both forest steppe and steppe characteristics are present, its dating
corresponds largely to the early Iron Age. Namely in this period it is thought that the formation of
early Thracian communities occurred.
The horn and bone landmarks site described here is composed of harnesses, arrowheads, hilts, items
with unknown use, etc. The scope of this communication is to introduce these artifacts in the
scientific circuit and their inclusion in typological schemes existent in the context of similar
discoveries.
Typological analysis and mapping of similar horn and bone items, correlated to other item categories,
especially ceramics and bronze items, would allow to make certain conclusions on chronological
order and cultural background regarding the transition from the late Bronze to the early Iron Age in
the space between the Prut and the Dniestr.
119. Katya Melamed
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Thracians at the foot of Pirin Mountain (poster)
Unreleased results are presented of the archaeological research in the area of Bansko. A Thracian
community has left a pre-Christian sanctuary, and after the adoption of Christianity – a basilica built
upon it, and a Christian necropolis.
The sanctuary is badly destroyed and still containing a good amount of pottery fragments some of
them obviously brought by pilgrims coming from the Rhodopes. This assumption is based upon the
pottery containing talcum – a technology known only in the Rhodopes.
The basilica is of a complicated plan with a chapel – baptistery and stained glass window probably
imported from Nicopolis ad Nestum. The manner of construction reveals the Thracian tradition of
unprocessed stone fixed with soil. The whole construction is far away from the Byzantine standards
of church architecture but close to some other Early Christian Thracian churches in the Rhodopes.
The practices observed in the necropolis show strong memory of the old traditions. The graves are of
various constructions – cists and also tile-roofed, alongside commemorative structures with
fireplaces unknown so far in any other necropolises of the same time. There are not any grave-goods
except for an iron umbo of a shield and a complete bronze belt set of mountings perhaps taken as a
trophy of a Roman officer. The date of the necropolis is from the AD 4th – 5th c. on the grounds of the
belt set as well as the specific hand-made pottery still keeping some features of the Late Iron Age
shapes and decoration.
120. Charilaos Michalopoulos
 Mythical Thrace in Latin poetry
For the Romans, Thrace was a distant and exotic region. This unfriendly and rather unknown land,
despite its distance from Rome, never stopped providing Roman writers with mythical stories of fear,
fantasy and revenge. Various versions of mythical Thrace populate Latin literature from its
beginnings up to Late Antiquity. The mythical Thrace of the Romans is not merely the warlike land of
Mars run by cruel kings and inhabited by barbarous people; it is also a land of wonders inhabited by
suicidal princesses, treacherous heroes, and lovelorn poets. Caught between reality and fantasy
Thrace becomes much more than the conventional backdrop for mythical tales or a leitmotiv in
exotic narratives. The aim of this paper is to examine the multiple transformations and poetic
functions of mythical Thrace in Latin poetry. Special emphasis will be given to the work of poets from
the Augustan (mainly Vergil, Horace, Ovid) and the Flavian age (mainly Martial, Valerius Flaccus).
121. Philip Mihaylov
(Regional Museum of History, Pernik, Bulgaria)
 Glass beads from Dren-Delyan necropolis (archaeological and chemical study)
(co-authors: Philip Mihaylov, Nikoleta Tzankova) (poster)
The Dren-Delyan necropolis is among the largest ones from the 1st millennium BC in the Central
Balkans. The presumed area of the necropolis is about 10 ha. Only 400 m of stone grave complexes
have been studied. The necropolis has two phases – the first one from the 11th – 9th c. BC, and the
second – from the 6th to the 4th c. BC. During the second phase of the necropolis, all graves and ritual
installations were made of stone. This is unusual since in the area there are no stones.
The bodies were cremated outside these installations. Usually, the burned bones and gifts were
deposited onto the stones and rarely put into urns. The grave goods consist mainly of ornaments and
weapons. Glass beads were found only in the graves from the second stage.
Fourteen glass beads were chemically analyzed using SEM-EDS. The obtained compositions allow us
to classify them, except one, as silica-soda-lime or silica/alumina-soda-lime low magnesium glass
beads (LMG) produced with natron as flux. The only exception is the opaque dark green bead with
beige decoration. It is characterized by high contents of K2O and MgO (high magnesium glass-HMG)
which defines it as produced by different raw materials – ashes from salt-tolerant plants.
Surface SEM observations show on most of the analyzed beads phases and heterogeneous sections,
dispersed in the glass mass. They are not completely melted relicts of the raw material from which
the glass is made. Chemical examination of these non-uniformities, along with the chemical
composition of the glass mass, enabled us to define color additives, decolorizing agents and
opacifiers in the studied samples.

122. Biliana Mihaylova
 On the Etymology of some Thracian Glosses
(co-authors: Albena Mircheva, Biliana Mihaylova)
In this talk some of the well-known Thracian glosses as ἄργιλος ‘mouse’; βρυνχός ‘stringed
instrument, guitar’; βρῦτος ‘barley water, beer’; γζντον ‘meat’ and others will be subject to
reconsideration and revision. As a starting point, the most comprehensive to date study of Thracian
glosses from the book of Zh. Velkova (1986) will be used. Information available to date on the above
glosses will be supplemented and updated according to the latest research of specialists in the Paleo-
Balkan and Indo-European linguistics and some alternative etymological solutions will be offered.
123. Petar Minkov
 A Middle Bronze age ceramic jug from tell Rousse (poster)
The present article is dedicated to a jug from the Middle Bronze Age, which was detected last
century during rescue excavation at tell Rousse. Over the last few decades, several suggestions have
been made regarding the chronology of the jug. The suggested dating varies from the Middle to the
Late Bronze Age. A literature review is needed to refine the dating and to provide new information
about the object.
The aim of the paper is to refine the dating of the jug and to determine its cultural context.
This purpose will be accomplished by doing the following:

- a reassessment of the archaeological context of the jug;
- a description of the pottery recovered alongside the cited object during the excavations at tell
Rousse;
- a review of parallels of the jug and comparative analysis.
The main hypothesis of the study is that the jug was an import or a local imitation.
As far as known, after the end of the third phase of the Early Bronze Age, contacts with neighboring
territories were suddenly interrupted or dramatically slowed down. The presence of a find like tell
Rousse’s jug shows that it has been possible to change networks of communications and contacts. It
could indicate a change in location of the preferred tells from Upper Trace to north of the Stara
Planina mountain range. Parts of these processes have already been discussed in the literature. The
jug from tell Rousse is one of the evidence which conceivably emphasizes contact between Anatolia
and Thrace beyond the end of the Early Bronze Age – precisely during the Middle Bronze Age.
124. Albena Mircheva
 On the Etymology of some Thracian Glosses
(co-authors: Albena Mircheva, Biliana Mihaylova)
In this talk some of the well-known Thracian glosses as ἄργιλος ‘mouse’; βρυνχός ‘stringed
instrument, guitar’; βρῦτος ‘barley water, beer’; γζντον ‘meat’ and others will be subject to
reconsideration and revision. As a starting point, the most comprehensive to date study of Thracian
glosses from the book of Zh. Velkova (1986) will be used. Information available to date on the above
glosses will be supplemented and updated according to the latest research of specialists in the Paleo-
Balkan and Indo-European linguistics and some alternative etymological solutions will be offered.
125. Alexandru Morintz
 Balbus, A Roman Surveyor In Dacia (poster)
The poster proposes a new approach of the ancient writing Expositio et ratio omnium formarum,
emphasizing on technical information contained in the text. This information will be analyzed in the
context of available mathematical notions, and in particular geometry, documented by other sources
for the Ist – IInd century AD.
126. Kabalan Moukarzel
Babylonian Texts
(co-authors: Kabalan Moukarzel, Miroslav Izdimirski)
In this paper we would like to examine some sources about the Skudra people in the Achaemenid
Empire. They are mentioned in the Akkadian versions of some Achaemenid Royal inscriptions, and
also in a few Late-Babylonian documents. Our first aim is to review the passages mentioning the
ethnonym itself and its social context.
Separately we investigate the mentions of Skudrians in Achaemenid royal inscriptions like dependent
people of Persian crown.
All this we relate with the ethnonym Skudra as dependent people – workers in Achaemenid Royal
estates attested in the Persepolis Fortification Tablets. We discuss the current state of actual
knowledge about the ethnicity of this group which appears in edited and non-edited cuneiform texts
from the Persepolis Fortifications.
127. Kate Mower
(Riverton, USA)
 Thracians as σύμματοι to the Greek settlements along the West Pontic coast
Diodorus Siculus mentions an alliance between the Greek settlement of Callatis and the Thracians
and Scythians “whose lands bordered with their own” (Diod. 19.73) at the end of the fourth century
BCE. An epigraphic source from Istros also assumes an alliance system in place between the Greek
settlements of Istros and Apollonia Pontica and the Thracians and Scythians. Other than a passing
remark about these alliance systems, and only in the context of ongoing battle, the political and
diplomatic relations between Greek settlements on the West Pontic coast and their neighbors, the
Thracians and Scythians, remain unspecified in ancient sources available today. The archaeological
evidence uncovered at Callatis, Istros, and Apollonia Pontica shows that the Thracians, Scythians and
the Greek settlements had cultural contact, but it also infers political and military support. This paper
argues for that support using such evidence, but it also points to problems with inferring too much
from the archaeological finds.
128. Yana Mutafchieva
(Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Bronze biconical pitchers from Thrace. Morphology and chronology (poster)
Inadequate attention has been paid in scientific literature to the bronze biconical pitchers. It is
known that their form was derived from the so-called type Jacobshtal-Langsdorff, which originated
from the Etruscan jugs of "beak" characteristic of the VIth – Vth c. BC. In the Vth BC the shape changed
and the biconical "beak" pitchers appeared, which were popular both in Etruria and in Magna
Graecia. Individual finds have also come to light in Greece, Macedonia and Scythia. In the IVth c. BC
the bronze biconical pitchers were becoming quite popular in the Mediterranean.
The biconical pitchers from Thrace form a compact group of vessels found in the necropoleis of the
Thracian aristocracy in the IVth c. BC. Their use continued for more than a century, which necessitates
an attempt at chronological distribution. Their morphological and stylistic features permit to place
them in a chronological framework. They can be divided into two types depending on the way of
manufacture of the lower part of body. The first involves pitchers with a slightly concave bottom part
and the second those with a markedly concave bottom part.
Pitchers of the first type should be defined as earlier. They can be dated to the first half of the IVth c.
BC. The decoration placed at the bottom of the handle represents commonly floral ornaments,
palmettes, half-palmettes, acanthus leaves and volutes.
The biconical pitchers with a markedly concave bottom should be placed in the second half of the IVth
c. BC. Their decoration does not differ significantly from the previous group, but shows a decline in
the quality and complexness which continued also in the early IIIrd c. BC.
129. Emil Nankov
(American Research Center in Sofia, Bulgaria)
 (Sling) Bullet points on the military campaigns of Philip II of Macedon in southwest
Thrace
Scholarly research concerning the Macedonian expansion in inland Thrace during the reign of Philip II
of Macedon is traditionally dominated by historians who deal exclusively with written sources. Lead
sling bullets can serve as a reliable marker for mobility of armies, speaking directly through their
singular function and personal names often inscribed on them. Apart from leading us in the footsteps
of Macedonian commanders who ventured into the perils of mountainous Thrace on the orders of
Philip II, they can help locating unknown aristocratic seats of power often nestled in the rugged
terrain of the interior.
The present paper discusses a number of unpublished lead sling bullets from museum collections in
Southwest Bulgaria. All items entered the museums as donations or after being seized from looters
who collected them through illicit metal detecting on archaeological sites from the Middle Nestos
and Middle Strymon River valleys. The sling bullets are inscribed with the names of Philip II and his
generals otherwise attested on towns besieged by Philip II on the Chalcidice peninsula during the
350s and the 340s BC – testifying to the substantial reliance on light troops (slingers) at the time. The
study of the bullets’ spatial distribution could help us trace the movement of the Macedonian army,
thereby challenging our current perceptions of the scale of Philip’s military campaigns in inland
Thrace. It is now clear that his strategy involved multiple points of entry, including the courses of not
only Hebros and Tonzos, as is traditionally assumed, but also those of Nestos and Strymon.
130. Georgi Nekhrizov
 The Reality Before Seuthopolis: Early Iron Age Life in the Kazanlak Valley
(co-authors: Nadezhda Kecheva, Georgi Nekhrizov)
The report aims at characterizing the cultural development in the Kazanlak valley in the first half of
the Ist mill. BC. The goal is to present the settlement system before the region transformation into a
center of a Thracian state organization that happened after 4th c. BC. Main sources are the results of
the systematic archaeological surveys that have been conducted since 2009 using modern methods
for non-destructive surveys and application of GIS technologies. Data is also gathered from the few
excavated EIA sites, isolated finds or single artifacts uncovered by the excavations of later sites.
Spatial analysis using GIS technologies allows for drawing the dynamics of the settlement life in the
Kazanlak valley in the period 11th – 6th c. BC. The results from the trial excavations on some EIA
settlements provide data for sketching out their internal organization. The EIA burials, though few in
number, allows also to infer about the funerary rites during the period and to compare with those
from the LIA, attested by a numerous excavated complexes.
 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace

(co-authors: Georgi Nekhrizov, Julia Tzvetkova)
The transition from the Late Bronze to the Early Iron Age is a period of multiple cultural
transformations, which affected Thrace as a part of all Aegean economies. While the topic is widely
studied for the Mediterranean region and Anatolia, in Thrace only the excavation from the last two
decades provide more significant and well stratified data for specifying our knowledge for the period.
The investigations of sites with considerable stratigraphic accumulations made it possible to

distinguish the different phases of the EIA, and the analysis of the pottery complex enabled tracing
the specifics of transition from LBA to EIA. The presence of significant number of radiocarbon data
allow for building the absolute chronology and the synchronization of period. Recent excavations on
Gluhite kamani (East Rhodopes) reveal it as a key site for our understanding of the habitation from
the period.
131. Nerantzis Nerantzis
(University of Lille, France)
 Mining in the Thracian world: The case of Lekani Mountains in Northern Greece
(co-authors: Nerantzis Nerantzis, Stratis Papadopoulos)
Although ancient literary sources rarely refer to the question of mining and metallurgy of the
Thracians, archaeological evidence from Northern Greece and Bulgaria testify to their active
involvement with such activity. Long before the arrival of the Greeks in the Thracian littoral, the
processing of minerals, in particular copper, lead-silver and gold extraction was common among the
native Thracian populations during the Early Iron Age. This paper discusses the issue of mining
activity in the Lekani Mountains for which only scarce reference is made by ancient authors. Mining
shafts and galleries, mineral processing areas and slag heaps often associated with Thracian pottery
represent direct evidence for the organization and running of metal production in this region. With
the foundation of Thasian colonies and emporia in the coastal zone the output in metals increased
and this became possible through the involvement of Thracian manpower as they were more
numerous and better suited to exploit these resources. On the other hand, the Greeks of the colonies
traded finished products in exchange for raw materials. This reciprocal relation is corroborated by
recent evidence deriving from the excavation in Pistyros (Pontolivado), where large volumes of slag
from iron forging came to light as well as pieces of litharge deriving from the separation of silver
from lead. While the evidence for primary smelting of iron ores and argentiferous lead ores exists in
the Lekani Mountains, presumably in Thracian territory, the secondary processing was achieved
within this fortified settlement, under control by the Greek colonists.
132. Eugen Nicolae
Moldavie
133. Ion Niculiță
art
local craftsmen.
the early Iron Age.
134. Krassimir Nikov
135. Lazar Ninov
136. Johannes Nollé
(München, Germany)
 The Mythologocial Integration of Thrace into the Greek World – Various motives –
various strategies
The Greeks in the Greek Motherland as well as in Asia Minor attempted to describe both their
understanding of Thrace and the Thracians and their relationship to them by telling mythical tales.
Thereby a variety of aims and strategies becomes visible: Whereas some myths alluded to a former
subjugation of the country by Greek heroes in order to entitle the Greeks to take possession of the
land, other lore tried to state family relations between Greeks and Thracians. Finally cultural
appropriation was explained and justified by myth.
137. Liana Oța
 Dacians or Sarmatians? Tamga signs in Dacia (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD)
(co-authors: Valeriu Sirbu, Liana Oța)
The Sarmatian presence in the territory inhabited by Dacians is a debated issue. Inhumation graves,
generally dated between the middle/end of the 1st century AD and the 3rd century AD, found in
Moldavia, Wallachia, Crişana and Banat, are unanimously attributed to Sarmatians. Items considered
to be typically Sarmatian were found in some Dacian settlements, but their meaning is interpreted
either as imports or as evidence of the presence of Sarmatians in pre-Roman Dacia.
Items attributed to the Sarmatians have been found in 13 sites, spread over a large territory – hand-
made pottery, a bronze vessel, bone items and a gold-plated iron item. Without exception, all items
considered to be Sarmatian were found in Dacian sites.
Up until now, tamga signs were found on 18 items from 8 Dacian sites, most of them clay vessels, as
well as a few bone items, plus a gold-plated iron item. There is a contradiction here – the origin of
tamgas is Sarmatian but, at least in the territory inhabited by Dacians, they are encountered mostly
on Dacian clay vessels, pottery fragments or bone items. The number of Sarmatian or ‘north-Pontic’
vessels or bone items with tamga signs is significantly smaller.
Why are there no tamga signs on vessels discovered in the Sarmatian graves from Moldavia,
Wallachia, and Banat? In what way did these signs spread into pre-Roman Dacia? Do tamga signs
found in Dacian settlements have the same significance as those from the north-Pontic regions, or a
different one? This paper will try to answer such questions.
138. Asher Ovadiah
(Tel Aviv University, Israel)
 A New Look at the Mythological Representations of the Panagyurishte Gold Treasure,
Bulgaria
Of the nine gold vessels of the Panagyurishte treasure, discovered accidentally in December 1949
and dated to the second half of the 4th or the first part of the 3rd century BCE, three are significant
for the present discussion: two rhyta and an amphora-rhyton. On the first rhyton is represented the
Judgement of Paris; the second rhyton depicts Herakles fighting against the legendary Ceryneian hind
and Theseus hunting the bull of Marathon; on the amphora-rhyton, a warlike scene is depicted.
Various scholars have engaged with the scene on the body of the amphora-rhyton, in an attempt to
offer an interpretation. The interpretations of the scholars vary a great deal from each other. It
seems plausible to consider that the three vessels are related to each other not only as part of a
luxurious drinking set, but also as a cycle of close themes, forming a thematic and narrative link.
Consequently, they may throw a new light upon the meaning of the warlike scene on the wall of the
amphora-rhyton and the Judgement of Paris on the first rhyton.
139. Sorin Paliga
(University of Bucharest, Romania)
 Thracian v. Dacian (Daco-Moesian). How many „Thracian languages‟ were there spoken
in the Antiquity?
After trying to answer the question regarding the number of languages spoken in the Balkan area in
the antiquity, it is perhaps high time to clarify the long debated issue regarding the ‘Thracian
languages’ spoken in the antiquity. According to one hypothesis, there was a clear dichotomy
Thracian proper (‘echtthrakish’) v. Dacian or Daco-Moesian. The most invoked argument refers to the
distribution of place-names in -dava v. the ones in -bria and -para. I answered this question as early
as 1987, by analysing seven Thracian terms referring to the urban structures: bria, dava or deva (also
dova, daba, deba), dina or deina, diza (also dizos, deize), leba, ora (also oros, oron), para, also bara.
There is no convincing argument, which may support the idea that there were more ‘Thracian
languages’.
On the other hand, there are clear examples, which show specific dialectal evolutions as time went
on, e.g. Thr. ā > a in south Thracian (‘echtthrakisch’) v. ā > u, sometimes o in the northern dialects
(Dacian); or Struma (Bulgaria) and Strei and Stremț (Romania), on the one hand, v. Siret and Siriu
(east Romania). We may surmise a specific evolution in these Thracian dialects, which must be
associated with the idiom spoken by the Carpians and Costoboces.
140. Daniel Pantov
(Primorsko, Bulgaria)
 A treasure of gold appliques of horse harness from Primorsko
(co-authors: Petar Balabanov, Daniel Pantov)
In 2016, as the result of massive looting, rescue archeological excavations have been conducted of
the Thracian burial mound in the “Silahlar” area.
The level of the antique terrain has been diligently leveled using clay mixed with pebbles. Below the
geometrical center of the mound, a heap of crushed and well-processed stones has been discovered,
likely originating from a destroyed orthogonal premise. Quadrae were found among the crushed
stone, along one of the surfaces, the line plastering of which has been preserved. An alley covered
with a single line of stones continued eastwards. Fragments of human skull and bones scattered over
a large surface area have been found on top of them. In the eastern section of the mound, below a
large heap of crushed and processed stones, the foundations of a rectangular premise have been
uncovered. The floor of the premise has been constructed out of a layer of ceramic fragments,
poured with mortar. The preserved parts of the northern and the western walls, and in some places
from the ground level, have collapsed in depth due to the settlement of the embankment.
In the course of examining the structure, a total of 40 gold appliques for decoration of a horse
harness have been discovered below the floor. Among them are 32 small appliques, in a semi-
cylinder form, decorated along its foundations with protruding edges, covered with a belt of notches.
The large appliques are 8 in total, four of which are round and are decorated with fretwork, moldings
and pseudo-filigree. The decoration of two appliques with elongated form is similar. The central part
is a shield covered with ornaments, to which the head of an eagle is attached. A round applique was
also placed above the nose of the horse, decorated with moldings.
Together with the gold objects below the northeastern corner stone of the premise, a fully-preserved
clay lamp has been found, according to numerous analogies, dated in the period 320 – 280 BC.
In its characteristics, the treasure is closely analogous to similar sets from Ivanski and Sboryanovo. A
series of specific features are the evidence of individuality in the creation of the treasure from
Primorsko.
141. Stratis Papadopoulos
(University of Lille, France)
 Mining in the Thracian world: The case of Lekani Mountains in Northern Greece
(co-authors: Nerantzis Nerantzis, Stratis Papadopoulos)
Although ancient literary sources rarely refer to the question of mining and metallurgy of the
Thracians, archaeological evidence from Northern Greece and Bulgaria testify to their active
involvement with such activity. Long before the arrival of the Greeks in the Thracian littoral, the
processing of minerals, in particular copper, lead-silver and gold extraction was common among the
native Thracian populations during the Early Iron Age. This paper discusses the issue of mining
activity in the Lekani Mountains for which only scarce reference is made by ancient authors. Mining
shafts and galleries, mineral processing areas and slag heaps often associated with Thracian pottery
represent direct evidence for the organization and running of metal production in this region. With
the foundation of Thasian colonies and emporia in the coastal zone the output in metals increased
and this became possible through the involvement of Thracian manpower as they were more
numerous and better suited to exploit these resources. On the other hand, the Greeks of the colonies
traded finished products in exchange for raw materials. This reciprocal relation is corroborated by
recent evidence deriving from the excavation in Pistyros (Pontolivado), where large volumes of slag
from iron forging came to light as well as pieces of litharge deriving from the separation of silver
from lead. While the evidence for primary smelting of iron ores and argentiferous lead ores exists in
the Lekani Mountains, presumably in Thracian territory, the secondary processing was achieved
within this fortified settlement, under control by the Greek colonists.
142. Ioanna Papadopoulou
(Democritus University of Greece, Komotini, Greece)
 Strabo‟s account on the 'differentia' of the Thracian ethos
In the 7th book of Strabo’s Geographica pieces of information regarding the Thracian tribes, their
mores and their ethos occur; all the passages relative to the Thracian descriptions and accounts aim
to strengthen, to support and to prove the main point of the Geographer: the accuracy of Homer and
Homeric poetry as a part of geographical studies. Thus Strabo provides a brief description of the
Thracians’ ‘physiognomy’, in geographic and anthropological terms, emphasizing on their simple diet,
the polygamy, their special relation to religion, while stressing their nomadic and just way of life.
The paper will focus on Strabo’s account of the Thracian characteristics exploiting two questions: a)
Whether (and to what extend) Strabo’s point of view is in accordance with the previous, especially
poetic, ancient Greek tradition regarding the Thracian tribes?, and b) Given the (partly fragmental)
ancient Greek references and sources, can it be concluded that Strabo’s description is accurate or
represents only an attempt to write a sort of ‘paradoxology’ about the Thracians?
143. Maria-Gabriella Parissaki
(National Hellenic Research Foundation - Institute of Historical Research, Athens, Greece)
 The inconspicuous coinage with the legend ΜΟΡΙΑΣΕΩΝ
(co-authors: Yannis Stoyas, Maria-Gabriella Parissaki)
The rare copper coin issue under discussion (head of Zeus r. / six-rayed star, Μ-ΟΡ-ΙΑ-ΣΕ-Ω-Ν) came
into notice at first with a single specimen, which was the object of a paper published in 2008 by P. R.
Franke (the coin had been acquired in his collection since 1992). A second specimen, also in a private
collection, surfaced in 2011. Franke’s piece was auctioned in 2014; two more specimens appeared in
trade later on. In the said (and only so far) scholarly paper, Franke put forward a suggestion for a
tribal issue, struck in the name of the Moriaseis, making a connection with the Thracian tribe of the
Moriseni, based on a reference by Plinius. He proposed also a chronology in the first half of the 2nd
century BC (rather ca. 187/6 – 168 or 149/8 BC); an assumption was made as well that the
settlement area of the tribe was then in the Machtbereich of the Macedonian Kingdom and not on
the Pontic coast as related by Plinius.
The present study, besides amending details regarding the coinage per se, attempts to shed more
light on the crucial matters of the issue’s dating and of the minting area. A better fitting chronology is
suggested through scrutinizing elements such as stylistic analysis of iconography and evaluation of
letter forms of the coin legend. Taken into consideration is also whether this is a tribal issue indeed
or if an alternative for an issue minted at a city is possible — the ethnic name by itself cannot
preclude this option. In any case, the raison d’être of the issue is of importance and has to be framed
within historical context. Furthermore, matters of historical geography are put under examination,
hinting to certain connotations provided by later literary sources which may be quite telling; it
appears that available clues point in all probability to SE Thrace.
144. Meglena Parvin
(Museum of History "Iskra", Kazanlak, Bulgaria)
 The inventory from the southwest chamber of the mound complex Ostrusha - new
observations.
The subject of this study are the items found in the unplundered chamber of the mound complex
Ostrusha – a silver set of ornaments for horse-trappings, a silver jug of the Type “White lotus”, a
silver calyx-cup and a parade pectoral the“Mezek” type made of iron and a silver-gilt foil with relief
decoration. The typological analysis of the objects allows for the relative date to be established.
The set of ornaments for horse-trappings belongs to a large group of such items and finds close
parallels in rich Thracian burial complexes from second half of the 4th c. BC.
The jug belongs to a group of 22 similar objects found in Thrace and Eastern Macedonia.
Manufacturing technique, the exquisite nature of the decoration and the overall proportions make it
possible to date them during the last quarter of the 4th c. BC.
The calyx-cup is also quite popular in Thrace and Macedonia during the second half of the 4th c. BC,
and even later. The specific features of the shape, the proportions and the undecorated surface
provide grounds to assign it to the earlier variant of the shape and for its manufacture to be put in
the third quarter of the 4th c. BC.
The pectoral, together with eight other examples (whole or fragmentary) belongs to the group of the
so-called “Mezek” type. Their territorial distribution falls again within Thrace and Macedonia.
Identical manufacture, similar decorative motives, and composition suggest a compact group created
and used during 325-275 BC.
145. Angela Pencheva
(Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)
 Wreaths in Funeral Context: Chronology and Meaning in Ancient Thrace and Macedonia
This paper analyzes the chronological distribution of the different types of funeral wreaths, and their
function in the context of Late Classical and Hellenistic burial complexes from the ancient regions of
Macedonia, Thrace and the neighboring Greek apoikias on the Black Sea Coast.
From the second half of the 4th century BCE onwards, different types of wreaths become a
widespread grave good across the entire Greek world.
A large number of outstanding gold specimens and their gilded clay imitations were found in the
necropoleis of ancient Macedonia, as well as in the contemporary burials of the neighboring region
of Thrace. Crowned and wreathed figures are also represented in the wall painting scenes in some of
the most famous Macedonian and Thracian chamber tombs. At the same time, gilded clay wreaths
gain a particular popularity in the necropoleis of the Greek apoikia on the western Black Sea coast.
To consider the funeral wreath in its manifold representations and contextual symbolic complexity as
a homogeneous phenomenon proves to be difficult for a good reason. Above all, it cannot be
conceived as a custom with singular-uniform meaning in an exclusively non-Greek environment. On
the contrary, the function of the wreath proves to be extremely diverse and complex. It appears to
be based on different aspects of the wreath’s function in pre-Hellenistic times, which is charged with
ever-new meanings and determinations.
In the period from the second half of the 4th and the first quarter of the 3rd century BCE, the number
of the burial complexes with funeral wreaths increased steadily. These observations lead to the
hypothesis of the existence of a normalized burial model in the two adjoining ancient regions of
Macedonia and Thrace. It consisted of a selection and combination of normatively and aesthetically
charged symbols in the form of magnificent tombs. The combination of these particular objects
suggests that there was a "cultural code" that showed the social position of the recipient.
These burials can be associated with representatives of the Macedonian and Thracian elite, and even
with royal dynasties. The number and diversity of the wreaths exhibited in some of these trench
complexes are remarkable. In the case of other similar burials, the same categories are represented
only by single specimens or clay replicas. The number of funeral complexes with the
abovementioned features became markedly smaller from the first quarter of the 3rd century BCE,
especially in Thrace, with only a few representatives of the clay examples. The technological features
of the grave-good specimens became more schematic and simple. The remaining accessory
categories, e.g. metal vessels and weapons gradually showed fewer and fewer specimens. Regardless
of this, funeral wreaths are found in most of the central areas of Macedonia until the 1st century BCE.
146. Emanuel Petac
(Numismatic Department, Library of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania)
 Coin finds and payments in the Thracian and Getae area at the end of the 4th century BC
Recently, the numismatic collection of the Romanian Academy was increased with a new and very
rare posthumous Alexander type stater (Price 202) having a bee as a symbol on the reverse left field
(to the left from the figure of Athena). Discovered at the end of the 19th c. around the village of
Trivale-Moşteni, Teleorman county, it belongs to a little known series from Pella, struck during the
last few years of Kassandros’ reign. The single comparable issues for staters are those with ants on
the reverse (Price 831-832) assigned to Amphipolis and considered to be struck in the last years of
the 4th century BC. The succession of the die-links from Amphipolis staters shows that those having
ants on the reverse belong exclusively to the 6th and especially 7th issues, struck around 300 BC or a
little earlier. It will be a reasonable supposition that the Pella issues with a bee must also be placed in
the last years of the 4th century BC. There are several coin finds in Northern and North-Eastern
Bulgaria but also in the Northern part of the Danube coming from the late 4th c. BC as a result of the
direct involvement of some Thracian and probably Getic contingents of mercenaries in the wars of
the Successors: Codlea, Braşov county (IGCH 409), Galaţi, Galaţi county (IGCH 799), Gâldău, Călăraşi
county (IGCH 774) and Todorovo (Bulgaria) – 15 km East from Sboryanovo. The most recent coins
from these hoards seem to be Price 172 (Amphipolis, issue 1, Kassandros time) for Galaţi and Gâldău
hoards (around 310 BC) and probably also for Codlea. Concerning the Todorovo hoard, the most
relevant sample is Price 832 (issue 7 from Amphipolis), having a common obverse die with Price 3128
b (Amphipolis, issue 8, around 300 BC). The context of these inputs of Macedonian Kassandros’ time
gold coins is probably linked to the fourth war of the Successors – reflecting the conflict between
Kassandros and Demetrios Poliorcetes, suggesting the implication of local mercenaries in all of these
conflicts.
147. Aurora Pețan
(Dacica Foundation, Alun, Romania)
 Ovid in Thrace
Augustus’ unexpected decision to relegate Ovid to Tomis in 8 AD imposed the departure of the poet
in the middle of winter on a long and difficult route. After two terrible storms at sea, Ovid continues
his journey on land and crosses Thrace escorted by Sextus Pompeius. Although he describes, in the
first book of Tristia, the difficulties of his journey to Tomis, the crossing of Thrace is missing from the
book. However, some information and allusions to this episode full of dangers can be found in some
later letters. An analysis of this data reveals some interesting aspects of Ovid’s journey in Thrace and
raises the question of whether (at least) one of his letters was lost.
148. Ulrike Peter
(Berlin, Germany)
 Die Münzprägung von Philippopolis in antoninischer Zeit
Nach den Anfängen unter Domitian und in trajanisch-hadrianischer Zeit erreichte die Münzprägung
von Philippopolis unter der von Antoninus Pius begründeten Dynastie ihre erste große Blüte. Im
Vortrag soll die Nominalstruktur unter den einzelnen Kaisern vorgestellt, die Münztypologie
charakterisiert und ausgewählte Münzbilder interpretiert werden.
149. Plamen Petkov
 Das Odrysenreich in Thrakien und Διήγσλις ὁ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεὺς / Zisemis, Diogyridis
filii, Thraciae regis
„Θραικῶν βασιλεφς“ ist von „Ὀδρυσῶν βασιλεφς“ nicht zu unterscheiden. Als Θραικῶν βασιλεφς
kennt man Kothelas (Κοθήλας ὁ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεὺς, Satyros ap. Athen. 13, 5), Diegylis (Διήγυλις ὁ
τῶν Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεὺς, Diod. 33, 14, 1) und seinen Sohn Zibelmios (Zisemis, Diogyridis filii, Thraciae
regis (Gen.), Val. Maxim. 9, 2(ext), 4) sowie Barsabas (Βαρσαβὰν τὸν Θρᾳκῶν βασιλζα (Acc.), Diod.
32, 15, 7). Unter der Herrschaft von Kotys, Seuthes' Sohn in der ersten Hälfte des 2. Jh's kann sich das
Odrysenreich militärisch-politisch stabilisieren. Die römische Republik erkennt die politische
Bedeutung der Odrysen durch eine diplomatische Mission an. Nach Kotys' Tod orientiert sich die
odrysische Politik jedoch gegen Rom. Teres, der Nachfolger von Kotys und Bithys unterstützt
Andriskos im 4. Makedonisch-Römischen Krieg. Andriskos' Niederlage stellt sich zugleich als
Rückschlag für die Odrysen heraus. Das Odrysenreich verliert seine Positionen und unterliegt der
Macht der Kainen, deren Herrscher von nun an als Θραικῶν βασιλεῖς in den Quellen vorkommen. Ca.
100 v. Chr. können die Odrysen dennoch ihre politische Autorität wiederherstellen, nachdem Didius
die sogenannte Kainike Chersonesos erobert. Die Regierungsgewalt der odrysischen Dynastie über
Thrakien dauert daher bis zum Jahre 46.
150. Ioannis Petropoulos
(Nafplio, Greece)
 Herodotus' ethnography of the Thracians: Myth, cliché, and reality
G. Nenci, one of the recent editors of Herodotus' Histories, book 5, describes the Thracian section of
the book as ‘one of the most organic of Herodotus’ ethnographic excursi, carried out in accordance
with the modern concept of ‘‘cultural area.’’’
The ancient historian (5.3 ff.) uses the familiar vocabulary and the template of descriptive
ethnography: political structure, nomoi (‘customs’), in particular sexual and marital mores, means of
livelihood, religion, and burial customs. In this paper I shall examine Herodotus’ key field notes and
set them in the context of ancient Greek ethnographic thought with a view to disentangling clichés
and literary elements from ethnographic reality.
151. Horea Pop
(County History and Art Museum Zalau, Romania)
 Măgura Moigradului-ritual sacred area and Dacian settlement (poster)
In what fallows, we shall make a presentation of the finds that concern the civil Dacian settlement on
the Moigrad knoll.
Known in the historical literature of this period, due to some finds, as having a strong ritual character
that initially been interpreted as funeral monuments, the Moigrad knoll appears to us more and
more as a great fortified Dacian settlement, within which-us in some other cases-there can be also
identified unquestionable ritual complexes, adjoining the numerous elements which are specific to a
civil settlement.
Therefore, starting from 1958, there have been discovered around 500 pits, 70 fireplaces, 20
deepened dwellings, 20 ovens and 40 so-called “ceramical platforms”. It is quite possible that some
worse-preserved ovens, due to some condition, have been counted as fireplaces, but this fact will not
fundamentally change the data of the problem.
Another detail that deserves to be mentioned is the fact that from among the 500 pits already
discovered, at least 60 are pits of heavy stanchions for Roman buildings, or heavy Dacian stanchions,
10 are prehistorical pits. The rest could be Dacian ritual pits.
As far as the so-called “ceramical platforms” are concerned, we stand for their identification with
shallow dwellings. These “ceramical platforms” include in their stock broken vessels, burnt and
unburnt bones as well as some other things specific to everyday life. Their forms are irregular. They
often suppose a fireplace and more frequently, pits. Such being the case, we consider them as
shallow dwellings built on wood beams, because of their high level of volcanic rock, which is specific
to the Moigrad knoll. These beams have left behind no archaeological traces that could have been
detected.
The older researchers made some investigations which regarded especially the eastern and south-
eastern part of the plateau, between 1958-1959, that was over 1 km in perimeter and surface of 7
hectares, being on an maximal altitude of 514 m.
Generally, the deepened dwellings of the Moigrad knoll have a circular plan and they penetrate the
rock from about 0,3-0,4 m to 0,7 m.
The roof is made up of two slopes and it is supported by stanchions situated within this construction,
which deepens even 0,6 m under the inner level of the stepping. It varies from 2,5 to 3,5 m in
diameter. None of this type of dwellings has an inner fireplace. This type of dwelling is dated to the
1st century B.C. This sort of dwellings has in its stock pottery, bones, small tools and stones which had
fallen from the roof very probably made of straw (or thatch).
Like shallow dwellings, which are dated in the 1st century A.D., the deepened dwellings were found in
only two thirds of the whole area of the plateau of the knoll, which measures 70.000 sqm. Therefore,
the 45.000 sqm used during 200 years before the Roman conquest are mostly represented by the
borders of the plateau, which were sheltered from the winds due to a diminished altitude, compared
with the top of the hill.
From the 70.000 sqm of the plateau, there were systematically investigated only about 10.000 sqm
(aprox. 10 %), starting with 1958. In this surface there were found all the Dacian discoveries.
The actual stage of the investigation does not allow us, for the time being, to draw a final conclusion,
due to the sounding-character of the archaeological inquiries concerning both the archaeological site
of the Moigrad knoll, where exhaustive diggings on representative microzones are necessary.
152. Hristo Popov
153. Ruja Popova
 Antonia Tryphaena and her successors. To the Thracian history in the first half of the 1st c.
AD
Antonia Tryphaena who is presented in the seven inscriptions known at now as a daughter of kings,
mother of kings, herself queen, used her own authority and financial potential to guarantee her
successors with places dignified to their own background in a world, controlled by the Roman
Empire. Tryphaena succeeded to promulgate her influence through the Black Sea, Propontis, and
Aegean littoral, to present and to inculcate her fourth known children on two continents. In 38 AD
Rhoemetalces (III) was appointed as a king in Thrace, Polemo (II) – in Pontus (in 38/9 AD), and Cotys
(IX) – in Armenia Minor (most probably in the later 38 or in earlier 39 AD) by Emperor Gaius. Much
earlier Antonia Tryphaena managed to connect her daughter Pythodoris in matrimony with the
dynast, later became a king of Thrace Rhoemetalces II, son of Rhascuporis – the murderer of her
husband Cotys. According to the inscriptions the couple had children. Two epigraphic documents
announce the names of probably her nephews beside her name – Gaius Iulius Rhascos, son of
Rhoemetalces, and Sextus Iulius *Cotys+, probably also son of Rhoemetalces and Rhascuporis’
nephew. In the beginning of the 20th c. F. Hasluck connected the name of the latter with Gaius Iulius
Cotys, whose name is mentioned on a coin from the emperor Titus epoch, as his brother. Obviously
the story of the Antonia Tryphaena’s notable family continued even after the annexation of Thrace as
a Roman province in the Claudian time.
154. Kalin Porozhanov
 The ancient authors for Bithynians, Thynians and Mariandinians in Anatolia
According to ancient authors in the 8th/7th and the 5th century BC the Thynians and the
Mariandinians are fraternal ethnic groups that connect with origin on the European side of the
Bosporus Strait.
In the 5th century BC Mariandinians are located between Thracian ethnonyms on the southern coast
of the Black Sea (Anatolia); after them – in the west – are consistently the Thracians Thynians and
Bithynians.
At the end of the 5th – beginning of the 4th century BC the Mariandinians are Bithynians/Thracians.
They exist in Asian Thrace and it is beyond doubt that they are Thracians.
In the early 4th century BC the Thracians in Bithynia are the Bithynians themselves.
In the 3rd century BC are named Mariandinians and Thynians (via island Thynias).
At the end of 1st century BC – early 1st century AD Bithynians, Thynians and Mariandinians are
Thracians in Anatolia.
About in the middle of the 1st century AD the Bithynians exist in Anatolia. They connect with the
Thracian Thynians in Europe.
In the 2nd century AD Thynians and Bithynians are neighboring brotherly ethnic groups in Anatolia,
which are associated with the Thracian prophet and king-priest Phineus or with king-priest Odrys. It
is clear that both are undoubtedly based in Europe.
In conclusion, ethno-political formations of Bithynians, Thynians and Mariandinians during the 1st
millennium BC are Thracian and they live in northern Anatolia.
155. Alexandar Portalsky
(South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria)
 Thracians in Palaeobalkan-westanatolian community (poster)
The paper justifies the use of the term Palaeobalkan-westanatolian community. The community is
defined as over-lingual and culturally identifiable, but it demonstrates similarities in the political
systems too.
The community becomes identifiable from the second half of the 2nd millennium BC., slightly blurred
in Hellenistic and Roman period, but its strong fundamentals hold until the end of antiquity. The
announcement of Constantinople as an imperial capital plays a big role for that. It, in turn, is
conditioned by the existence of this core that ensures the centuries long existence of Byzantium. Late
manifestations of Palaeobalkan-westanatolian community are well documented and easily
noticeable. A more significant question is since when we may identify this community and what
might cause its formation. It`s appearance is related with the presence of similar natural conditions
and the common to a great extent religion, as well as with the eased communication around the
three seas - the Aegean, Sea of Marmora and Black sea.
The community includes different languages, not all of which are ethnically close. Within the
community appear some of the earliest protopoleis and cities in Europe. The Greek polis was born
here too. Polis suggests a different type of culture and polity in comparison to the monarchy, but
both are formed gradually and would have hardly strengthened without interaction with the other
political formations in the Palaeobalkan-westanatolian community.
156. Hristo Preshlenov
 The (Re)used Pagan temenoses in Thracia Pontica (4th-6th century AD) (poster)
The process of institutional inculcation of Christianity along the Southwestern Pontic coast takes
place alongside the changing of the attitude towards pagan temples. After the imposition of the new
faith, the temenoses of some pagan temples were ruined and/or utilized for a sacral purpose.
The temple of the Pontic Mother of Gods in Dionysopolis was visited up to the 3rd quarter of the 4th
c. AD. The dedications to the Thracian Horseman, Apollo, Dionysos, and Pan were made. Apart from
the destruction, caused by the earthquake and/or by the Gothic raid, some of the temple statues
were probably desecrated by Christians as well.
In Karabizye, a Christian basilica was built between the reign of Magnentius and Arcadius. In its
construction pagan dedication slabs were inserted. Originally they were put in the destroyed
sanctuary of the Thracian deity Heros Karabazmos. He was also honored in the nearby Odessos,
where in the 2nd c. AD the cult was mingled with Apollo. After the end of the 4th c. AD the temple of
Apollo was transformed into a Christian basilica.
In Mesembria, the Christian basilica at the main gate was built on the sacred site, where the oikistai
and the heroes of the polis were celebrated. Its apse was constructed over a demolished around the
middle of the 5th c. AD temple of Zeus.
A sacral topographic continuity has been found on St. John’s Island, near Sozopolis. Northwest of the
Christian church, which housed relics of St. John the Baptist, a Thracian sanctuary has been located.
On the adjacent St. Cyriacus Island another basilica inherited the temenos(es), where dedications to
Apollo, Aphrodite, and the Thracian Horseman were made.
In Deultum, at the end of the 2nd c. A.D., a temple in which Septimius Severus’s victories were
celebrated was (re)built. During the 4th c. A.D. the built-up area of the abandoned temple was
reused and an impressive Domus was constructed.
157. Stefka Pristavova
(University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria)
158. Nade Proeva
(Skopje, Macedonia)
 Les représentations du soi-disant „Cavalier thrace“ en Macédoine romaine for the 13th
Congress of Thracology
Le motif iconographique du cavalier chassant, largement répandu en Thrace sur des monuments
votifs à l'époque romaine, est communément dénommé « cavalier thrace » : cela implique l’origine
thrace du schéma et de la « personnalité » du cavalier. Le même motif, à quelques détails près, se
retrouve sur des monuments funéraires, c'est pourquoi ce cavalier sur les monuments funéraires en
Macédoine a été interprété comme une divinité thrace, malgré l'absence de justifications.
Les études des monuments par régions montrent une grande diversité dans l’utilisation et la
signification de ce motif. Il faut d'abord faire la distinction entre les monuments votifs et funéraires,
et souligner ensuite les différents aspects que traduit l’image symbolique du cavalier : le statut, le
rang social ou l'héroïsation du défunt. En Macédoine en effet, ce schéma était utilisé pour exprimer
l’héroïsation des défunts qui sont souvent désignés comme héros sur les épitaphes. Cela montre qu’il
ne s’agit pas d’une divinité thrace mais d'un défunt héroïsé qui prend ses racines dans le culte d'un
ancêtre héroïsé, en l’occurrence Makédôn. Ainsi l’ancêtre des Macédoniens est qualifié de cavalier
belliqueux, Makedon hyppioharmen (Constantin Porphyrogénète), ou de héros hyppalkmos (relief de
Thessalonique, II s. av. n. ère). Les auteurs anciens le décrivent comme chasseur d'animaux sauvages.
Or, la prédilection de Macédoniens, surtout des notables, pour la chasse aux sangliers à cheval est
bien connue, dont elle était le gentius suae more (Polyb. XXXI, 29). Sur les monnaies, les rois sont
représentés en chasseurs (Amyntas/lion, monnaies impériales du Koinon makedonon) ou en cavaliers
à la lance (Alexandre I, Perdiccas II, Archélaos, Alexandre le Grand, Démétrios Poliorcète). Ce modèle
était en faveur surtout du temps d’Alexandre, qui était héroïsé, et on considère même qu'il s'est
répandu dans les Balkans à partir de l’image d’Alexandre chasseur crée par Lysippe. Les nombreuses
variations du thème du cavalier (à la lance, chassant, combattant, etc.) ont été très populaires sur les
émissions monétaires de koinon makedonon jusqu’au milieu du IIIe s. de n. ère., ce qui montre bien
qu’il s'agit d’un thème national des Macédoniens (O. Picard).
Cette interprétation du cavalier chasseur en défunt héroïsé est renforcée par le fait qu'il peut être
représenté avec d’autres défunts dans le même champ ; ou encore par la présence d'un serpent,
animal chtonien, qu'il soit enroulé sur un tronc d'arbre, ou figuré sur la queue du cheval : monnaies
d’Alexandre Sévère et de Gordien III frappées par le Koinon. Une dernière particularité de l’utilisation
de ce schéma en Macédoine est d'être placé dans le fronton de monuments funéraires où il
représente les ancêtres héroïsés.
La prédilection du thème du cavalier victorieux sur les monnaies: cavalier nu (Philippe II, Alexandre le
Grand et Philippe V), ou saluant de la main droite levée, parfois tenant une palme (Philippe II,
Alexandre, Antigone Gonatas, Philippe V, Persée, sujet repris par les monnayages impériaux, avec
cette différence que le cavalier est vêtu), explique l’utilisation de ce motif sur les monuments
funéraires.
159. Ilya Prokopov
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Thassos Type Coinage in Thracia, 6–5 Century BC
(co-authors: Ilya Prokopov, Valentina Grigorova-Gencheva)
The authors study all published hoards and single coins from Thracia. Two major maps are presented,
created in accordance with the GIS requirements. The publication also contains analytical and
quantitative tables of the coin types and nominals.
The presence of coins and hoards is studied from territorial and chronological perspectives. The
authors trace the South–North circulation roads, localize important trade centres and crossroads and
comment upon the “contact zone” of circulation of the large nominals. The analysis includes
observations of other coin types distributed together with the Thassos type coins. In addition to the
known coins and hoards, the publication presents several inedita, as well as detailed tables with
photographs.
160. Paul Pupeza
(National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
 The Dacian walls of Covasna – Fairies Fortress (Covasna County, Romania)
(co-authors: Viorica Crişan, Paul Pupeză)
The archaeological site Covasna – Fairies Fortress is located in the south-east of today Transylvania,
Romania. The Dacian fortress found here is an important power center of the Dacian Kingdom. The
fortress oversees a rich metallurgical and agriculture area and controls the trade route across the
Carpathians.
As a result, the site, placed on top of the mountain, was heavily fortified: 700 m of stone walls with
wooden palisade on top. The walls defend and sustain three large terraces and an acropolis (covering
approximatively 8000 m2). Inside the fortified area were discovered traces of dwellings, workshops
and temples. The walls were made of stones summarily processed, bounded with clay, a
characteristic technique of this area of the Dacian Kingdom. Along the walls, especially near the
access road, quadrilateral towers were raised. The fortress had an obvious military role and it was
destroyed in the Dacian wars with the Romans in the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
This military main function of a fortress, to control and protect a territory, cannot outline the whole
picture of its significance. The fortresses are rather an expression of peace and prosperity than the
consequence of a conflict. The constructive effort mobilization, the work organization and
development cannot be made in wartime or in conflict periods of any kind. The resources
concentration for such large projects can take place only in the absence of immediate military
pressure.
Apart from the functionalist point of view, from an abstract angle, the Dacian fortresses, like the one
from Covasna, were symbols of power, a direct result of an elite ideology. Materialized in different
forms (walls, temples, roads) this ideology should be visible in order to transmit a distinctive
message. The fortifications location in visible places from nearby, close to an access road, amplifies
this message. So the fortresses have to see a territory but also to be seen from a territory.
161. Silviu I. Purece
(Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania)
 New approaches regarding the beginning and evolution of the Thracian coin in the regions
situated north to the Danube
The beginning of the coin minting process, in the regions situated north to the Danube, was very
disputed by the researchers. Another big problem is to determine the correlations between various
monetary types, very important for understanding of the political and social changes. The
interconnections between the Celtic culture and the North-Thracian one, created a new social and
political climate in which appeared a taste for coins. In the latest period all the scientific issues have
to be retaken in discussion because of the large amount of new discoveries made by the metal
detectorists. Also, new evidence about the local spirituality emerged from the study of these new
discoveries. One very good example is the case of Prundu-Jiblea coin type.
In the spring of 2015, in the territory of the village Olteni, commune Bujoreni (Vâlcea County) was
discovered a very important hoard for knowing the type Prundu-Jiblea. This, in conformity with the
discoverer’ declaration, contained 179 ancient coins determined by us as following: 178 Prundu-
Jiblea type and 1 Celtic imitation after a drachma issued by the king of Macedonia: Alexandros III. The
large quantity of Prundu-Jiblea coins, which measure over half from the number of knowing coins
until the discovery moment, makes the Olteni hoard very important for the study of the this coin
type.
The importance of the Prundu-Jiblea coin type is especially one, in the context of the pre-roman
coinage from the region situated north to the Danube. Several monetary types that follow, from the
chronological point of view, have an iconography which is inspired after the Prundu-Jiblea type. This
stylistic lineage can be observed over several centuries, until the end of the minting period for the
local coin. The characteristic elements for this type are: the presence on the obverse of a human had
with beard and curly hear and on the reverse it is represented a rider, moving towards the left,
wearing a helmet with crest, in his left hand keeping a branch. The coins of the Prundu-Jiblea type
seem to be present in a large area, and their origin is being intensively debated.
162. Kostadin Rabadjiev
 The Thracian Gods - the puzzle of anthropomorphism
The paper is an attempt to discuss anew the Thracian gods – the diminished possibility for a common
Thracian pantheon, the imported Greek gods in it, and the concept about their anthropomorphism.
The problem is the little we know about them – the late mentions of foreign observers, the absence
of cult images and the silent archaeological records. So, all we could do is an inventive speculation
about their names, nature and appearance.
163. Milena Raycheva
 Imperial cult in private context? Some observations from Roman Thrace
The notion of a possible private aspect of the imperial cult has long been overlooked with the a priori
assumption that emperor veneration is, after all, a political phenomenon, and an individual could not
possibly perceive the ruler on the same level as the traditional gods. Very rarely does the topic of
emperor worship in non-official context raise any scholarly interest, although there is literary
evidence in favor of it, such as Tacitus’ account that the ruler’s portrait could be seen “in every
household”.
Archaeologic evidence also confirms to some extent the information in written sources. The ruler
image is attested in private environment: as decoration on personal items, everyday objects, and
even furniture. This comes to show that certain individuals indeed seem to have demonstrated their
personal attitude towards the emperor and/or his likeness outside the framework of official imperial
cult manifestations.
The paper attempts to contribute to the study of this problem by examining evidence from Roman
Thrace that may be related to emperor worship in a private circle, with examples from various cities,
such as Philippopolis, Augusta Traiana, Pautalia, Serdica, Plotinopolis, etc. These examples comprise
objects with imperial images that are usually found within house interiors or as funerary inventory.
Due to size or quality, such items cannot be linked to the public imperial veneration. The
transformation into grave goods shows that they held a special meaning for their owners. Some of
these objects are luxury ones, but others are made of cheap and affordable material for the less
wealthy. The paper will try to analyze the use of these objects and their role in the social and cultural
context of Roman Thrace.
164. Nicolae Cătălin Rișcuța
practices.
165. Lynn E. Roller
(University of California, Davis, USA)
 The Gluhite Kamani LiDAR survey and its implications for our understanding of Thracian
cult monuments
The site of Gluhite Kamani in the Rhodope Mountains in southeastern Bulgaria is well known as an
important center for rock-cut cult monuments from the Thracian Iron Age. An extensive ground
survey of the region around the main concentration of rock monuments near Gluhite Kamani was
conducted in 2011; this survey recorded over 450 rock-cut formations, primarily trapezoidal niches.
Results were published in Thracia in 2012. In order to determine how the rock-cut features were
used and who used them, the survey team attempted to continue ground survey on foot. However,
efforts to extend the survey for more than a few hundred meters beyond the main rock panel of
Gluhite Kamani were frustrated by the rough terrain of this mountainous region. Therefore a LiDAR
scan was arranged to survey a larger territory around Gluhite Kamani. The airborne scan, done in
spring 2015, covered a total of 21 square kilometers, and the features revealed by the LiDAR data
that appeared to merit further examination were visited by survey teams on foot in late summer
2015. Thirteen new archaeological sites were noted, ranging from the prehistoric through medieval
periods. This paper will present the results of the LiDAR scan and analyze its implications for
expanding our knowledge of Gluhite Kamani and other Thracian sites with rock-cut monuments as
centers of cult practice.
166. Viktoria Russeva
(Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Cremated human remains from the tumulus N8, village Brestovitsa, Russe region -
anthropological study (poster)
Materials from mound N 8 present burned bone fragments, recognized as human remains from
burials with cremation ritual. In the South-West sector are uncovered structures N 1 and 2, In
structure N 1 are recognized fragments from diaphyses of long bones of limbs from an adult of
unidentified sex. Materials from structure N 2 are in significantly high quantity, surpassing normally
found in burials with cremation ritual. Parts from teeth roots, condyle of the lower jaw, fragments
from a lumbar and thoracic vertebrae, from femoral heads with big diameters, from diaphyses of
long bones and a rib vertebral end are recognized. One of the femoral heads presents enthesopatic
changes. The vertebrae show developed spondylosis.
In two structures, located in the North and North West sectors of the tumulus are recognized two
child individuals. In the South East sector are registered singular fragments from cranial bones. One
of them preserves a segment from a cranial suture with advanced obliteration. It should be regarded
as originating from a skull of a grown up individual at an age about 40-50 years, unidentifiable sex.
In the North East part of the tumulus a structure with sandy filling provides fragments, from an adult
individual and a child. Another cremation contained remains from a grown-up individual, possibly of
a female. In most cases are found also burned animal bone fragments beside human ones.
167. Aurel Rustoiu
(Institute of Archaeology and History of Art, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
communal identities
(co-authors: Aurel Rustoiu, Iosif Vasile Ferencz)
Throughout history, south-western Transylvania has been a well-defined geographic, cultural and
economic entity. The region is naturally bordered by the southern and western Carpathians and the
Transylvanian plateau, while the Mureş River is the main route of communication. Among the most
important natural resources are gold, silver and copper as well as huge salt deposits. Consequently,
south-western Transylvania was densely inhabited during all historical periods. The access to, and
exploitation of, the aforementioned resources was a matter of almost continuous social-political and
economic competition between different indigenous communities and incoming populations. These
diverse interactions and their outcome are frequently revealed by archaeological evidence.
In this region the Late Iron Age was defined by two cultural and chronological horizons: the so-called
“Celtic horizon” (between ca. 350 and 190/175 BC) and the “Dacian horizon” (between ca. 190/175
BC and AD 106). The first chronological interval was characterized by the arrival of some Celtic
groups from the Central-Western Europe. They had cohabited more-or-less peacefully with the
indigenous populations. These interactions led to the hybridization of material culture and practices:
typical Central European La Tène elements were often combined with the indigenous ones. The
second chronological interval is characterized by the appearance of Dacian communities in this
region and the subsequent emergence of the Dacian Kingdom. The corresponding material culture is
different from that of the previous period, being oriented towards the Lower Danube region.
Taking into consideration the specific features of the two successive cultural horizons, the paper is
going to identify and compare the manner in which different communal identities were constructed
and expressed through time in the aforementioned region. The analysis is going to bring into
discussion the settlements’ internal organization, as well as their relations with the funerary areas
and the surrounding landscape. Other related aspects which are going to be discussed include diet
and food processing practices, styles of bodily ornamentation, commemorative practices.
168. Gaetano Santagati
(Archivio Ceramografico, Università di Catania, Italy)
pottery
169. Lucica-Olga Savu
(Institute of Archaeology „Vasile Pârvan”, Braşov, Romania)
 Discoveries of tombs and funerary inventories in southeastern Transylvania
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the whole discoveries with funeral specific, since the IV
century BC until the Roman conquest of Dacia. The approach will aim to recover as much information
as possible regarding the complexes that were identified in the first half of the last century and
completing the repertory of discoveries with all the details that were recovered about newly
discovered tombs and funerary inventories. Important information will be obtained, with reference
to old discoveries, by reconsidering the double-tomb discovered in Sânpetru-Talinenberg and the
tumulus-tomb found in Viscri, both in Brasov County. The complexes recently discovered which will
be discussed in this paper were discovered in the same county, in administrative areas of the
localities Brasov, Hoghiz and Rotbav.
In all cases, in the vicinity of discoveries with specific funeral (identified as belonging to North-
Thracian as indicated by the artifacts that were recovered) were mapped contemporary civil
settlements. Only the overall analysis of these findings, which take into consideration the location of
residential centers in each microzone, is able to contribute to identifying the factors that had
determined the development of southern Transylvania in the second Iron Age.
170. Mustafa H. Sayar
(University of Istanbul, Turkey)
 Thracian tribes in Southeastern thrace
The aim of this contribution is to present new approaches to the Thracian tribes in Southeastern
Thrace through the new epigraphical and archaeological finds.
171. Paola Schirripa
(University of Milano, Italy)
 Rois thraces et rois perses dans la tradition grecque
(co-authors: Paola Schirripa, Federica Cordano)
Le regarde grec sur la Thrace et sur la Perse nous consigne des traits communs et des analogies
évidentes pour ce qui concerne l’image des rois et, surtout de la royauté.
Si l’on regarde la formation de la tradition grecque sur la Thrace, c’est Homère qui nous permet
d’isoler des clichés plutôt précis, tels le topos de la richesse (Il. 23, 808 ; 24, 234) et avant tout celui
de la royauté, du paysage hivernal et neigeux, autant que la première occurrence de l’ethnique se
référant à Thamyris (Il. 2. 595: Thamyris le Thrace, puni par les Muses).
Chez l’épopée, l’image des Thraces demeure confinée dans la fluidité d’un monde où la perception
de l’altérité, de la barbarie, n’est pas présente et où tous les acteurs du récit partagent les mêmes
cultes, les mêmes coutumes, la même langue, la même culture. Ceci étant, il est tout à fait indéniable
que la Thrace d’Homère, dans ses sporadiques épiphanies, nous présente des traits récurrents, de
détails qui renvoient à une culture matérielle qu’on pourrait définir spécifique et idiosyncratique.
Encore chez Homère les Thraces figurent comme des éleveurs des chevaux, provenant de la terre
“pleine de vent”, comme Rhésos, le roi thrace par excellence de l’Iliade.
Si l’image de la royauté thrace se déroule ainsi à travers des topoi fixes, tels la richesse, les chevaux,
la chasse, ce sont des traits qu’on le peut détecter même dans le portrait grec des rois perses et qui
demeurent lisibles dans l’ensemble des sources grecques à l’âge historique.
A travers la relecture d’Homère, d’Hécatée, d’Hérodote, de Thucydide et de Xénophon, nous allons

relire et réinterpréter l’image des rois thraces et perses, à partir des activités qui viennent être leur
apanage exclusif, comme la guerre, la chasse et le banquet, pour en illuminer la transmission et
l’exhibition du pouvoir, tout comme les armes du contrôle des peuples sujets.
172. Thomas Schmidts
(Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Kompetenzbereich und Museum für Antike
Schifffahrt, Germany)
 Ainos – Interdisziplinäre Forschungen und mythische Vergangenheit
Die antike Hafenstadt Ainos (Enez, Türkei) liegt heute ca. 4 km von der Küste des Mittelmeers
entfernt. Diese Verlandung wird maßgeblich durch den Hebros (Meriç / Evros) verursacht, der hier in
die nördliche Ägäis einmündet. Die Nähe zur Flussmündung war auch für den Wohlstand dieser Stadt
in Antike und byzantinischer Zeit verantwortlich. Ainos bildete ein Bindeglied zwischen dem Meer
und dem thrakischen Binnenland. Der Hebros war bis nach Hadrianopolis (Edirne) mit größeren bzw.
Philippopolis (Plovdiv) mit kleineren Wasserfahrzeugen befahrbar. Dieser Handelsweg lässt sich auch
anhand von Amphorenfunden nachvollziehen.
Ainos wurde als griechische Kolonie gegründet und war bereits in archaischer und klassischer Zeit
eine bedeutende Hafenstadt, wie zahlreiche archäologische Funde und insbesondere die weit
verbreiteten, hier geprägten Münzen belegen. Während die Entwicklung der Polis – möglicherweise
zu Unrecht – vom Hellenismus bis zur mittleren Kaiserzeit bislang meist als Periode der Stagnation
angesehen wurde, tritt die Bedeutung in Spätantike und byzantinischer Zeit deutlich zutage. Im 4.
Jahrhundert wurde die Stadt Bischofssitz und war möglicherweise auch Hauptstadt der spätantiken
Provinz Rhodope.
Seit 2012 läuft ein von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft finanziertes Projekt zur
interdisziplinären Erforschung von Ainos. Die Feldarbeiten werden im Rahmen der jährlich
stattfindenden Ausgrabungskampagnen der Universität Istanbul durchgeführt. Zum
Arbeitsprogramm zählten geoarchäologische Bohrungen, geophysikalische Prospektionen die
Dokumentation von Bauresten, Geländebegehungen sowie Sondageschnitte. Im Fokus standen dabei
die Identifikation der bislang unbekannten Hafenplätze, die Klärung des raumzeitlichen Verlaufs der
Verlandung sowie die Siedlungstopographie in antiker und byzantinischer Zeit. Hinzu kommt noch die
Erfassung von Feinkeramik und Marmorfunden der römischen und byzantinischen Zeit. Der Vortrag
möchte einen Überblick Ergebnissen der laufenden Forschungen geben, insbesondere bezüglich der
Entwicklung der Stadt bis zum Ende der Spätantike. Darüber hinaus soll auch – dem Motto der
Konferenz entsprechend – Ainos als Schauplatz der mythologischen Überlieferung gewürdigt werden.
173. Cristian Schuster
 Buridava – eine dakische und römische Ansiedlung in Nordostoltenien
(co-authors: Cristian Schuster, Ion Tuţulescu)
Der Nordosten Olteniens war, durch seine geographisch-strategische Position und seine
Bodenschätze, schon in der Vorgeschichte von Interesse für die verschiedenen Gemeinschaften. Die
Daker erbauten nicht weit entfernt von der heutigen Stadt Râmnicu Vâlcea eine befestigte Siedlung,
in der Fachliteratur unter dem Namen Buridava bekannt, deren Rolle den Weg entlang des Flußes Olt
von der Donau durch die Berge nach Siebenbürgen zu kontrollieren, war. Das Salzvorkommen erhob
weiter die Wichtigkeit der Dava. Diese beiden wirtschaftlichen und militärischen Werte führten auch
die Römer, gleich am Beginn des ersten römisch-dakischen Krieges (101-102 n. Chr.), mit Gewicht
hier Fuß zu fassen. Sehr wahrscheinlich fand hier die römische Eroberungsarmee ihren
provisorischen Sitz, so wie uns einige Inschriften aufklären. Später wurde eine Festung gebaut und
desgleichen entwickelte sich hier auch eine zivile Siedlung. Anhand der älteren und neueren Funde,
der Auswertung der entdeckten Materialien wird der Versuch enternommen ein klareres Bild der
zwei Ansiedlungen – dakisch und römisch – zu gestalten.
174. Tatyana Shalganova
 The Scythian Art Horizon in Thrace From 5th Century BC
The report deals with artifacts found on the territory of the Odrysian kingdom indicative of the
Scythian animal style from the 5th century BC. They testify to the complex pathways of formation of
the Thracian animal style. They support the idea that there is a Scythian art horizon in the 5th century
BC in Thracian culture represented by decorations for horse trappings and weapons. The appearance
of some Scythian items in Thracian lands is due to the gift exchange between the aristocratic elites,
to the custom of donating horses together with the decoration. Another part however appeared
probably as a result of ethnic displacement and armed conflicts as well as through penetration of a
group of Scythians within the Odrysian kingdom. The Scythians were probably assimilated fairly
quickly in the Thracian environment.
175. Nicolay Sharankov
 Thracarchs, archiereis, and neokoroi
The paper examines the office of the presidents of the Thracian provincial council (koinon) and their
relation to other officials responsible for the imperial cult in the Roman province and its cities. An up-
to-date list of the holders of this office, augmented by recent epigraphic finds and corrected through
re-examination of previously known texts, is presented. The scope of known thracarchs’ activities has
also been enriched by new inscriptions.
According to the available evidence, the office was established in the late first century AD – most
probably under emperor Domitian – as ‘archiereus of the province/koinon’, while the earliest
appearance of the title ‘thrakarches’ is dated to the second half of the second century AD; the
expanded title ‘thrakarches kai europarches’ was introduced at the end of the third century AD, in
accordance with the new provincial system of emperor Diocletian. All early thracarchs – and many of
the later ones – are proven to have been descendants of old Thracian aristocracy, and several are
even explicitly noted as hereditary holders of this title. All thracarchs whose full names are preserved
were Roman citizens, and some of them belonged to the equestrian order.
Another office connected with the imperial cult in Thrace, which was hitherto only vaguely known –
that of the neokoroi – is now shown to have been closely related to those of thracarchs and
archiereis.
176. Valeriu Sirbu
(Museum of Braila / Institute of Archaeology ”V. Pârvan”, Bucharest, Romania)
representation.
name just a few.
Grădina Castelului
(co-authors: Valeriu Sîrbu, Diana Dăvîncă)
A detailed analysis – from an archaeological, anthropological and interdisciplinary standpoint – has

highlighted that these vestiges reflect remarkable changes in the mortuary practices related to the
sex, age and social status of the dead. This is a rare case of encountering many human bones, with a
rich and diverse inventory, given the almost total absence of necropolises in the Geto-Dacian world,
particularly those for common people, during the 1st c. BC – 1st c. AD.
The 34 deposits of human bones from Grădina Castelului have yielded 57 individuals, 48 of them
inhumed and just nine cremated, from the period between 300 BC – 101/106 AD. Most of the
inhumed were children, 38 of them under the age of seven, and 20 of them less than one year old!
On the other hand, of the cremated individuals, only one was a child, but with a warrior´s inventory.
There was no discernible pattern of placing or orienting the inhumed individuals based on sex or age.
The number of individuals in a single deposit differs greatly, from one to six dead. Of the 48 inhumed
individuals, only 25 had complete skeletons, one did not have the skull and 22 of them consisted of
just isolated bones!
For all these reasons, it is very difficult to interpret the vestiges.
Was this a necropolis where the Dacian community applied, for four centuries, a strict age, sex and
social status “filter” on the rites and rituals applied to the dead present here?
If this was a standard necropolis, it means that: a) in the first stage, only cremation was practiced,
and the dead were warriors (including an Infans I) and b) a transition stage followed, when one
practiced cremation, as well as inhumation, for adults, adolescents and children, and c) in the last
stage, only children were placed here, all of them inhumed.
Or did this become in the last stage of use, namely the 1st c. AD, a sacred area where only children
were inhumed, after corpse exposure/decomposing? If so, we have to ask what happened to the
other dead, to those that did not meet the community’s selection criteria, which varied so much over
time.
The dead originated from local communities, given that there is a fortress in the immediate vicinity of
the area with human deposits and the inventory can be classified as characteristic of the Dacians.
 Pietroasa Mică-Gruiu Dării: a particular Dacian cultic centre

(co-authors: Valeriu Sirbu, Sebastian Matei)
Gruiu Dării has a series of unusual features in comparison with other Geto-Dacian discoveries, first of
all by the succession of the types of sites, then by certain categories of the identified complexes. By
the end of the 4th and in the 3rd century BC, also in the second half of the 2nd – early 1st century BC
there was on the Plateau an unfortified settlement, then a fortress in the 1st c. BC, and in the 1st
century AD an important cultic place.
The archaeologists have found only two types of characteristic complexes dated in the 1st century AD
– 69 deposits of the mound type and 6 isolated fireplaces. 53 of the 69 deposits of the mound type
were surrounded by stone rings, while inside there were in situ fireplaces or in fragments; the other
16 deposits had no stone rings. The rings measured 0.40-0.80 m in diameter, and 0.20-0.50 m, the
present height.
The deposits of the mound type display a wide range of burnt pieces of dwellings, together with a
part of their inventory, brought from other settlements. As certain categories of objects are missing
while others are very numerous, one could suppose a certain selection.
Deposing a rich and varied inventory, consisting mainly of artefacts already used, sometimes items
with a great value or very often used, could mean a strong cultic motivation, otherwise it would be
difficult to explain why they gave up such belongings. The essential remark is that no type of
habitations or household annexes dating back to the first century of the Christian era has been
found.
On the unfortified Terrace I, there was no inhabitation complex, but only a great number of deposits,
mount type, similar to those of the Plateau, still having certain particular features, plus some
fireplaces and pits, all of them dated in the first century AD.
Consequently, we could consider there is conclusive evidence to state the existence of an important
sacred enclosure (temenos), a cultic centre, so far unique in its manifestation elements. By analysing
the complex types and their inventory, we will try to identify the order of the rituals, then the
significance of these deposits.
Gruiu Dării is an example testifying the variety of the types of known sacred zones in the 2nd century
BC – 1st century AD in the Geto-Dacian world.
 Dacians or Sarmatians? Tamga signs in Dacia (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD)

(co-authors: Valeriu Sirbu, Liana Oța)
The Sarmatian presence in the territory inhabited by Dacians is a debated issue. Inhumation graves,
generally dated between the middle/end of the 1st century AD and the 3rd century AD, found in
Moldavia, Wallachia, Crişana and Banat, are unanimously attributed to Sarmatians. Items considered
to be typically Sarmatian were found in some Dacian settlements, but their meaning is interpreted
either as imports or as evidence of the presence of Sarmatians in pre-Roman Dacia.
Items attributed to the Sarmatians have been found in 13 sites, spread over a large territory – hand-
made pottery, a bronze vessel, bone items and a gold-plated iron item. Without exception, all items
considered to be Sarmatian were found in Dacian sites.
Up until now, tamga signs were found on 18 items from 8 Dacian sites, most of them clay vessels, as
well as a few bone items, plus a gold-plated iron item. There is a contradiction here – the origin of
tamgas is Sarmatian but, at least in the territory inhabited by Dacians, they are encountered mostly
on Dacian clay vessels, pottery fragments or bone items. The number of Sarmatian or ‘north-Pontic’
vessels or bone items with tamga signs is significantly smaller.
Why are there no tamga signs on vessels discovered in the Sarmatian graves from Moldavia,
Wallachia, and Banat? In what way did these signs spread into pre-Roman Dacia? Do tamga signs
found in Dacian settlements have the same significance as those from the north-Pontic regions, or a
different one? This paper will try to answer such questions.
North-Eastern Thrace
(co-authors: Valeriu Sîrbu, Magdalena Ștefan, Dan Ștefan)
In the northern peripheries of the early Odrysian polities, the late Hallstatt communities reacted
differently, at their each own regional pace, to the changing funerary ritual of the 5th c. BC, but, as
the cemetery study indicate, it was rather a slow and gradual transition, without major disruptions,
in which the main burial sites of the previous century remained in use for some time. In parallel with
these older cemeteries, new burial grounds appear particularly in the 5th c. BC (a relative vaguely
defined chronological sequence with the key-items spanning for long periods), novel sites that reveal
a change in the significance of certain geographical areas (reflecting deeper changes in the
configuration of the commercial circuits, political relations or even type of economy).
Using their results of a decade long excavation project in Northern Dobroudja, in Telița-Celic Dere (a
settlement with a reinginerindu necropolis with both flat and tumuli graves dated in the 6th – 3rd c.
BC, encompassing inhumations and cremations, Thracian, North Pontic elements and also early
Greek imports), the authors will discuss the transition in North-eastern Thrace from the late Hallstatt
funerary ritual to the emergence of the so called Getic Horizon of the 4th – 3rd c. BC. Issues followed
will be: tumuli size, collective versus individual burial, secondary graves, relation between tumuli and
flat graves, transition between inhumation to cremation, interventions pits in the graves, longevity of
burial sites, graves with akinakes, early Greek imports.
177. Nikolay Sivkov
(Regional Museum of History, Pernik, Bulgaria)
 The starry sky of the Thracians on an anthropomorphic stela (poster)
Cosmological ideas in antiquity were associated with the observation of the movement of celestial
bodies. The monuments of that era that reflect the results of astronomical observations are quite
fragmented. During the Paleolithic period those were images of astral objects among other
petroglyphs in the caves.
A picture of the sky above the Balkan Peninsula in the past is reflected on a stone anthropomorphic
stele from the village of Kalishte, Pernik region, Western Bulgaria.
The stone stele represents a stylized figure of a warrior armed with a sword in a sheath, and with a
battle axe. The studies of the stele until today were related to its dating as an archaeological object.
This artifact of Thracian times is of interest both from an archaeological point of view, as well as from
archaeoastronomical and cultural points of view. The details of the star pattern (the position of the
constellation Orion, the North Pole of the world), allow us to date it to the Bronze Age (IInd
millennium BC).
The mythological themes which are presented on the background of the star sky on their side allow
us to consider this monument also in relation to cosmogony.
The anthropomorphic stele of Kalishte is yet another piece of evidence of the astronomical
knowledge of the Thracian tribes who used to inhabit the territory along the upper and middle
course of the Struma River, as well as of the Thracian mythology and beliefs during the Bronze Age.
178. Katarzyna Skowron
(University of Rzeszów, Poland)
 Les éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule – un essai de révision
(co-authors: Katarzyna Skowron, Tomasz Bochnak)
La question de la présence des éléments thraces dans le bassin de la Vistule était étudiée par les
chercheurs polonais depuis longtemps. Nous savons que dans le bassin de la Vistule arrivaient les
impulsions venant de plusieurs cercles culturels européens, et qu’elles souvent influencé le rythme
de changements des cultures archéologiques locales survenus à plusieurs siècles avant l’arrivée des
Slaves. Les impulsions transcarpatiques sont de grande importance sur les terrains polonaises.
Dans notre communication, nous allons rappeler et réviser quelques découvertes sur les terres
polonaises considérées comme des témoignages « thraces ». Souvent le terme « thrace » désignait
des éléments variés venant du sud et du sud-est, visibles dans le bassin de la Vistule à partir de la fin
de l’âge du Bronze. On rapporte ce phénomène à la culture lusacienne, celle de Poméranie et de La
Tène, même à la culture de Przeworsk du IIème âge du Fer. On parle de la présence de la céramique
thraco-scyte en Pologne de la fin du VIème siècle avant notre ère à la première moitié du IVème
siècle avant notre ère. L’afflux de cette céramique en Pologne est liée avec les influences scythes
venant de l’est et du sud-est, alors est-il justifié d’utiliser dans ce cas-là le composant « thraco- » ?
Dans le cas des découvertes plus récentes il est souvent impossible de préciser s’il s’agit des
influences thraces ou daces. Le problème des importations méridionales et leur origine précise reste
actuel aussi pour la période préromaine. Dans notre communication, nous allons rappeler aussi
d’autres découvertes d’armement de le période préromaine, considérées dans le bassin de la Vistule
comme des témoignages d’influences méridionales. Notre but est de vérifier la provenance des
objets pris pour des importations thraces et de présenter la dynamique des contacts avec les tribus
thraces.
179. Mirena Slavova
 On the Thracian Syllable
The paper focuses on the structure of Thracian syllable in comparison to that of Ancient Greek. The
theoretical model employed for this comparative analysis is the onset-rhyme arboreal projection.
Describing both the onset and rhyme of the Thracian syllable, the author makes an attempt to
specify the syllabification of this relict language. The prevocalic consonantal elements in the
configuration of the onset position are of particular interest. As for the rhyme and its two further
sub-units (the nucleus and the coda), the abiding of sonority hierarchy arch of consonantal element –
vowel element – consonantal element will be discussed.
The uncovering of differences among the syllable structures in both languages, if any, especially
between the consonantal cumulation word-initially and word-finally, as well as the detection of
potential segments which violate the sonority hierarchy, will throw additional light on the language
of Thracians.
From the very pragmatic viewpoint I will try to answer in what phonemic combinations we know that
a name is Thracian and which are the phonotactic sequence constraints in it.
180. Adela Sobotkova
(Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia)
 Centralisation and autonomy in settlement patterns in Thrace (poster?)
This paper compares several different categories of evidence that illuminate the concept of
leadership and authority in ancient Thrace. Greek historians provide us with contradictory images of
Thracians as rich and powerful warriors on one hand and impoverished peasants on the other.
Material evidence also provides contrasting datasets: rich mortuary material from imposing burial
mounds versus simple, often transient villages with little evidence of wealth, stratification, or craft
specialization. Evidence from the Tundzha Regional Archaeological Project (TRAP), a recent, large-
scale landscape archaeology project in central Bulgaria, sheds further light on Thracian political unity
and centralization. Spatial analysis of settlement patterns indicates that Thracian political institutions
never reached the level of a centralised polity, as might be assumed from Thucydides’ account, or a
cursory examination of mortuary remains. Regular spacing of Late Iron Age settlements in the
Kazanlak Valley suggests that numerous autonomous communities co-existed in the valley at the
time. The first signs of cooperation, manifest in the settlement growth and relaxation of settlement
spacings, appears during the Roman period, coinciding with historical evidence of external authority.
All in all, the power of Thracian rulers remained very individualistic and ever changing, producing an
unstable horizontal coherence and weak vertical integration of the society until the Roman period.
 Places of Memory or Places of Power? Regional Approaches to Burial Mounds in Thrace

(poster?)
Burial mounds are the most conspicuous and ubiquitous feature of the Bulgarian landscape. Referred
to as Thracian burial mounds, these monuments have been used for mortuary and other rituals from
the Early Bronze Age through the Middle Ages. Mound construction, reuse, or expansion served
different needs through time. This paper applies probabilistic modelling, visibility, and spatial analysis
to a regional dataset of burial mounds in order to delineate diachronic patterns in the locational
behavior and purpose of mound builders. The organisation of burial mounds in space will be assessed
as the reflection of both the cosmological beliefs as well as the political geography of contemporary
communities in Thrace. Territorial demarcation, hostility, competition, and assertion are just a few
processes that characterize interaction between neighbouring communities. Prevailing patterns, if
discernible, will indicate the dominant processes that operated within the local communities at
different points in time.
181. Irina Sodoleanu
(Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanța, Romania)
 Roman Artifacts from Albești (Constața county, Romania) (poster)
Albești, a fortified settlement in the rural territory of Callatis, ceased to function after the end of the
3rd century BC. From its very beginning (1974), the archaeological research focused mainly on the
Greek fortification and the correspondent area in its proximity. There was though a campaign that
focused on the archaeological situation on the western part of the plateau, about 100 meters west of
the fortification. Plenty of Roman material was gathered. Therefore the plateau seems to have been
inhabited in the Roman period also. The different types of pottery that were discovered demonstrate
that the relation with Callatis was still vivid in the Roman period. This poster is meant to show
different types of Roman artifacts discovered in the researched area and also to include this
particular example in a more general situation regarding the relation between the cities situated on
the western coast of the Black Sea and different settlements and populations living in their
hinterland, in Roman times.
182. Aliénor Solas
(Université Paris-Sorbonne 4, France)
 Thracian studies and global history
This communication will analyse the possible contribution of the global historical perspective as well
as the comparative approach to the Thracian studies. Comparison with other warrior peoples linked
to the ancient Greeks (mainly Celts, Lydians and Illyrians) will first be considered, and then the
reflection will be extended to later contexts worldwide. The partition of the Thracian studies
between archaeology, protohistory and history as well as its consequences will also be discussed. The
objective here is to explore the relevance of some new historical research perspectives that may
contribute to a better knowledge of the ancient Thracian societies and shed light on their relations
with the neighboring states.
183. Mina Spasova
(Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge, Sofia, Bulgaria)
calendar (poster)
winter solstice.

184. Dan Ștefan
(National Museum of Eastern Carpathians, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania)
Transylvania
(co-authors: Dan Ștefan, Magdalena Ștefan)
Transylvania
The coldest region of Romania, with an annual average of 160 days of frost, is represented by a group
of depressions positioned inside the Curved area of the Carpathian Mountains. Surrounded from all
sides by high crests, the small sized lowlands, covered until mid-20th c. by major swamps and turf
moors, resemble naturally fortified countries. Despite the harsh environment, a clear land-
occupation peak is noticeable for the end of the late Iron Age, in the two centuries before the Roman
Conquest of Dacia: the remains of several tens of fortifications (2nd c. BC – 1st c. AD) make the
Carpathian depressions of Eastern Transylvania one of the most crowded fortified landscapes of pre-
Roman Dacia, raising questions about the nature and size of the reflected authority network in a
moment when, like in other peripheries of the Mediterranean polities, North Danubian Thracian
tribes established centralized power systems, based on the performance of collective cults in
specially designed spaces and the emergence of proto-urban settlements.
Using the results of recent investigations (excavations, remote-sensing, geophysics), the authors will
give a synthesis on the main cultural and material trends of the area during the Dacian period,
focusing on the spatial relations between central places and open settlements, types of cultic
manifestations including fields of pits and burial of silver hoards, structuring of authority as
embedded in the spatial organization of sites and strategic routes, questioning at all times the local
specificity versus the integration into the larger centralized trends and investigating how the extreme
environment influenced the type of society developed in the region in the late Iron Age.
185. Magdalena Ștefan
(National Museum of Eastern Carpathians, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania)
Transylvania
The coldest region of Romania, with an annual average of 160 days of frost, is represented by a group
of depressions positioned inside the Curved area of the Carpathian Mountains. Surrounded from all
sides by high crests, the small sized lowlands, covered until mid-20th c. by major swamps and turf
moors, resemble naturally fortified countries. Despite the harsh environment, a clear land-
occupation peak is noticeable for the end of the late Iron Age, in the two centuries before the Roman
Conquest of Dacia: the remains of several tens of fortifications (2nd c. BC – 1st c. AD) make the
Carpathian depressions of Eastern Transylvania one of the most crowded fortified landscapes of pre-
Roman Dacia, raising questions about the nature and size of the reflected authority network in a
moment when, like in other peripheries of the Mediterranean polities, North Danubian Thracian
tribes established centralized power systems, based on the performance of collective cults in
specially designed spaces and the emergence of proto-urban settlements.
Using the results of recent investigations (excavations, remote-sensing, geophysics), the authors will
give a synthesis on the main cultural and material trends of the area during the Dacian period,
focusing on the spatial relations between central places and open settlements, types of cultic
manifestations including fields of pits and burial of silver hoards, structuring of authority as
embedded in the spatial organization of sites and strategic routes, questioning at all times the local
specificity versus the integration into the larger centralized trends and investigating how the extreme
environment influenced the type of society developed in the region in the late Iron Age.
186. Marco Stefano Scaravilli
(Archivio Ceramografico, Università di Catania, Italy)
pottery
187. Krasimira Stefanova-Georgieva
(Museum of History "Iskra", Kazanlak, Bulgaria)
 Die Antike Siedlung bei Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak
(co-authors: Gergana Kabakchieva, Krasimira Stefanova-Georgieva)
Die Untersuchungen der antiken Siedlung bei Stadt Kran, Gemeinde Kazanlak sind während der 80-
er Jahren des 20.Jahrhundert durchgeführt. Nach der Ergebnissen der archäologischen Ausgrabungen
sind drei Bauperiode festgestellt: die erste – von der hellenistischen Zeit; die zweite – von der
spätrömischen Zeit und die dritte – von der spätantiken Zeit.
Die früheste Spuren von der Besiedlung auf diese Stelle sind mit einem Kultgebäude verbunden. Man
datiert sie in der Blütezeit der thrakischen Kultur im Kazanlak Tal. Die Baureste und die Funde der
reich verzierten Dachziegeln nehmen sich mit großem Interesse an.
Nach einer langen unbesiedelten Periode ist einer Militärstützpunkt an dieser Stelle gebaut worden,
der der Weg nach dem Schipka Pass gestützt hat. In der Regierungszeit von Tetrarchie sind hier
Civilleute auch besiedelt. Damals ist eines eigenes Teil für die Soldaten erreicht. Die Siedlung
bewährt ihre militärische Funktion bis zum Ende der Antike. Durch dieser Zeit ist die
Umwehrungsanlage einige Malen renoviert. Das Leben dieser Festung beendet sich in der letzten
Viertel des 6. Jahrhundert n.Chr.
188. Stephan Steingräber
(Università Roma Tre, Italy)
 Figurative Representations in Thracian Tomb Paintings of the 4th and 3rd cent. B.C. -
Themes, Iconography, Ideology
After a short summary of the main iconographic themes in Thracian tomb paintings I will discuss
particularly the figurative representations such as animals, Gorgoneia, female heads, banquet,
processions, chariot racing, horsemen, warriors and fightings, hunting and mythological figures and
scenes and compare them with contemporaneous tomb paintings in Etruria, Southern Italy
(Campania, Lucania, Apulia), Macedonia and Asia Minor. I will try to elaborate common elements –
which could be interpreted as an expression of a cultural-artistic koinè especially in the Early
Hellenistic period – and obvious differences between the various cultural areas. Special attention will
be dedicated to the representations of historical character – not only in tomb paintings but also in
other kinds of monuments (like vase paintings, terracotta figures etc.) and possible pro-Macedonian
tendencies.
189. Kalin Stoev
 Crises, Brigandage and the Emergence of the „Military Men” in the Balkan Region (ca.
AD 170– ca. AD 300)
The paper incorporates some epigraphic evidence and the fragmentary, sometimes fictional
historical sources in order to give light on the way in which the political conditions allowed the
emergence of military men with a common provincial background from the Thracian or Moesian
lands to the strategic and politically influential troops of the Roman army. It shows how the old
cursus honorum, based on the background from the “senatorial” aristocracy and the top layers of the
municipal or financial (equestrian) strata, had been replaced, due to the extreme inner and outer
“barbarian” menace. A new career model, based on the common origin from the romanized rural or
semi-rural populations in the Thracian and central Balkan provinces of the Empire and the common
roots of the fellow-soldiers had been created, where the service in the local militias, was leading to
positions in the bodyguard or cavalry troops. The paper leads to the conclusion about how the
emergence of the new military career pattern and the cohesion among the soldiers within these
units were able to set some of the remarkable men of the time (as Marcianus or Traianus Mucianus)
to important military positions and to produce several emperors.
190. Alexey Stoev
(Space Research and Technology Institute, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria)
calendar (poster)
winter solstice.

191. Svetozar Stoyanov
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
Bulgarian collectors in the period of 1994–2014 (poster)
(co-authors: Stavri Topalov, Alexander Toromanov, Svetozar Stoyanov)
It has been established in the investigations and studies of collectors of ancient coins in Bulgaria
during the last 20 years that there are a very great number of unknown types and denominations of
Thracian tribal and mostly royal coins. Photos and descriptions of several dozens of such coins having
been minted in Thracian lands in the period from the end of 6th century BC to the first half of 1st
century AD and published in reviews of small circulation are given in the study. Due to the existence
established of coins of kings in Thracian lands about which there is no information in the sources and
the epigraphic monuments it was possible to make additions in the list of Thracian kings having really
existed and to get a more exact idea of the coinage of the Thracian kings already known. The results
of the study of the coinage on the territory of the early Odryssian Kingdom (end of 6th century BC –
middle of 4th century BC) are particularly impressive. On the background of 24 types of early
Odryssian regal coins known 10 new types of early Odryssian regal coins have been published among
which two types of anepigraphic silver coins minted in different denominations for the purpose of
the domestic commercial relations on the territory of the Odryssian Kingdom. Information about the
existence of some several thousands coins of kings of the early Odryssian Kingdom included in
private collections and about the regions of their provenance was submitted together with the new
types of early Odryssian regal coins. Owing to these studies it became possible to establish that there
was in the Odryssian Kingdom a policy well considered in advance and strictly followed of selection of
basic and additional images and legends, of use for the first time of constant dynastic symbols, of
minting for the first time of coins using non-precious metals and of the first royal and urban bronze
coins minted in towns owned by Odryssian kings. As a result of the studies of Bulgarian collectors it
became possible to establish that the Odryssian kings after Teres I belonged to two kinship branches
of the ruling dynasty, which were the territories controlled by both branches and the order of
succession of the power by both branches of the dynasty. These studies allowed to correct the date
of foundation of the early Odryssian Kingdom which is not after the withdrawal of the Persians in
480/479 BC but before the beginning of the Persian campaigns, i.e. by the end of the 6th century BC
and to explain a number of events in Thracian lands which were not related in the works of ancient
authors.
192. Totko Stoyanov
 Urbanization in Early Hellenistic Thrace:The case of Getic capital Helis in North-Eastern
Thrace The case of Getic capital Helis in North-Eastern Thrace
The notion about the formation and the development of towns of Classical type in Thrace is shaped
mainly on the base of the evidence of the archaeological study of settlements which reveal such
characteristics.
The ancient sources are sparse in such information which moreover is often uncertain in providing us
with objective data about the concrete features of the mentioned towns (or settlements with
probably similar physiognomy or functions). In some cases, like Seuthopolis for instance, the sources
keep silent about really existing urban centres, which had had enough features according to the
modern criteria to be discussed as part of the process of urbanization in Thrace.
The settlements known archaeologically today which cover the criteria to be adopted as part of the
process in question remain still but a few, even if we add to Seuthopolis, Kabyle, Philippopolis and
Helis (the Getic town in Sboryanovo reservation) the settlements of questionable character like these
at modern Pernik and Vetren (Pistiros?).
The extent of research and especially its volume and the character of the published data for the four
mentioned indisputable towns in Thrace complicate the comparison between them as well as the
general analyses by uniform criteria. This is evident in the still actual monograph of Chr. Popov,
published in 2003.
The paper is devoted to the interpretation of the results of the over 30 years long investigations of
the town in Sboryanovo reservation in modern North-East Bulgaria, identified with the polis Helis
mentioned in the ancient sources (Diod XXI. 12) obviously a residence of Dromichaetes and probably
the capital of the Getic state.
The excavations in different parts of the town gradually outline the physiognomy of a powerful city –
political and economic centre of a spacious territory of the Getic lands during the Early Hellenistic
times. The archaeological data give us the opportunity to outline the chronological frames of the
foundation and destruction of the town (the latter due to a massive earthquake), the general stages
in its territorial, architectural and economic development and are a base for the interpretation of the
actual urban pattern chosen (?) and developed (or developing) in that part of ancient Thrace in a
period of ca. 80 or 90 years.
193. Julij Emilov Stoyanov
 The Upper Tonzos Valley with or without Celts (poster)
The poster will illustrate two case studies in the Upper Tonzos Valley during the Early and the Middle
Hellenistic period (3rd-early 2nd century BCE) – Seuthopolis and Cabyle. Examining the question: how
urban communities along the course of the Tonzos river “survived” the Celtic invasion, focus on the
available evidence of contact and interrelations of newcomers to local groups.
Seuthopolis and Cabyle provide examples of different strategies of adaptation and resilience in inland
Thrace during the turbulent times of the 3rd century BCE. In the case of Seuthopolis it seems plausible
to allow a small mercenary unit of Thracian Galatians attached to the local elite. Cabyle case raises
the topic of Cavarus short-term political domination in the third quarter of the 3rd century BCE.
“Byzantion model” (tribute to “barbarian menace”) serves as reasonable explanation of Cabyle silver
issues in Cavarus name, but this short-term solution to potential Celtic danger (or financial silver-to-
coin operation?) points to “without Celts” historical scenario about the urban community at the
great bend of the Tonzos river.
194. Daniela Stoyanova
 Architecture and decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis
(co-authors: Consuelo Manetta, Daniela Stoyanova)
The aim of the paper is to present new evidence about the monumental architecture of the basileia
of Seuthopolis, the capital of Seuthes III. The data about the plan of the entrance to the palace and
the few preserved architectural details – a drum with the base and a capital of a Doric column – allow
for the reconstruction of a monumental propylon in Doric order. In addition to the order decoration,
there was also sculptural decoration, as evidenced by a fragment of a marble coffer from a ceiling
with a male head in high relief. Despite its fragmentary state, the coffer finds good parallels in
coffered ceilings from the Late Classical Period, especially with the coffered ceiling of the Ionic
propylon of the Hall of the Choral Dancers in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace, and is
a positive proof of the activity of Greek artists in Thrace. Although preserved only in fragments, the
decoration of the propylon at Seuthopolis is of particular importance also for the possibility to
determine more or less precisely its chronology, namely during the creation of the city in c. 315 BC.
195. Yannis Stoyas
(KIKPE Numismatic Collection, Athens, Greece)
 The inconspicuous coinage with the legend ΜΟΡΙΑΣΕΩΝ
(co-authors: Yannis Stoyas, Maria-Gabriella Parissaki)
The rare copper coin issue under discussion (head of Zeus r. / six-rayed star, Μ-ΟΡ-ΙΑ-ΣΕ-Ω-Ν) came
into notice at first with a single specimen, which was the object of a paper published in 2008 by P. R.
Franke (the coin had been acquired in his collection since 1992). A second specimen, also in a private
collection, surfaced in 2011. Franke’s piece was auctioned in 2014; two more specimens appeared in
trade later on. In the said (and only so far) scholarly paper, Franke put forward a suggestion for a
tribal issue, struck in the name of the Moriaseis, making a connection with the Thracian tribe of the
Moriseni, based on a reference by Plinius. He proposed also a chronology in the first half of the 2nd
century BC (rather ca. 187/6 – 168 or 149/8 BC); an assumption was made as well that the
settlement area of the tribe was then in the Machtbereich of the Macedonian Kingdom and not on
the Pontic coast as related by Plinius.
The present study, besides amending details regarding the coinage per se, attempts to shed more
light on the crucial matters of the issue’s dating and of the minting area. A better fitting chronology is
suggested through scrutinizing elements such as stylistic analysis of iconography and evaluation of
letter forms of the coin legend. Taken into consideration is also whether this is a tribal issue indeed
or if an alternative for an issue minted at a city is possible — the ethnic name by itself cannot
preclude this option. In any case, the raison d’être of the issue is of importance and has to be framed
within historical context. Furthermore, matters of historical geography are put under examination,
hinting to certain connotations provided by later literary sources which may be quite telling; it
appears that available clues point in all probability to SE Thrace.
196. Karl Strobel
(Alpen Adria Universität Klagenfurt, Austria)
 Getae, Moesi, Daci: The Northern Thracian World?
In a general sense, the summarizing denomination ‘Thracians’ or “of Thracian stock” was used by the
Greeks and by Greek authors for all the people between the Northern Aegean and the “Scythians”.
At the same time, Thracian and Getic people were seen to be divided into different groups north and
south of the Haemus. Contrary to these denominations the ethnic name “Dacians” and the
geographic term “Dacia” were only introduced by the Romans in the middle of the 1st century BC.
The relationship between the different ancient terminologies and the problems originating from
these denominations in modern research and historical constructs will be discussed.
197. Nino Sulava
(Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia)
 Alte Kolchis: Mythos und Wirklichkeit (auf der Grundlage der uralten Fibeln) (poster)
Die an den westlichen und östlichen Küsten des Schwarzen Meeres liegenden sagenhaften Länder –
altes Thrakien und alte Kolchis weisen im Laufe ihrer historischen Entwicklung eine ganze Reihe
gemeinsamer Themen auf: die beiden Länder spiegeln sich in den griechischen Mythen und Quellen
wider, die beiden Länder scheinen im Besitz des durch Metall, und zwar durch Gold vertretenen
Reichtums zu sein, in der Geschichte beider Länder kommen Pelasger vor, das Territorium beider
Länder ist von griechischen Kolonisten angeeignet worden u. s. w.
Lässt man diese Themen außer Acht und wendet sich stattdessen den archäologischen Artefakten,
und zwar den uralten Fibeln zu, so stellt sich heraus, dass die genetische Verbindung zwischen den
Fibeln aus Kaukasus und denjenigen aus Südeuropa und aus der ägäischen Welt derselben
Zeitspanne aufgrund der Ähnlichkeiten in den morphologischen Zeichen sowie den Verzierungsmodi
(einteilige Konstruktion, bogenförmige Beschaffenheit, die scheibartigen Anschwellungen auf dem
Bogen, verschiedene Formen des gravierten Ornaments) bereits als nachgewiesen gelten können.
Thrakien und die Kolchis, in den griechischen Mythen und schriftlich überlieferten Quellen
widerspiegelt, gehören zu derjenigen Kontaktzone aus der Spätbronzen- und Eisenzeit, die ein
riesengroßes Gebiet von den Pyrenäen bis zum Kaukasus umfasst (also die ganze mediterrane Welt
und das ganze Südeuropa – den Kaukasus und die daran südlich angrenzenden Gebiete mit
eingeschlossen) und deren Existenz – obschon mittlerweile durch etliche archäologische
Untersuchungen belegt – nun zusätzlich durch die uralten bogenartigen Fibeln nachgewiesen wird,
die eben in dem besagten Raum Verbreitung gefunden haben.
Anhand der uralten Fibeln haben zunächst A. Milchev und D. Gergova auf die thrakisch-kaukasischen
Kontakte aufmerksam gemacht. Demgegenüber haben wir versucht, anhand der Fibeln die
Ähnlichkeiten und gemeinsamen typologischen Merkmale von kolchischem und thrakischem
Material zu beschreiben. Das sind vor allem der Bogen mit dem runden Durchmesser, gekrümmter
Bogen, der im Querschnitt ovaler Bogen (die Fibel mit flachem Bogen), der Bogen mit rhombischem
Durchmesser.
Die Beziehungen zwischen dem an der Westküste des Schwarzen Meeres liegenden Thrakien und der
an der Ostküste desselben Meeres liegenden Kolchis haben bedeutend tiefere Wurzeln (bestimmte
Arten der Keramik, das Vorhandensein des Bergbaus und der Metallverarbeitung, die Verbreitung
der Dolmene) und das ist auch durchaus logisch, denn beide Länder ordnen sich in den Kontaktraum
ein, welcher (wie strittig dies auch sein mag) durch die Reiseroute der Argonauten markiert ist. Das
die südeuropäisch-kaukasische (mitunter ach thrakisch-kolchische) Beziehungen widerspiegelnde
archäologische Material (Keramik, Erzeugnisse aus Bronze, die Verwendung der
Gravierungsverfahren auf den Erzeugnissen aus Bronze sowie Abbildungen auf denselben
Erzeugnisse) liegt vor und es stammt aus den Zeiten, bevor die griechische Kolonisierung begonnen
hat. Die Anzahl dieser archäologischen Daten nimmt täglich zu und regt zu der von Bulgarien und
Georgien in Zusammenarbeit zu leistenden, konkreteren und tiefgreifenden Erforschung dieser
Fragen an.
198. Lee Sungjoo
(Daegu, South Korea)
Southeastern Bulgaria
(co-authors: Rostitsa Hristova, Lee Sungjoo)
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the transformation processes in the ceramic production and
distribution system based on the analyses of the fabrication procedures and the consumption
patterns of the ceramic vessels discovered from the various archaeological contexts of the
Southeastern Bulgaria from the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age. For this study, the all surface marking
associated with the various fabrication procedures of the pottery samples selected from the
collections of the Yambol and the Karnobat museum were carefully analyzed and recorded.
According to the comparative analyses of the fabrication procedures, especially during the forming
phase, of each period, it could be suggested the noticeable changes in the ceramic production
systems between the early and the late Iron Age in the Southeastern Bulgaria. After the adoption of
the wheel-throwing methods and the new kiln type of which firing conditions could be completely
controlled, the ceramic production systems had be diversified into the different types in the levels of
specialization and the intensities of production. On the base of this investigation we can give more
detail information about the pottery production systems and makes it possible to trace the changes
in technologies during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
199. Gabriel Mircea Talmatchi
(Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanta, Romania)
 About possible stages of the significance and role of monetary signs in the Western Pontic
Area in the light of recent research (6th century BC)
The analyzed archaeological and numismatic finds from the last archaeological campaigns at Histria
(“Temple” Sector) bring new information relevant to the selected topic. The chronological sequence
of the two main typological groups of monetary signs from the Western Pontic Area became clearer
as a result of a more precise dating of their archaeological contexts and the inventory identified.
Consecutive stages of their role and significance in the historical evolution of the Histrian colony in
the first half of the 6th century BC were noticed. Some types seem to have been originally intended
for magical-religious depositions; subsequently they were intended for trade through interventions
on their shape and weight. In the second stage of their evolution the monetary signs that were cast
directly to serve in commercial transactions which dominated the exchange between Greek and
indigenous communities in the chora before the appearance of actual currency in the area. There is
also a strong correlation between the Greek colony and local power centers where the monetary
signs appear to maintain the same exchange trading as manifested in the chora. Silver and bronze
Histrian (and other) coins replaced the monetary signs in the local environment outside the chora
from the current trade flow in the territory between the Danube and the Black Sea.
200. Mihail Tarassov
(Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, Sofia, Bulgaria)
201. Eugenia Tarassova
202. Stela Tasheva
(Institute of Art Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Architectural Images in Antique Coins from Bulgarian Lands (poster)
(co-authors: Sasha Lozanova, Stela Tasheva)
The proposed report will be focused on images of architectural objects, their features, semantics and
symbolism, which were depicted on ancient coins from Bulgarian lands. The considered artefacts,
stored in our museum and private collections, will cover the period between the 6th century BC and
the 5th century AD.
The rich Bulgarian heritage of ancient coins is a long-standing subject of scholarly interest from
thracologists, archaeologists, numismatists, historians and others. Architectural images were also
being investigated in their publications, following their specific author’s perspectives. As a new
approach, this report will attempt to systematize the architectural images in semiotic and functional
plan and will use an interdisciplinary research mode.
203. Rositsa Titorenkova
204. Ivan Todorov
(University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)
 The mythological story of Tyro and some its realia in ancient Thrace (Τσρώ; Apollod. I
9,8)
Salmoneus, the son of Aeolus, had a daughter named Tyro. She is the issue from the marriage to his
first wife, Alcidice. Once the mother died, and the father suffered a punishment by Zeus – he was
punished with a lightning because of his pride, Tyro’s oncle Cretheus raised her and she subsequently
married him. Before that, however, and against her will, Tyro gave birth to the twins Pelias and
Neleus; their father was Poseidon, “God of the Sea”. Pelias was to become king of Iolcus. As for
Neleus, he drove away the Leleges from Messenia, and has been even considered as the founder of
Pylos.
Sophocles keenly employed the mythological plot of Tyro in the dramas that he dedicated to her
(fragments have been preserved). Apart from the literary analysis and through the scientific studies
of nowadays, we link etymologically the name of Tyro to the early religious practices in Hellas and to
some widely used namings and terms in the Ancient Greek language. These terms can also be used in
a broader context, as they may strongly relate to the history and the culture of Ancient Thrace.
205. Nikola Tonkov
 Geophysical survey of Thracian burial mounds at the village of Bratya Daskalovi (Chirpan
eminences)
Geophysical prospection of Thracian burial mounds in Bulgaria has already a long history. And it is
quite reasonable. These are amongst the most numerous and attractive monuments remained in
Bulgarian lands from antiquity. Tumulus survey is not a routine procedure since it usually requires a
big depth of investigation so it lies on the boundary between archaeological and geological
prospection. At this stage, the most powerful technique has appeared electroresistivity survey. For a
long time the resistivity prospection was focused on the detection of big structures – tombs. The
investigations were performed by mapping with a single or several fixed electrode configurations.
This manner of measurement, however, allows only qualitative or at best semiquantitative
interpretation of the data. This means: detection of eventual disturbing body and determination of
its approximate dimensions in plan but not the depth and the vertical dimensions. Nevertheless, the
resistivity prospection proved its efficacy by the discovery of such emblematic examples as the tombs
in Golyama Arsenalka and Malkata mogila tumuli belonging to the necropolises of Shipka.
The rapid development of the geophysical equipment as well as the computer programs in the last
decade or so allowed the technique of resistivity prospection to be improved and thus the whole
tumulus embankment to be more completely and precisely examined. This enhanced technique
includes the joint application of common electroresistivity and geomagnetic mapping, supplemented
now by the new opportunities provided by the continuous vertical electrical sounding (CVES) and,
respectively, by the two and three dimensional inverse modelling known also as two and three
dimensional resistivity tomography (2D and 3D ERT). First example of successful application of this
technique was the discovery of the rich built grave in Svetitsata mound of the same necropolises.
The present report will discuss the results of the geophysical prospection (and the subsequent
archaeological excavations) of several tumuli from the region of the village of Bratya Daskalovi,
where a great variety of archaeological structures were detected – a monumental tomb, stone
krepis, burial pyre, stone heaps, etc.
206. Eva Tonkova
 Black glazed pottery from the pit fields in Bulgaria (poster)
Black glazed pottery has been commonly found in the pit fields from Bulgarian lands and especially in
the Upper Thracian Plain. Several big archaeological sites of that type have been excavated, such as
those at Debelt, Malko Tranovo, Yabalkovo, etc.
The present paper has the aim to examine some aspects of the distribution and typological variety of
the black glazed vessels from the sites in question, most of which belong to the classical period.
Different shapes, as well as the chronological ups and downs of their use will be considered and
analyzed.
207. Milena Tonkova
 L‟orfèvrerie des Odryses à la fin du IVe siècle av. J.-C. à travers les parures du tumulus
Malkata près de Chipka
L’étude porte sur l’analyse des pièces d’orfèvrerie en or et en argent du célèbre tumulus Malkata de
la nécropole thrace de Chipka-Cheinovo dans la vallée de Kazanlak. C’est une sépulture à
l’inhumation datée par son riche mobilier à la fin du IVe siècle av. J.-C. La parure composite inclut
deux colliers en or, l’un composé de perles avec un pendentif biconique couvert de petits cônes
filigranés et un autre – collier-chaîne très fin à pendeloque d’amphore, ce dernier se rangeant parmi
les chefs d’œuvres de l’orfèvrerie antique. Le défunt porta aussi une bague en or ornée d’une scène
d’investiture. Les vêtements de la poitrine ont été ornés de trois chaînettes en argent attachées par
des fibules de type thrace. Le lot inclut encore un pectoral en or, des bractées en forme de rosettes
en argent doré et d’autres ornements miniatures.
L’examen des pièces d’orfèvrerie du tumulus Malkata montre des courants artistiques multiples dans
l’orfèvrerie de la cour des Odryses au temps de la création de Seuthopolis. Ces bijoux sont
probablement des œuvres d’ateliers divers. Les deux colliers en or de style différent rejoignent aussi
bien la tradition des parures d’apparat des Odryses du Ve siècle av. J.-C. connue par les bijoux de la
nécropole de Duvanli que la mode de l’orfèvrerie grecque de la haute époque hellénistique. Les deux
chaînettes attachées aux fibules conduisent vers une liaison avec les ateliers des Tribales qui
maîtrisent l’art du travail de l’argent; la pendeloque originale ornée de cônes de filigrane fait penser
à des contacts avec les terres de Gètes. La troisième chainette et des détails dans le décor de la
pendeloque biconique laissent supposer des influences de l’art celtique.
208. Ivo Topalilov
(Shumen University, Bulgaria)
 Some Notes on Thracian soldiers
The image of the Thracians as good warriors led to their enrolment into the Roman army in all its
units – auxiliary, fleet, Horse Guard of the Augusti, legions and eventually the Praetorian Guard. This,
undoubtedly, was reflected in their nomenclature, status in society, and the future of their progeny
in various aspects, including the possibility of military career in the legions and Praetorian Guards.
The specifics of each military unit, either in its nomenclature, Roman citizenship requirement or
recruitment, undoubtedly had a great effect on the nomenclature of the soldiers/veterans
themselves and their progeny. So, in this paper will be presented and studied some cases of
veterans’ nomenclature, mostly praetorians of the late 2nd – first decades of 3rd century which
would allow further comments on their origin, Roman citizenship, names etc.
209. Stavri Topalov
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Contribution to the study to whom belong the first realistic portraits on ancient coins (mid
5th end of 4th centuries BC)
It is admitted that the first portraits of actual historical persons on coins appeared at the end of 5th
and the beginning of 4th centuries BC in the issues minted by Persian and Lydian satraps (Head, 1911;
Zograf, 1950; Sear, 1979).
The research workers of ancient coinage considered until 1989 that the first realistic portraits of
kings in world coinage appeared in the times of the Macedonian king Alexander III. This opinion was
based on the viewpoint that human images of a certain person were created in Greek art at the
beginning of 5th century BC (Hafner, 1981, 19).
After 1988 is was established, on the basis of a summarized examination of the images, symbols and
additional explanatory legends on the coins of the early Odryssian kings, of the new arguments
submitted and the conclusions drawn on the basis of the same, that the male heads shown on the
most prestige types of silver and bronze coins of the kings of the early Odryssian kingdom represent
in fact their realistic portraits. Such portraits were represented on three types of silver coins of
Saratokos (as to this early king of the lands of Thrace arguments were submitted and a hypothesis
was expressed (Топалов 1998, 172-204) that this is not a certain dynast of the lands between Thasos
and Maronea, but that it is the well-known Odryssian king mentioned in the sources under his
nickname of king and priest of Sitalces), on two types of two sub-variants each of silver coins of
Metokos (Топалов 1989, 1-10; 1994, 11-27; 2002, 94-98; 2004, 59-64; 2007, 35-39; Topalov 1994,
13-22), on a type with two sub-variants of bronze coins of Hebryzelmis, on all types of silver coins
and on two types of bronze coins of Kotys I (Топалов 1989, 1-10; easyer to find Топалов 1994, 11-27;
2004, 105-116; 2006, 62-67; 2008, 37-42). Since unknown types until 2009 of early Odryssian royal
coins and as a result of their study the number of types of early Odryssian royal coins with realistic
king portraits increased by one more type of Kotys I, one type of Kersebleptes (Топалов, Стоянов,
2012, 181-190; Тороманов, in print).
authors.
 A Bronze Spoked Wheel from Varna and it's relation to Thracian Religion (poster)
(co-authors: Lyuben Leshtakov, Stavri Topalov)
The article discusses two bronze items and their relation to the Thracian cult practices during the
Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. A bronze spoked wheel has been found by treasure hunters
in the vicinity of Aksakovo, near Varna. It was part of the so called „Kesselwagen“ or „Kultwagen“.
Sometimes these artefacts were decorated with bird protomes. Such bronze protome was found
again in the vicinity of Varna. It is decorated with numerous notches which depict the plumage and
has a rivet at its base for fastening to another, bigger item.
These finds are unique for the teritory of modern Bulgaria. Until now there were no data about the
existence of „Kultwagen“ in Ancient Thrace. However their emergence is not unexpected since
similar items are known from the neighboring countries, Serbia and Romania. These finds allow us to
compare some cult practises from Central or Western Europe and those in Thrace during the Late
Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The state of research shows that such similarities exist also in
other areas of the cult such as the so called „rondel enclosures“. Thus it seems that the early
Thracian beliefs had some common traits with the beliefs of the other tribes inhabiting different
parts of the European continent during the Bronze Age.
210. Nartsis Torbov
(Regional Museum of History, Vratsa, Bulgaria)
 Die Verzierung der Messer mit den geschwungenen Schneiden (poster)
Der Vortrag enthaltet die detaillierte Beschreibung der Verzierung, die die archäologischen Funden
von Bulgarien, Rumänien und Serbien besitzen. Jeder Messer ist den wichtigen Teil der Bewaffnung,
die gewöhnlich im Grab entdeckt war. Nekropolen sind im breiten chronologischen Rahmen datiert –
II Jh. v. Chr. – I Jh. (Bulgarien); II Jh. v. Chr. – II Jh. (Rumänien). Es gibt einen terminologischen
Unterschied – in der bulgarischen wissenschaftliche Publikationen ist jeder Messer Mаhaira genannt.
Die Bezeichnung ist Sika in der rumänischen und serbischen Literatur.
Die Verzierung war auf die Schneiden der Messer graviert. Sie besteht aus einigen Elementen –
Kerben, Dreiecke und Kreise. Sie bilden in unmittelbarer Nähe von der Rinnen der Scheiden die
selbstständigen Ornamente. Einige Messer haben die reiche und interessante Verzierung. In der
Mitte der Scheide waren zwei Vögel graviert. Ein Ornament, der ähnlich der Sonne ist, steht über
oder zwischen ihnen. Diese Darrstellungen haben eine symbolische Bedeutung, die unbekannt für die
Wissenschaftler ist. Dieses Ornament ist mit der religiösen Vorstellungen der Krieger verbunden, die
Besitzer der Messer waren.
211. Alexander Toromanov
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
authors.
212. Despoina Tsiafakis
("ATHENA" Research Center, Xanthi, Greece)
and Findspots
(co-authors: Amalia Avramidou, Despoina Tsiafakis)
The research project “Attic Vases in Thrace” began in 2015 with the initial collaboration of the
Democritus University of Thrace and the "ATHENA" Research Center, and the subsequent
participation of more archaeologists from Greece and beyond. The preliminary results presented
here are based exclusively on published painted Attic pottery of the 6th through the 4th c. BCE from
sites located in the area that once comprised ancient Thrace. The next step of our research includes
the study of unpublished Attic painted vases, as well as the imported black-glaze Attic pottery and its
local imitations.
Our preliminary research of Attic black- and red-figure vases allows us to observe certain preferences
regarding the shapes, usage, and quantity of pottery discovered at every site. Even though our
analysis is at an early stage, we can still create an outline of the types of Attic painted pottery
imported into each region, from Thasos and its peraia to Samothrace and the coast, and from the
Black Sea colonies to the Thracian inland. The study of vases attributed to well-known Attic vase-
painters vis-à-vis their findspots is also instructive because they may contribute in projecting
distribution patterns from the coastal colonies to Thracian inland sites, while the perspective of
iconography is equally revealing.
 Exploring the reality through myths and archaeological evidence
Ancient Thrace has been a land considered exotic, wild, wealthy, famous for its warriors and horses.
Although different from Greece, it apparently attracted the Greeks already in early times and
developed close relations with them. The Greek presence there, in the form of trading spots
(emporia), colonies (apoikiae) or other, is evidenced at least from the times of the colonization
(apoikismos).
This Greek presence in ancient Thrace is the topic of the current presentation. The aim is to explore,
through certain aspects of myth and reality, the formation of the culture in the region of Aegean
Thrace in Archaic times (7th – 6th c. B.C.), a culture that was the result of contacts, conflicts, and
influences on various levels (commercial, private, public, religious, mythological, etc.) and
contributed significantly to the creation of the structure and image of Thrace in the following
centuries (the Classical and Hellenistic Ages).
In order to achieve those goals, information coming from the archaeological research (material
culture) will be included, as well as narrations from the world of myth. Those two sources will be the
primary tools for the exploration of Greek presence in the region along with its interrelations with
the local Thracian tribes.
213. Georgios Tsomis
(Komotini, Greece)
 Der Wein und die antiken thrakischen Ortsnamen Ismaros und Maroneia: Eine
literarische, linguistische und geographische Annäherung
Zwei Ortsnamen kennzeichnen in der Antike die Region der heutigen Süd-Rhodope: Ismaros und
Maroneia. Handelt es sich dabei um eine oder zwei verschiedene thrakische Städte? Mit Ausnahme
von Strabon und Plinius dem Älteren überliefern die meisten antiken Schriftsteller, dass es sich um
eine einzige Stadt handele, d.h. Maroneia, deren älterer Name Ismaros gewesen sei. Eine
etymologische und linguistische Annäherung dieser zwei Ortsnamen zeigt, dass ein direkter
Zusammenhang zwischen diesen besteht. Zugrunde liegt die glänzende und klare Farbe des Weins,
der in dieser Region produziert wird. Auf diesen Wein und diese Weingärten bzw. Weinberge weisen
stets die antiken Texte der griechischen und der römischen Literatur hin, wenn sie sich auf diese
Ortsnamen beziehen. In der lateinischen Dichtung sind zwar die Belege dazu mehrere als in der
griechischen Literatur, denn Thrakien war für die Römer ein wichtiger geopolitischer Knotenpunkt.
Bis zur Spätantike zeichnete sich die Region der heutigen Süd-Rhodope durch den Anbau von Reben,
den Kult des Gottes Dionysos und des mythischen Dichters und Sängers Orpheus. Sowohl Maroneia
als auch Ismaros, sei es um eine oder um zwei verschiedene Städte handelt, fungierten in der antiken
Literatur als Hauptvertreter des ganzen Thrakiens.
214. Lyubomir Tsonev
(Institute of Solid State Physics, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Megalithic construction techniques in classical Thracian buildings (poster)
In terms of construction techniques and common definitions about megalithic culture the author
analyzes a number of archaeological sites of the Thracian architecture from the period Vth c. BC – IIIrd
c. AD. It is shown that many of these objects include some elements of megalithic character.
Megalithic elements in Thracian temples and tombs are not so much an expression of anachronism
as a manifestation of remarkably sustainable continuity in the traditional culture of the local
population.
215. Ion Tuțulescu
(Valcea County Museum, Ramnicu Valcea, Romania)
 Buridava – eine dakische und römische Ansiedlung in Nordostoltenien
(co-authors: Cristian Schuster, Ion Tuţulescu)
Der Nordosten Olteniens war, durch seine geographisch-strategische Position und seine
Bodenschätze, schon in der Vorgeschichte von Interesse für die verschiedenen Gemeinschaften. Die
Daker erbauten nicht weit entfernt von der heutigen Stadt Râmnicu Vâlcea eine befestigte Siedlung,
in der Fachliteratur unter dem Namen Buridava bekannt, deren Rolle den Weg entlang des Flußes Olt
von der Donau durch die Berge nach Siebenbürgen zu kontrollieren, war. Das Salzvorkommen erhob
weiter die Wichtigkeit der Dava. Diese beiden wirtschaftlichen und militärischen Werte führten auch
die Römer, gleich am Beginn des ersten römisch-dakischen Krieges (101-102 n. Chr.), mit Gewicht
hier Fuß zu fassen. Sehr wahrscheinlich fand hier die römische Eroberungsarmee ihren
provisorischen Sitz, so wie uns einige Inschriften aufklären. Später wurde eine Festung gebaut und
desgleichen entwickelte sich hier auch eine zivile Siedlung. Anhand der älteren und neueren Funde,
der Auswertung der entdeckten Materialien wird der Versuch enternommen ein klareres Bild der
zwei Ansiedlungen – dakisch und römisch – zu gestalten.
216. Mykola Tymchenko
(Kyiv, Ukraine)
 The Thracian phenomenon of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area
(co-authors: Nadiya Gavrylyuk, Mykola Tymchenko)
1. There are two Thracian (Saharna, Şoldăneşti) groups of handmade pottery (HMP) in the burials of
the later pre-Scythian period (9-7 c. BC).
2. The Thracian ceramics of so-called "southern" group had dominated in HMP of Borysthenes and its
near hinterland (settlements of Bolshaya Chernomorka 2, Beykush, Shyroka Balka, Victorovka) in the
Archaic period (7-6 c. BC).
3. The quantity of HMP of Thracian form among the materials of Olbia and its near hinterland was
sharply reduced in the classical period but didn’t disappear completely. A possible reason for this was
the strategic dominance of the nomadic Scythian ethnic component in the Northern Black Sea area.
4. In the post- Scythian (Late Hellenistic) period there was a steady presence of the so-called
"northern" group of Thracian pottery in the hillforts of the Lower Dnieper. At the same time there
was an increasing intensity of the presence of HMP of Thracian forms in the hillforts of Zolota Balka,
Velyka Znamenka, Gavrilovka versus hillforts located downstream of the Dnieper: Annovka – Great
Lepetikha, Konsulovka – Gornostaevka, Zmievka – Cairy, KrasnyLighthouse – Lyubimovka.
5. Besides HMP of Thracian forms, other Thracian ethno-cultural components, including building
remains of dwellings with cultic places, household structures and other constructions were surely
fixed in the post-Scythian (Late Hellenistic) period in the hillforts of the Lower Dnieper
6. The presented archaeological evidence from settlements of the Low Dnieper/Southern Bug area
confirms the ideas of a strong Thracian impact on the components of the Scythian nomadic culture
which were already stated repeatedly before (e.g. by A. P. Mantsevich).
7. The archaeological evidence not only indicates the continuous presence of Thracian components
on the sites of the Lower Dnieper/Bug area but also shows that the general line of development of
the Thracian world was synchronous to the manifestations of the phenomenon of Thracian culture in
the studied region.
217. Nikoleta Tzankova
(University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Glass beads from Dren-Delyan necropolis (archaeological and chemical study) (poster)
(co-authors: Philip Mihaylov, Nikoleta Tzankova)
The Dren-Delyan necropolis is among the largest ones from the 1st millennium BC in the Central
Balkans. The presumed area of the necropolis is about 10 ha. Only 400 m of stone grave complexes
have been studied. The necropolis has two phases – the first one from the 11th – 9th c. BC, and the
second – from the 6th to the 4th c. BC. During the second phase of the necropolis, all graves and ritual
installations were made of stone. This is unusual since in the area there are no stones.
The bodies were cremated outside these installations. Usually, the burned bones and gifts were
deposited onto the stones and rarely put into urns. The grave goods consist mainly of ornaments and
weapons. Glass beads were found only in the graves from the second stage.
Fourteen glass beads were chemically analyzed using SEM-EDS. The obtained compositions allow us
to classify them, except one, as silica-soda-lime or silica/alumina-soda-lime low magnesium glass
beads (LMG) produced with natron as flux. The only exception is the opaque dark green bead with
beige decoration. It is characterized by high contents of K2O and MgO (high magnesium glass-HMG)
which defines it as produced by different raw materials – ashes from salt-tolerant plants.
Surface SEM observations show on most of the analyzed beads phases and heterogeneous sections,
dispersed in the glass mass. They are not completely melted relicts of the raw material from which
the glass is made. Chemical examination of these non-uniformities, along with the chemical
composition of the glass mass, enabled us to define color additives, decolorizing agents and
opacifiers in the studied samples.
218. Chavdar Tzochev
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 The Tomb in Chetinyova Mogila: Architecture and Historical Context
The tomb in Chetinyova Mogila, Starosel is the largest and most complex funerary monument in
ancient Thrace. Built around the middle of the 4th century BC by Greek architects and stone-cutters,
the tomb would have been commissioned by one of the successors of king Kotys I. The building is a
significant addition to our knowledge of the so-called temple-tombs: private burial monuments
designed by Greek architects for powerful individuals at the outskirts of the Greek world. Like other
buildings of this kind, the tomb in Chetinyova Mogila represents a synthesis of different architectural
traditions. It shows a number of innovations, including an unprecedented combination of a domed
chamber and a tholos temple, and the earliest example of a Doric colonnade in the interior of a
circular building. The tomb in Chetinyova Mogila is crucial for understanding the funerary traditions
and power ideology of the Thracian elite. Being one of the earliest tholos tombs in Thrace, it marks a
change in the way Odrysian nobles claimed legitimacy and materialized their power through burial
practices. The possibility to place this change in a particular historical context – the political interplay
between Athens, Macedon and the Odrysian kingdom in the mid-4th century BC – further increases
the significance of the monument.
219. Julia Tzvetkova
 Ancient Thrace: GIS and reality
The modern digital age provides number of possibilities, but also challenges to the traditional
historical studies. Thereby the Geographic Information System (GIS) has gained a special place in the
last decades, becoming popular also in humanities. One of its main advantages is the possibilities for
managing, storing, visualizing and analyzing big datasets. Comparing to the archaeology, the GIS
application in ancient history is in an initial stage. What concerns modern Thracian studies the GIS
application is a challenge.
The present paper is attempting to show the possibilities of such a GIS analysis with several case
studies of ancient Thrace, reconstructing past geographic realities – ancient road system, site
locations, political extent, etc., combining information from the ancient sources, archaeological or
numismatic finds. Of course, it should be pointed out that, in such an investigation, the application of
GIS is not the goal but a just another approach, a tool for analyzing the past, which is attempting to
eliminate the subjectivism and put the achieved conclusions on a more unbiased ground. Though
inferred from the title above, GIS cannot be equated with the (modern?) mythology of ancient
Thrace. By all means, the offered reconstruction of a virtual reality demands a further discussion.
 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace

(co-authors: Georgi Nekhrizov, Julia Tzvetkova)
The modern digital age provides number of possibilities, but also challenges to the traditional
historical studies. Thereby the Geographic Information System (GIS) has gained a special place in the
last decades, becoming popular also in humanities. One of its main advantages is the possibilities for
managing, storing, visualizing and analyzing big datasets. Comparing to the archaeology, the GIS
application in ancient history is in an initial stage. What concerns modern Thracian studies the GIS
application is a challenge.
The present paper is attempting to show the possibilities of such a GIS analysis with several case
studies of ancient Thrace, reconstructing past geographic realities – ancient road system, site
locations, political extent, etc., combining information from the ancient sources, archaeological or
numismatic finds. Of course, it should be pointed out that, in such an investigation, the application of
GIS is not the goal but a just another approach, a tool for analyzing the past, which is attempting to
eliminate the subjectivism and put the achieved conclusions on a more unbiased ground. Though
inferred from the title above, GIS cannot be equated with the (modern?) mythology of ancient
Thrace. By all means, the offered reconstruction of a virtual reality demands a further discussion.
220. Rodica Ursu Naniu
(State University of Moldova / Bucharest, Romania)
 Rituels funéraires et non-funéraires dans l‟enceinte de Stolniceni (République de
Moldavie): observations, analyses, reconstructions
(co-authors: Rodica Ursu Naniu , Andrei Corobcean)
Dans la pensée archaïque, la vie et le bien-être, tant individuel que collectif, étaient garantis par un
lien particulier avec la divinité, à laquelle on portait des offrandes et pour laquelle, dans des
moments critiques de l’existence, on faisait des sacrifices, dont le plus important était le sacrifice
humain. Similairement, le passage dans l’au-delà ne pouvait être fait que par la prise en compte
consciente de ce moment critique, c’est-à-dire par l’accomplissement de certains rites et rituels
funéraires, ayant de rôle d’éloigner tout péril dans lequel pouvait se trouver non seulement le
parcours de la personne décédée mais aussi la paix de la communauté.
Ces deux pratiques culturelles ont été surprises dans l’enceinte doublement fortifiée de Stolniceni, et
les recherches au cours des campagnes de fouilles de 2015 et de 2016 ont fait apparaître de
nouvelles particularités de la vie religieuse, particularités qui ont permis aux auteurs de formuler des
considérations sur la fonction et le symbolisme des aménagements et des objets découverts,
regardés d’une double perspective, celle de la vie et celle de la mort.
 Some observations regarding the “skull cult” in the Thracian space

(co-authors: Rodica Ursu Naniu, Alexandra Comşa)
Numerous archaeological find from the Thracian space had attested the custom of animal or human
skull depositions in various contexts, funerary or non-funerary-ones. The practice of ritual
depositions of skulls is no specific just to the Thracians, being generally found in the Indo-European
range. Which were the reasons of these rituals, what beliefs had determined them and which are the
possible interpretations resulting from the archaeological context of the finds is a challenge for any
researcher who deals with such a situation during his fieldwork. And this in the conditions when not
only the archaeological context is different, but also the treatment of the skulls (with processing
traces or unprocessed), their association with other depositions, etc. A considerable role in clearing
up these ritual behaviors is played by the anthropological and archaeozoological studies, which could
establish the particular characteristics regarding the age/sex and even the ethnic assignment of the
individual (in the case of the human sacrifices), as well as those connected to the species/age of the
sacrificed individuals, in the case of the animal depositions.
221. Marina Vakhtina
 Greek Art and Female Depictions of Scythia and Thracia. Distinctions and Parallels
Greek colonial movement reached the coasts of ancient Scythia and Thracia in the late 7th – early 6th
centuries BC. The extension of relationship between the Greek colonies and the natives increased the
Hellenic influence upon local cultures. The special role played cultural contacts, reflected in the art.
For both of the regions we can fix a rather early distribution in local contexts of pieces of art
produced by Greek craftsmen. At the same time Greek art with its well-developed realistic tradition
influenced the processes connected with the strengthening and expansion of anthropomorphic
images in the art of both regions. We can state that the processes took place synchronously. The
Greek influence can be traced in the diffusion of female depictions, which form a specific group of
finds. While for Thracia we can distinguish a number of images produced by local workshops, for
Scythia there is a reasonable assumption that the main part of the famous objects of the so-called
“Greek-Scythian” toreutics were manufactured by Greek artists. The attempts of local production,
imitating Greek examples, can be fixed there only by the end of Scythian epoch. While for Thracia the
anthropomorphic images in art testify to an original line of development.
The masterpieces decorated by human images from Scythia are considered created in the frames of
one of the branches of peripheric Greek art. On the other hand, the decorations of the so-called
Greek-Scythian toreutics can also be examined as a source reflecting the beliefs and tastes of the
barbarians. In the paper the pieces of art from Scythia and Thracia will be considered from the point
of view of their chronology, distribution, iconography, and “degree of Hellenization”.
222. Ivan Valchev
 The Cult of Apollo in Cabyle
The cult of Apollo in Cabyle is attested since the Early Hellenistic Age. The earliest monument is the
Seuthopolis inscription, informing of an altar to the deity at the agora of the city. Head of Apollo is
depicted upon the averse of the autonomous bronze coins. The infiltration and establishment of the
Apollo cult at Cabyle likely occurred under Macedonian influence. The deity is popular in Macedonia
since the 5th century BC, and its connection to Philip ІІ is confirmed by the depiction of the deity
upon the gold coins of the king.
During the Roman Age, the cult to Apollo is attested by four monuments. The earliest of those is a
pedestal for a statue of Apollo Tadenus, commissioned by a centurion from the Cohors II Lucensium
stationed at the Cabyle military camp. Only the pediment survives from a dedication to the God
Aularhenos. Its association with Apollo is not entirely certain, but possible. Between the rocks on
Zajchi vrah peak was discovered a bronze statuette of Apollo, perhaps left as a votive gift to a small
rock sanctuary. The final monument is a fragment of marble rendition of a kithara, likely from a
statue of Apollo Citharoedus.
The analysis of the artifacts suggests rather the absence of a link between the Hellenistic cult to
Apollo and that from the Roman Age. During the Roman Age it is possible to speak of cults to
different “Apollos”, arriving via different paths at Cabyle, but not of preserved Hellenistic traditions
in the worship of this deity.
223. Todor Valchev
(Regional Museum of History, Yambol, Bulgaria)
 The Dolmen in the Locality Kliftinova niva – 40 Years Later (poster)
(co-authors: Petya Kirilova, Todor Valchev)
In 1973 – 1976 Prof. Ivan Venedikov and Prof. Alexnader Fol from the Institute of Thracology
organized two expeditions: “Sakar” and “Apolonia – Strandzha”. The aim of the projects was to visit
and report all known and preserved dolmens in the Sdrandzha and Sakar Mountains. During the two
projects, 98 dolmens were visited and 5 dolmens were excavated.
One of these dolmens was situated in the locality Kliftinova niva near the village of Sakartsi, present
Haskovo district. It was excavated in 1974 and 1976. The dolmen has a rectangular chamber and
dromos, with huge stone blocks in front. During the excavations of the dolmen, pieces from hand-
made and wheel-made pottery were found, as well as parts from two bronze fibulae.
The aim of the report is to show the results from the old archaeological excavations in a new light.
Development of our knowledge about Thracian culture and megalithic monuments allows us to have
a new point of view about the dolmen in locality Kliftinova niva and its place in the world of Ancient
Thracians.
224. Julia Valeva
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Eros in Thrace
Eros has many aspects, and these display a tendency to change in time. In spite of being a very
popular figure in ancient art and culture, and hence a subject to modern research for a long time,
Eros still provokes many questions and attracts considerable attention. Eros was familiar in Thrace as
well, but his symbolic connotations on local soil have not as a whole been adequately studied. His
images animate the vases found in the necropoleis of the Greek colonies of Apollonia and Mesambria
on the Black Sea coast. In this Greek environment the representations of Eros follow traditional
Greek, and primarily Attic iconographic types, and in this respect his nature would supposedly have
been that of an omnipresent deity, who overpowers even the Olympian gods. But is this also valid for
the representations of Eros in a Thracian context, on art objects of local production, as exemplified
by the Borovo jug-rhyton? The present paper tries to answer this question, attempting to show how
the erotic of Eros was understood in Thrace, to what extend Eros was bound to life and death, and
whether he was considered a primordial god in some local mystic cults.
225. Varbin Varbanov
(Regional Museum of History, Rousse, Bulgaria)
 Late Hellenistic Mounds from Northern Bulgaria – the Case Study of Tumulus №8 from
the Village of Brestovitsa, Rousse Region (poster)
Fourteen late Hellenistic tumuli have been studied so far in the territory of Northern Bulgaria – at the
villages of Brestnitsa, Gumoshtnik, Doyrentsi and Smochan in Lovech region; at the village of Tarnava
in Vratsa region, and at the village of Brestovitsa in Rousse region. Their erection can be dated
roughly between the middle of the 2nd century BC and the middle of the 1st century BC.
Several Thracian mound necropolises and settlements are registered In the vicinity of the village of
Brestovitsa, Rousse region. Two of the mounds from the eastern group were studied recently and are
dated in the period of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC. The northern group has also
been studied, and the mounds there are from the 4th and 3rd century BC.
The western group consist two mounds, one of which was studied in 1994. In 2014 we also studied
Tumulus № 8. It was established that the mound had been piled twice, and remains of a fire were
discovered in the middle of the first piling, in the center of the mound (approximately in its western
section) – a thin layer of bricked clay, coals, ash and burnt human bones, as well as parts of chain-
mail; there were also a highly corroded curved Thracian knife, a metal head (probably of a spear) and
several pottery fragments, from which a whole wheel-made jug was restored. On site were found
fragments of a pot, decorated with plastic stripe and with handles. The burning of the body was
made somewhere else, and part of the funeral-pile has been transferred to the center of the mound.
In the eastern part of the mound, immediately below the fallow-land was discovered a fragmented
pot with bones and three deformed bronze bracelets. Below them there were two ceramic pilings
with human bones and bronze artifacts inside them, as well as fragments of a golden earring, a silver
bracelet and fragments of silver fibulae. Inside the first piling were found the remains of a bowl,
made by hand, three imitations of Megara bowls and one Rhodes amphora, unfortunately without
stamps preserved. The second spot that contains human bones (of an infant) was covered by a piece
of a pot with incised decoration. The discovered finds allow the dating of the accumulation of the
mound about the end of 2nd or the beginning of the 1st century BC.
226. Miroslav Vasilev
(Troyan, Bulgaria)
 Hecataeus' Knowledge of Thrace
The purpose of the paper is to draw attention to all fragments from Hecataeus’ Periegesis dealing
with Ancient Thrace. These fragments mention “Thracian” cities, districts, mountains, tribes etc.
Based on the said fragments, one can draw conclusions as to the direction of Hecataeus’ description
of Ancient Thrace (clockwise or counterclockwise), its borders, its population, the cities situated
there, etc. The paper also deals with the influence which the Periegesis might have had on the
authors writing after Hecataeus.
227. Maya Vassileva
 Thracians and Phrygians: State of Art and Future Perspectives
During the last two decades more and more scholars tended to neglect or even deny any
Balkan/Thracian connections of Phrygian culture. Despite the doubtless affinities with Thrace
displayed by the EIA archaeological material from Gordion, this venue is being less and less followed.
Academic works insisted on the Anatolian nature of Phrygian culture and explored possible Neo-
Hittite influences.
A number of scholars still do not accept the identification of the Mushki from the cuneiform texts
with the Phrygians from the Greek sources. In the multicultural environment of the late 2nd – early
1st millennium BC Anatolia it was quite possible for people of different origin to have blended to
form the Phrygian state. It is true that the late 9th century BC Citadel Mound of Gordion has no
parallels in Thrace. Despite the material wealth and advanced technologies demonstrated by the
Phrygians, Phrygian Kingdom differed significantly in essence from its Anatolian and Near Eastern
contemporaries. The differences are best seen in the limited use of scripture in ritual context, the
cult of the Kybeleian Mother and her rock-cut sanctuaries.
The linguists are among those who still speak about relations between Phrygian and Thracian (and
Greek) languages. We still poorly understand the Old-Phrygian texts. Onomastics seems to offer
more options for future progress.
New evidence from the so far understudied Western Anatolia (pace the Greek cities on the coast and
the Bronze Age sites) could contribute to a better understanding of Thracian-Phrygian relations. Most
of the Late Phrygian tumuli have not yet been published, It seems that later Phrygian material, i.e.
that of 7th – 6th century BC, could possibly expose more similar features between ancient Thrace
and Phrygia.
228. Aurel Vilcu
Moldavie
229. Yuri Vinogradov
 Tumulus Baksy near Kerch. Cultural contacts on the Cimmerian Bosporus in the early 4th
century BC
The large mound near Baksy village (now Glazovka) in Kerch vicinities was excavated in 1882 by N.P.
Kondakov. He found here a monumental crypt with a ledged vault. The author supposed that two
burials of different time were made in this crypt. The special study of archives materials
demonstrates that there must have been only one elite burial of the first quarter of the 4th century
BC. The burial in this crypt was a typical for Greco-Barbarous rite and inventory. We can assume that
a representative of Bosporus higher nobility was buried there. Chronologically, this archaeological
site most closely matches Satyros I, the second king of Spartocids dynasty, who ruled in Bosporus in
433/32 – 389/88 years BC.
There are some “oddities” of the burial in the Baksy tumulus, absence of bones of the deceased in a
large sarcophagus found here in particular. Some fragments of human bones were found only in
dromos, but this crypt was not robbed. We can assume that the remains of the deceased were
specially removed from the crypt under certain religious rite. Very similar phenomena are observed
in elite burial mound on the territory of Thrace. D. Gergova identified the essence of the ritual of
extracting bones from the crypts as a manifestation of “rite of immortalization”.
In the modern science, there are four long known hypotheses of the origin of the dynasty of
Spartocids: Thracian, Scythian, Sindo-Meotian and Greek. None of them has reliable evidences, but in
the light of the foregoing spectrum of hypotheses linking Bosporus dynasty with the barbarian world,
Thracian hypothesis seems the most probable.
230. Vlad Vornic
(National Agency for Archaeology, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova)
 Processing of horn and bones in the early Iron Age in the space between Prut and Dniestr
in light of discoveries from Lipoveni (R. Cimislia, Republic of Moldova) (poster)
(co-authors: Sergiu Matveev, Vlad Vornic)
Archaeological research completed in the last years on the site with multiple levels of dwellings in
Lipoveni (r. Cimislia, R. Moldova) has lead to the discovery of several pieces of horn and bone that
are helpful in demonstrating how the industry of hard animal materials has developed in the
beginning of the Iron Age. If the cultural belonging of this living level on the site near Lipoveni is one
still under discussion, while both forest steppe and steppe characteristics are present, its dating
corresponds largely to the early Iron Age. Namely in this period it is thought that the formation of
early Thracian communities occurred.
The horn and bone landmarks site described here is composed of harnesses, arrowheads, hilts, items
with unknown use, etc. The scope of this communication is to introduce these artifacts in the
scientific circuit and their inclusion in typological schemes existent in the context of similar
discoveries.
Typological analysis and mapping of similar horn and bone items, correlated to other item categories,
especially ceramics and bronze items, would allow to make certain conclusions on chronological
order and cultural background regarding the transition from the late Bronze to the early Iron Age in
the space between the Prut and the Dniestr.
231. Oya Yağız
(Istanbul, Turkey)
 Les Monnaies des trois Rhoimetalkès, les derniers rois de la Dynastie Thrace
Les monnaies des trois Rhoimetalkès, les derniers rois thraces, descendants de la race des Sapéens
diffèrent de la reste des monnaies, leurs contemporaines, en ce qu’elles reflètent plutôt les
caractéristiques des monnaies romaines. Dans cet article seront présentées les monnaies
appartenant à ces rois et provenant des excavations conduites à Heraion Teichos et aussi les
monnaies des collections du Musée Archéologique de Tekirdağ.
232. Svetlana Yanakieva
 Myth and Reality in Thracian Linguistics
Studies on the Thracian language have existed as an autonomous domain for more than 120 years
and have undergone several stages of development. The scarcity of the linguistic material is a
prerequisite for the emergence of two opposite types of myths. On the one hand, the wish to extract
the maximum possible information from that material is the reason for the emergence of myths of
overestimation, and on the other – the underestimation and the insufficient knowledge of the
objective research create myths that distort both the linguistic and the historical picture. Thus, in
practice even in the sphere of linguistics researchers prove to be involved in the confrontation
between modernism and post-modernism: between the excessive expectations from research and
the new paradigms of relativism and indeterminateness, between the “exceptional passion for truth”
and its fragmentation into different possible interpretations.
The paper traces both types of myths, which moreover occur both in the strictly professional circles
of linguists and researchers of the antiquity from other disciplines, and in the broad circles of people
who love ancient history and ancient languages, especially in view of the snowball effect of the
growing information in the Internet space nowadays. The question arises: what is the adequate
response to this challenge and what are the efforts needed for remaining in the sphere of realism?
233. Kalina Yordanova
(Archaeological Institute and Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria)
 Foureés and barbarian imitations of the coins of Apollonia Pontica (poster)
Different types of fraudulent activities were registered on the Balkan Peninsula in the Classical and
Hellenistic period. One understudied aspect is the imitation of original coins. There were several
ways of counterfeiting coins in antiquity. The analysis of the coins of Apollonia Pontica from 10
museum collections, which includes 1036 coins in total, shows that Apollonian coins had been
counterfeited. Both fourées and barbarian imitations of Apollonian coin types are now known.
Foureés and barbarian imitations were minted because of a shortage of regular coins.
Fourteen coins of two Apollonian types (types AR II and AR IV) were produced in the technique of
fourée. They all have a bronze core covered with thin silver foil applied through heating directly to
the basemetal coin core. The weight of these coins also shows that they are ancient forgeries. Their
weight is roughly 15-25% less than the standard.
Several other coins bear the characteristics of barbarian imitations. They are all crude in style. The
erroneously written reverse legends on some of them are another indication that these coins were
produced in unofficial workshops.
234. Aurel Zanoci
the early Iron Age.

art
local craftsmen.
235. Zhivko Zhekov
(University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)
 Odrysian paradynast - one possible interpretation
The problem of the appearance of Odrysian paradynastic areas and their genesis is a major one when
considering the real dimensions of Odrysian state tradition. In the existing base the solution can be
sought only in the order of some preliminary and somewhat contingent working hypotheses, but
their examination and analysis is a needed basic stage.
The research investigates the appearance and structure of paradynastic Odrysian areas, the powers
of the Odrysian paradynasts and their relations with the central government, the possibilities for
locating specific paradynastic areas and their territorial coverage in all conventionality of such
interpretations.
236. Vladislav Zhivkov
 Thracian Pottery from Nicopol and Present day North Central Bulgaria on the Eve of the
Roman Conquest (II c. BC – early I c. AD) (poster)
The town of Nicopol is situated in the middle of present day Northern Bulgaria, next to the southern
bank of the Danube river, close to the Thracian and Roman site near Belene (ancient Dimum). Its
position near the great river and favorable geographic factors are premises for intensive inhabitance
during a long period – from early prehistory (Paleolithic era), Iron Age, Roman and Medieval periods.
Concerning this rich archeological heritage of the area, one should note that the end of the
Hellenistic period is somewhat “neglected”, discussed only in one short article by Al. Bonev, together
with the earlier materials. The present report focuses on the preserved materials from the end of the
Iron Age (II c. BC – I c. BC/AD), discovered during the excavations of the medieval fortress. The period
is attested only by pottery sherds that can be divided into three major groups – wheel made, mould
made and handmade. Without a clear archeological context, a formal-typological approach is
applied, where different sites from Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania are used as parallels.
North Central Bulgaria is situated as a border location of different tribes, which makes it a specific
contact zone of their cultures – something well manifested in Nicopol.
237. Boaz Zissu
(Bar Ilan University, Jerusalem, Israel)
 Figurative Paintings in The Necropolis of Hellenistic Maresha (Marissa), Israel
The ancient city of Maresha (Marissa) is situated in the Judean Foothills, about 40 km southwest of
Jerusalem. During the Hellenistic period Maresha flourished and became a major city.
The archaeological site consists of a Tell – the Upper City (=UC), a Lower City (LC) and a Subterranean
City (=SC). A vast necropolis forms a ring surrounding the LC and includes three main cemeteries
(Northern, Eastern and South-Western). The exploration of the necropolis started in 1873 and has
continued up until the present day.
The cemeteries consist of more than 40 rock-cut burial chambers or hypogea. A typical hypogeum
includes an elongated rectangular hall into whose walls loculi (burial niches) featuring typical gabled
openings; sometimes additional chambers were cut, forming a burial complex. The loculi were used
for primary and secondary burials.
Two of the tombs [nos. 1 (551) and 2 (552)], discovered in 1902 and published by Peters and Thiersch
in 1905, had unique wall paintings, dating from the 3rd century BCE. The paintings are characterized
by a mixture of funerary motifs, mostly of Greek or Alexandrian origin. The architectural form,
figurative program and especially the animal frieze painted in Tomb 1 (551, The "Sidonian
Community Tomb") is a unique document of its kind in the Hellenistic world. Following their
discovery, the painted tombs attracted much scholarly attention.
The Hellenistic period hypogea of Maresha were long-term family sepulchres – cut in the soft chalk
for the burial of the city residents along several generations. The tombs served this purpose
throughout the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, until the destruction of the city by the Hasmoneans, c.
111 BCE. Some of the tombs, located in the Northern and Eastern necropoleis were reused in the
Roman period.
The architectural plans of the hypogea probably reached Maresha from elsewhere in the Hellenistic
world. The hypogea resemble the architectural and artistic style of Ptolemaic period's tombs (mostly
from the 3rd century BCE) in the Shatbi necropolis of Alexandria in Egypt.
The epigraphic evidence reflects the multi-ethnic composition of the city, combining Idumaeans,
Phoenicians, Greeks, some Egyptians and possibly a few Judeans. These ethnic elements produced
the outstanding social and cultural fabric of the city during the Hellenistic period.
The planned lecture will present the architecture and art of the rock-cut burial chambers of Marissa
in light of comparable hypogea known from the Greek and Hellenistic world. The paper will discuss,
among other issues, the wall paintings of Maresha, their Thracian parallels, and possible common
sources of their figurative program.

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13th International Congress

Der anatolische/griechische/thrakische Hera/Kybele-Kult in Heraion Teikhos weist, wie die Funde

 Correlation of anthropomorphic and animalistic styles in the Thraco-Getae and Scythian

 Considerations regarding the Dacian discoveries from the Mureş Corridor

My paper first considers Adamas’ choice of “Odrysian” as an ethnic. It is exceptionally precise in a

A travers la relecture d’Homère, d’Hécatée, d’Hérodote, de Thucydide et de Xénophon, nous allons

 La question de l‟interprétation ethnique des monuments du VII-III-ème siècles av. J.Chr.

 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality

A detailed analysis – from an archaeological, anthropological and interdisciplinary standpoint – has

For all these reasons, it is very difficult to interpret the vestiges.

 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality

 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality

 Megalithic and rock-cut monuments: geometry, modules, categories (poster)

 Cultural exchanges in the Lower Danube area in Late Antiquity

 Evidence of non-ferrous metallurgy in the Geto-Dacic extra-Carpathic area.

 Early Iron Age household at the village of Vaskovo, Lyubimets Municipality

 Craft and creativity. A discussion on several Geto-Dacian belt buckles

 The necropolis Dren-Delyan (11th-4th century BC.). Cultural and physical

This purpose will be accomplished by doing the following:

 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace

The investigations of sites with considerable stratigraphic accumulations made it possible to

A travers la relecture d’Homère, d’Hécatée, d’Hérodote, de Thucydide et de Xénophon, nous allons

A detailed analysis – from an archaeological, anthropological and interdisciplinary standpoint – has

For all these reasons, it is very difficult to interpret the vestiges.

 Pietroasa Mică-Gruiu Dării: a particular Dacian cultic centre

 Dacians or Sarmatians? Tamga signs in Dacia (1st c. BC - 1st c. AD)

 Places of Memory or Places of Power? Regional Approaches to Burial Mounds in Thrace

 Megalithic and rock-cut monuments: geometry, modules, categories (poster)

 Megalithic and rock-cut monuments: geometry, modules, categories (poster)

 Getae, Moesi, Daci: The Northern Thracian World?

 Exploring the reality through myths and archaeological evidence

 From Bronze to Iron in Thrace

 Some observations regarding the “skull cult” in the Thracian space

 Correlation of anthropomorphic and animalistic styles in the Thraco-Getae and Scythian

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