A sensational discovery was made in the South of Sakar Mountain (Bulgaria) by a team of archaeologists led by Ph.D. Borislav Borislavov from Sofia University "Climent Ohridski" and Nadezhda Ivanova - vice-chief (National Institute Of Archaeology And Museum - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). The excavations were sponsored by the Ministry of Culture through the National History Museum, announced NHM director Bozhidar Dimitrov.
     The expedition explored a mound in the surroundings of Izvorovo village, Harmanli Municipality. The mound is 31 m in diameter, 2, 9 m in height. Two stages of heaping were determined. The first dates back to the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE (middle Bronze Age) and the second  - to the 2nd century CE. During the Bronze Age a rubble and stamped clay platform was shaped, over which a funeral device was built. It is in fact a mould of quartz with a clay foundation, 8 m in diameter and 2 m in height. At its foundation a crematory funeral was performed. The remains were put in a richly decorated clay pot and dispersed around the stones. At the same level other precious items were found - a golden jewel, consisting of 320 beads: small spherical (2 mm) taking turns with big barley-shaped beads (7 mm), two golden spindle-shaped objects, with a solar decoration, a golden and a silver tile, tied together with a sliver knit, a silver ring and a bronze knife.
     Ph.D. Borislavov suspects that it is the tomb of a man of utmost importance - a ruler or a high priest. The number of items and the master's workmanship can be explained by the fact that this region was a major trading road, connecting Asia Minor, the Balkans and Central Europe. These treasures, however, can be the work of a local culture.  The mound was preserved as a cult place, when during the 2nd century CE. a village was built around it. It is surrounded by a circle of big stone blocks, 22 m in diameter, and heaped by red soil and three levels of stones, which helped its preservation through the centuries. The finds will be exhibited in hall 1 of the National History Museum.

Source: News.bg (20 October 2008)