The Thracian Gold Treasure Collection must be brought back to Panagyurishte, where it belongs. This demand of the citizens of the town, located some 42 km north of Pazardzhik, was voiced with resoluteness last week by Rayko Chochov, chair of the municipality initiative group. The citizens of Panagyurishte demand that the treasure is registered in the inventory of the Historical Museum at Panagyurishte and one third of the proceeds from its exhibitions are transferred to the municipality. The story of the Gold Treasure Collection goes back to 1949, when three brothers from Panagyurishte, come across 6.5 kilograms of 22-carat pure gold.

Later this will turn out to be one of the most brilliant examples of the ancient Thracians applied arts. Concerns over its preservation make the transfer of the treasure to Plovdiv imperative. Though registered in the inventory there, as Chochov claims, it is removed yet another time to the National Museum, Sofia. Experts have suggested two versions about the origin of the treasure. The first defends the local-origin theory and claims it has been manufactured by Thracian craftsmen.

The second theory argues there are reasons to believe the treasure was buried in the sacred place as a gift to the Mother Goddess. The Panagyurishte Golden Treasure is a rare archaeological monument from the Hellenistic Age and one of the symbols of the Panagyurishte region. It consists of nine richly adorned vessels - an amphora, seven rhytons and a phial. The largest vessel is the amphora, which has a centaur-shaped handle. Three of the seven rhytons are shaped as animals' heads, one is the front part of a goat, three have women's (Amazon) heads.

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