One of the most valuable artefacts discovered at Halka Bunar is a vessel fragment inscripted with a royal name. Photo by www. halkabunar.hit.bg
Archeology fans in Bulgaria are excited by the excavations that are to resume this summer in Halka Bunar area, some 200km south of capital Sofia. The explorations which archaeologists from the New Bulgarian University have carried out for some years give ground to expect important discoveries in a remarkable ancient Thracian sanctuary.
The site was discovered by scientists in 1999 during a regular inspection. A trench dug by grave-robbers and more than 600 holes punched by treasure-hunters made visible the remains of a large and rich in finds Thracian site. One of the artefacts was especially valuable - a fragment of a grey-coloured vessel with a graffito in ancient Greek that reads "...ATOKOY," probably, a part of a Thracian royal name (Amatok or Satok).
The vicinity of Halka Bunar was in the centre of the Odrysian state - the kingdom of one of the biggest Thracian tribes. This interesting site belongs into the triangle formed by the well-known Odrysian cities Philippopolis - to the west, Seuthopolis - to the north, and the hypothetical Beroe - to the east. The region is saturated with archaeological evidence outlining a clearly manifested dynastic centre dating back to the Classical and Hellenistic Ages. It boasts a striking concentration of rich burials, inscriptions in Greek language and coin treasures.
The recent upsurge of Thracian archaeology in Bulgaria indicates that there are yet great discoveries to come and shed light on this mysterious and still not well-studied ancient culture.
The Thracian tribes, ruled by a powerful warrior aristocracy rich in gold treasures, inhabited an area extending over most of modern Bulgaria, northern Greece and the European part of Turkey.