Century-Old Church and Rare Artifacts Discovered at Near Bulgaria's Ahtopol
Archaeologists in Ahtopol have uncovered the longest ancient church on Bulgaria’s Southern Black Sea coast, challenging previous assumptions about the area’s history
A real treasure was discovered in the Kaliakra fortress - in a little clay pot, hidden under the floor of a room burned at the end of the 14th century, the National Museum of History (NMH) reports.
The find is made of 957 objects - 873 silver and 28 gold coins, 11 appliqués and buckles, 28 silver and bronze buttons, 11 gold earrings, two rings, one of which gold, and four beads of precious stones and gold.

The treasure was discovered during the regular archeological excavations, which have been carried out for 15 years in the Kaliakra fortress. In 2018, they are funded by the Ministry of Culture, Kavarna Municipality and NMH, whose director, Assoc. Prof. Boni Petrutnova, is the head of the team. There are archaeologists from NMH, NAIM, graduates from Plovdiv and Sofia University, students from NBU and Shumen University.
Coins in the treasure, Ottoman and Bulgarian, are extremely valuable. The coins (silver coins of the Ottoman Empire) are about 60 per cent, mainly of Sultan Bayazid Yildirum (1389-1402), and a small part of his predecessor, Murad I (1362-1389).
The jewels were hidden at the end of the 14th century during an attack on the capital of the Dobrudja Principality. One of them is described in a chronicle, which notes that in 1399 the Tatars of the Aktav horde invaded Varna and other towns along the Northern Black Sea coast. In 1401, the Tatars of Aktav, known as the Dobrudja Tatar, were defeated and displaced in various villages such as Provadia, Rusokastro and others.
It is possible that one of their warlords has gathered the treasure found on Kaliakra - he has stolen the values from different people and places and hid them under the floor of his house shortly before it is burned. The building is built on the ruins of ancient buildings and around it are found burials of rich people from the 14th century, noted the NHM.

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