Aug 06
Bulgaria Reveals 7,000-Aged Coded Letters
Lifestyle
A stone tile in coded letters dating back since 5,000 BC was made public for the first time on Thursday.
Prominent archaeologist Professor Nikolay Ovcharov held a special news conference in Sofia to show the finding reportedly unearthed 20 years ago.
The tile has sizes 7cm x 8cm x 1.5cm and was previously in private hands, Ovcharov told media.
The coded tile consists of five separate parts with two elements each depicting a human figure with a lifted arm, Ovcharov explained.
The archaeologist has concluded that there is no obvious order in the arrangement of the parts but, definitely, the unique symbols have some meaning.
The find is only the third of its kind dating to that epoch, discovered in Bulgaria, Ovcharov stated. He reminded the pictograms on the two previously found tiles consist of lines only. The symbols on all three are a prototype script, the expert added.
Though Nikolay Ovcharov did not reveal the location of the finding, the artifact apparently comes from the same age as the Mesopotamia civilization. A few months ago a US-residing linguist of Bulgarian origin, Dr Stefan Guide, claimed in Sofia he had decoded these - in his words - Thracian letters.
So far, the science does not know a system of letters that have been used by the Thracian civilisation.
BULGARIAN BREAKS CODE FOR ANCIENT THRACIAN LETTERS
Sofia News Agency (22 Mar 2006)
A plate unearthed in Bulgarian land, which is dating back to the times of Mesopotamia civilization, has provided the code for reading the ancient letters of Thracians.
The sensational breakthrough was announced by Bulgaria-born Dr Stefan Guide, residing in the US. He is an expert in linguistics, cryptography and transcendent analysis.
According to him, the decoded alphabet showed terms such as "Thracia" and "territory of Thracia" to have existed seven centuries before Christ.
The culture of Paleolith tribes living on the territory of today's Bulgaria is believed to hide the roots of ancient Orphic mysteries.
Signs of sound alphabet have been discovered on the localities: Lepeneski Vir and Vincha in Serbia, Karanovo, Gradeshnitsa and Sitovo in Bulgaria, Tartaria in Romania as well as many localities in Macedonia.
More information on the findings - which, if true, will give an entirely new direction of the sciences of Thracians - will be held March 29, Wednesday, in the BTA press club in Sofia, archeologists announced.
Aug 06
Bulgaria Finds Thracian Temple, Observatory
Top News
Bulgarian archaeoastronomers are studying a unique Thracian observatory in the central region of the country, the bTV channel said Saturday.
The unusual site near Buzovgrad combined a religious temple with facilities for observing the solar movements, according to the experts there.
The place is 3,600 years old, the team have said.
At the foot of Stara Planina mountain, Thracians were using specially-shaped rocks to calibrate their calendar by measuring the sunlight.
Aug 06
Bulgaria Unearths Thracian Dagger of Gold
Almost 600 gold pieces and a sensational, perfectly-preserved dagger, were discovered by archeologists in central Bulgaria.
Martin Hristov's team unearthed the Thracian items at a previously discovered hotspot near Dabene, they announced on Sunday.
Among the freshly-discovered 545 pieces, the beautiful dagger is the most impressive, the team revealed.
The exclusive item, dated to the 3rd Century BC, is in very good condition and wit no patina, which demonstrates the high gold content in the alloy, out of which the dagger was made.
Bulgarian scientists say that the nature of the Dabene gold site still remains a secret, two years after the ancient place was discovered.
Despite the tremendous number of the gold objects discovered there already (16,000 in total), archeologists found no trace of a temple or settlement.
They suggest that Thracians had laid the gold in the ground as a tribute to an ancient god or goddess, maybe Gea.
Conservation will allow to display the new discoveries as of August 9, at the National Museum of History.
More on the 3rd Century BC Thracian dagger of gold and platinum. Great photo too...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5251266.stmAug 06
Major Gold Deposit Found in Bulgaria
A Canadian natural resources company has uncovered a remarkable gold deposit in west Bulgaria, at the Trun property.
Euromax announced Tuesday that survey samples showed a peak value of 440 g/t gold.
The project's chief geologist has said he was "amazed" by the finding.
After 30 years as a geologist at numerous Balkan sites, this is my first time seeing such amounts of visible gold, Georgi Vakarelski said.
The expert was stunned by the fact that neither the Romans nor the Thracian gold diggers had uncovered the depot.
Aug 06
Bulgarians Discover Thracian Gold Treasure
A unique Thracian gold treasure has been discovered near the eastern Bulgarian village of Sinemorets, at the mouth of Veleka River.
Archeological digs are undergoing even in the late hours of the day, Darik News reported, while armed policemen are watching over the treasure.
Locals stumbled upon the amazing discovery while digging for sand for a construction. Archaeologists were quickly called to the scene and they discovered the treasure at dawn on Sunday.
Many golden and silver dishes and ornaments and clay stones with the image of the Mother Earth have been discovered. Ancient Thrace people worshipped the goddess, so this helped in dating the relics.
The most stunning piece that was dug out so far is a priceless crown, along with a pair of golden earrings.
All archaeologists working in the area have already joined their colleagues at the site, and are working without rest, adrenaline rushing through their veins.
Aug 06
Bulgaria's Newest Thracian Sensation was Priestess Funeral
Bulgarian archeologists suggested that the fresh sensational find was from a priestess funeral, media reported Monday.
The gold and silver objects found near Sinemorets the past weekend were dated back to the 3rd Century B.C..
Meanwhile, media revealed that a prosecution's check had begun at the site to determine whether there have been any violations by excavators.
There had been a signal that people were digging at the mound as early as June 7, according to reports, indicating that the treasure might has been rummaged.
On Sunday, archeologists brought out a tiara and ear accessories made of gold. Silver and ceramic objects have also surfaced.
