Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov presented to media in Sofia finds from this summer’s archeological season. For ten years he has been studying the holy city of Perperikon in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Southern Bulgaria, a site with a historical record of about 7000 years. Presented objects have been arranged in a way so as to feature various periods in its history. The earliest find is a stone idol dated 6000 years ago. The next object chronologically is a bronze axe dated to 15 c. BC. A curved Thracian combat knife comes from Antiquity, as well as a fragment from a ceramic lamp painted with erotic scenes and an ancient medical instrument.
The instrument was used by the ancient for dealing with a parasitic worm
“The instrument dated to 2 to 4 c. AD was used in an intriguing way by ancient doctors when hygiene was inadequate”, the archeologist explains. “Back at that time there was a parasitic worm in Bulgaria that could cause death if it managed to penetrate under human skin. Today it is common in tropical countries. How was it removed? The sharp end of the instrument was used to make a cut, while the spatula on the opposite end served to push the worm out. Another unique object that we dug out a few days ago, is a Roman lamp from 3 c. AD. It displays a relief visual of a semi-naked female dancer.”
The ancient dancer waving a vail above her head.
In Antiquity ceramic lamps were decorated with visuals of gods, mythological scenes and decorative elements. Erotic scenes were not uncommon either. Prof. Ovcharov also presented two silver objects from Perperikon’s medieval period: a fragment from a sophisticated diadem and a coin with images of Tsar Ivan Alexander (1331-1371) and his son Mikhail. The archeologist remarked that such coins are often found in Bulgaria’s medieval capital Veliko Tirnovo, but are a rarity in the Rhodope Mountains. Finding such a coin is relevant as it confirms information in historical sources claiming that in 1343 Perperikon was conquered by Ivan Alexander, though for only a short time. Several months after the conquest, the Byzantine forces took it back.
A coin from the rule of Ivan Alexander and a fragment from a tiara
Perperikon was the biggest city in the Rhodope Mountains and one of the biggest cities in the Balkans during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, said Prof. Ovcharov.
“Two years ago, the outstanding Bulgarian prehistory scholar Associate Prof. Krassimir Leshtakov from Sofia University calculated that the area of the prehistoric cult center from the Bronze Age – 3500 years ago – was about 12 sq. km. Well, of course, the rocky hill was the center of cult activity however there were other shrines that functioned simultaneously forming a large conglomeration. The Acropolis (the upper part of the city) alone spread out on an area of 2.2 ha in Antiquity and during the Middle Ages. It was encircled with 3 m thick fortress walls. The entire city’s area amounted to 24 ha. Seen in this light, Perperikon was a huge cult center, which from 12 to 14 c. became the seat of a bishopric. It held that status until 1362 when it fell to the Ottoman Turks following a heavy siege.”
In 2008 and 2009 Perperikon saw some 250,000 visitors on an annual basis. The numbers are likely to grow. This has taken the Rhodope cult center to the second place in tourist interest following the Tsarevets Hill in Veliko Tirnovo. In this part of Bulgaria cultural and historical tourism is expected to emerge as an alternative to tobacco growing and mining in the local economy.
English version Daniela Konstantinova
