Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

A Hobbiton discovered by archaeologists in Perperikon

Prof Ovcharov said the tiny houses resembling Hobbit dwellings were homes for the poor

Perperikon
Photo: Facebook /Vladislav Terziiski Photography

A village of small houses dating from the 13th-15th cent. AD, very similar to the dwellings of the Hobbits, has been excavated by archaeologist Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov and his team. It is a complex of a dozen small houses located in the southern part of the rock city of Perperikon. Prof Ovcharov told BNR-Kardzhali that the complex bears a strong resemblance to the city of the Hobbits in 'The Lord of the Rings'. 

Whole families lived in houses no larger than 20 square metres. Cooking utensils, chrome pots and tools have been found. There are narrow streets between the houses.

According to the archaeologists, the houses were inhabited by the poorer part of Perperikon's population, which numbered around 5,000 people at the time. "This is not a small number, as it was the population of Vienna at the same time," says Professor Nikolai Ovcharov.

At the end of the 14th century, burials took place there. The data show that the population declined sharply. This was probably due to the plague that hit Europe at that time, the archaeologists believe.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Weather forecast: Clouds on Sunday, temperatures will go down

During the night the clouds will increase. After a temporary improvement in visibility, there will be fog or low clouds in the lowlands and valleys. There will be a light wind from the East-Southeast. Minimum temperatures will range from minus 2° C...

published on 2/1/25 6:15 PM

Bulgarians detained onboard Vezhen have given testimony to the Swedish investigators

Bulgaria’s consul to Sweden Stefan Stoykov has met with the eight Bulgarian sailors, members of the crew of the ship Vezhen suspected of sabotaging a Baltic Sea cable. Sweden seizes Bulgarian ship sailing under Maltese flag European..

published on 2/1/25 5:32 PM
Borislav Gutsanov

Social benefits will not be reduced, social policy minister says

There will be no reduction in social benefits, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov told reporters. There is complete accord among the political forces in the ruling coalition that social benefits must be preserved and that..

published on 2/1/25 5:16 PM