In 2024, the National History Museum sent expeditions to 22 archaeological sites. More than 1,400 artifacts were found during the season spanning the period from prehistoric times down to the Middle Ages. The most significant of these discoveries are on display in the museum’s temporary exhibition hall as part of the exposition “Ancient discoveries. New finds. Archaeological season 2024”.

Archaeologist Dr. Filip Petrunov from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has taken part in three of the expeditions as head and deputy head of expedition.

The expedition at Kaliakra, in Northeastern Bulgaria, headed by National History Museum Director Bonni Petrunova, is researching the citadel of the fortified territory which flourished in the 14^th century. Many luxury pottery items from the Bulgarian Middle Ages were found – Byzantine, but also Bulgarian-made, and even pottery imported from Spain and Italy – which were used by the urban population, Filip Petrunov says. A tavern was discovered on the main street where seafood was eaten, something that we would now deem luxury food. Finding Black Sea oyster shells was simply fascinating.

“Seafood was probably the cheapest kind of food, all kinds of mollusks and crustaceans, and some kinds of fish. As a matter of fact, it was inevitable that they should make use of everything that the sea has to give and make it part of their diet. At this point, without any written records, it would be impossible to say what this food would have cost. Obtaining seafood was a difficult thing and took a lot of effort, so its cost would undoubtedly have been high.”

The fortress of Lyutitsa is located close to the borders of Bulgaria, Türkiye and Greece, and the fortress commands a view of all three countries. Just 45 kms. from Edirne in Türkiye, it was of strategic importance to Byzantium, as well as to the Bulgarian Tarnovo Kingdom.

Finds from Lyutitsa-season 2024

Reconstruction of the pottery workshop at Lyutitsa

In the summer of 2024, inside the Kokalyane Urvich fortress a tomb was found in which two men and a young girl lie buried. A reconstruction of the girl and a gold signet ring that once belonged to the fortress governor are also part of the exhibition at the National History Museum.

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The ring from Kokalyane Urvich – the iconography of the ring replicates the two-headed eagle from the London royal gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander

“It should be noted that this is the first time a grave has been found at Kokalyane Urvich complete with the remains of bones, but also with specific jewellery – the symbol of royal power. The jewellery in question is called perpendula – a kind of head ornament that hangs down over the temples. 

The young princess with the perpendulas – reconstruction

Finds from Lyutitsa connected with the crusader invasions at the end of the 13th century

The exhibition “Ancient discoveries. New finds. Archaeological season 2024” presents the discoveries made by archaeologists over a large area – from the banks of the rivers Struma and Mesta, across the Rhodopes and Sakar, to the Black Sea coast and Dobruja. The expeditions studied settlements, burial mounds, ancient and medieval fortresses, making the finds now on display at the National History museum truly fascinating.

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos:Ivo Ivanov, historymuseum.org, BTA, BGNES, BulFoto