site.btaArchaeologists Uncover Thracian Tomb near Haskovo

A team of archaeologists under Assoc. Prof. Georgi Nehrizov of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences' National Archaeological Institute with Museum have uncovered a tomb in a burial mound near the village of Teketo, Haskovo Region, the Haskovo Regional History Museum said.

Work is underway on the full uncovering and documenting of the site. It is already clear that the tomb consists of a large-size rectangular funerary chamber, built of, covered by, and floored with large zeolite slabs.  

Treasure hunters have apparently dug three large tunnels through the mound and have broken into the chamber from south, west and east, entirely removing the ceiling slabs. This intervention has compromised the authentic form of the landmark. Worse yet, a large part of the tomb's mural decoration has been destroyed. The few sections of mortar wall plastering give an approximate idea of what the whole looked like.

As expected, the chamber does not contain any artefacts that could help date the construction of the tomb. Still, the heaped pile of earth comprising the tumulus and the earth dug up by the treasure hunters have yielded fractions of the accoutrement and weapons of the Thracian aristocrat who has been interred there: iron spear tips, a knife, a pectoral, and over 50 parts of plate armour. Other finds include fragments of Thracian earthenware and a part of an alabastron (a small type of pottery or glass vessel used for holding oil, especially perfume or massage oils). 

Similar tombs have been found elsewhere in Thrace and have been dated to the late 5th and early 4th c. BC, the period when the Odrysian Kingdom flourished. The unlooted entombments that have been explored, such as those at Duvanlii and Chernozemen (near Plovdiv) and Dalboki and Shipka (near Stara Zagora), contain abundant and lavish funerary gifts.

The discovery of the Teketo tomb was made public on April 25, 2023, after which some BGN 26,000 were collected in a fund-raising campaign for its exploration. The bulk of this money, BGN 25,000, came from the America for Bulgaria Foundation.

Before reaching the Thracian tomb, the archaeologists had to explore part of a medieval necropolis occupying part of the tumulus. Seven interments, performed according to a Christian rite and enclosed in stone slabs, have been found on the site.