New finds from the Citadel of Kokalyan Urvich

At the beginning of July, archaeologists from the National Museum of History and the Section for Medieval Archaeology of the National Institute of Archaeology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences started excavations in the citadel of the medieval fortress. Students from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Veliko Tarnovo University “Sv. Sv. Cyril and Methodius, Shumen University “Bishop Konstantin Preslavsky” and New Bulgarian University.

Already in the first days of the survey the remains of a Christian temple were located. Its functioning refers to the 16th-17th century. In the ruins of the temple, along with hundreds of fresco fragments, interesting finds were discovered. So far, three triple, openwork earrings made of silver with pseudo filigree and soldered beads have been discovered. The tentative dating of the ornaments is 15th-17th century, and their location is on the destructed brick and mortar columns that blocked the altar niche. Another important highlight among the finds is the ritual burial of church utensils found almost centrally in front of the apse, on the east. It was placed in a small pit, partly surrounded by small stones, where a cross and a candlestick were buried. Both these objects are made of iron, and their vaulting must be assigned to a time after the end of the functioning of the Christian building. This most likely occurred at the very end of the 17th century or later in the 18th-19th centuries, and it should be noted that the burial falls at a height above the building’s contemporary ground level.

The studies and activities at the site “Citadel of Kokalyan Urvich” will continue until the end of July, the National History Museum reminds, and the funding is provided by the Culture Program of Sofia Municipality.