On Monday, August 17th, a team of Bulgarian archaeologists, who are examining the mounds near the village of Krushare in the Sliven region (Bulgaria), chanced upon a unique Thracian tomb, dated back to the 3rd century AD. “That’s a grave of a Thracian woman who obviously belonged to a noble family”, Diana Dimitrova, the head of the team, announced. She gave also the details of the magnificent relics, which were dug up so far: a large gold funerary wreath and other gold jewelry, including a necklace with a pendant, a pair of bangles, two different earrings and two wafer-thin bracelets around the woman’s left ankle.
Archaeologists Excavated Some Unique Ancient Relics“I hope there will be some more precious artifacts”, Ms Dimitrova said. Of course, such valuable ones are two vials of perfume or other cosmetics and a lachrymatory (a tear-bottle) which were found near the skeleton. The vials are still filled with some kind of transparent liquid. It will be analyzed in a lab, most probably abroad, and the secrets of the Thracian beauties’ fragrance might be revealed in several months. The lachrymatory (the narrow-necked vessel that the tears of deceased woman’ friends were collected in) is empty. A glass rhyton, which is a unique find in Bulgaria, and a bronze chandelier, which is rare to find, have also been discovered.
Diana Dimitrova, who is a specialist from the National Institute of Archaeology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and her colleagues are all very proud with the finds. However, Ms Dimitrova confessed that the knowledge they should gain through that treasure trove is much more valuable than the trove itself. “We couldn’t believe our luck, for it rarely happens to discover a female burial site. In fact, that is the second one found in Bulgaria so far. The first female tomb, unearthed in the Mogilan mound near the town of Vratsa in 1966, had been keeping the body of a very young Thracian princess and the relics had been dated back to a different, pre-Roman, period.
Equal Rights of Noble Women
“So, we thought that the Thracian women hadn’t been honored with the right of burying their dead bodies and assumed they had been just cremated”, the prominent archaeologist explained. The recent discovery, which is dated back to the Roman age, will probably prove that Thracian women, especially those of noble blood, had equal rights of respect, importance and opportunities as men did. The gold wrath, which used to be the most significant symbol of high social rank or of extremely great merits, is another proof of the new thesis.
Thracian Economic Independence From Rome
There is one more conclusion of high scientific importance: the Thracians had been economically free and independent despite the Roman rule. “Such an impressive and gorgeous funeral couldn’t be possible without economic autonomy”, Diana Dimitrova insisted, and reminded that the powerful and wealthy Thracian civilization, existed from 13th - 12th century BC until 5th - 6th century AD, had been one of the earliest in Europe. The Thracians had believed in life after death, so Thracian kings and aristocrats had been buried in monumental stone tombs together with their most valuable possessions (weapons, jewelry, horses).
There are more than 40 imposing burial tombs unearthed in Thracian mounds in Bulgaria up to now, but that one, near the village of Krushare, is among the most fascinating. The excavations are going on there and the archaeologists expect to make some more exciting discoveries.
 |
