Thracian gold treasures rival Troy's

Agençe France-Presse
Thursday, 18 August 2005

Bulgarian archaeologists found this golden ring in the tomb of a Thracian king earlier this
year (Image: Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)
More than 15,000 golden pieces of Thracian royal jewellery dating back to the 3rd
millennium BC have been unearthed in Bulgaria, archaeologists say.

"The golden objects unearthed near the village of Dabene in central Bulgaria are not just
pieces of Thracian jewellery. They are objects of exquisite regal ornamentation," says
Associate Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov, director of Sofia's National Museum of History.

"In the whole of Europe and the Near East there is only one find that rivals these extremely
well-crafted pieces: the golden treasures found in ancient Troy," Dimitrov says.

"The large number of golden objects and the expert craftsmanship in their making lead us to
question Troy's supremacy as the biggest ancient centre for goldsmiths."

Digging started near Dabene a year ago after an archaeologist saw a farmer's wife wearing a
necklace of golden rings, assembled by her husband from pieces he had found on his farm.

Dimitrov says it was likely that more gold objects would be found.

In July, the museum's team of archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Thracian king from the
4th century BC, filled with treasures including a golden crown and body armour along with
gold, silver and bronze cups.

Last year, another archaeological team unearthed near Shipka, in central Bulgaria, a golden
mask similar to the 'Mask of Agamemnon' discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in Troy.

Central Bulgaria is considered the cradle of ancient Thracian civilisation, which extended
from the Caucasus to southwestern Europe from the 4th millennium BC to the 3rd century
AD.

4,100-year-old treasure found in Bulgaria

Hoard of gold rivals the riches of Troy, archaeologists say

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed about 15,000 tiny golden pieces
that date back to the end of the third millennium B.C. — a find they said Wednesday matches
the famous treasure of Troy.

The golden ornaments, estimated to be between 4,100 and 4,200 years old, have been
unearthed gradually during the past year from an ancient tomb near the central village of
Dabene, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of the capital, Sofia, said Vasil Nikolov, an
academic consultant on the excavations.

“This treasure is a bit older than Schliemann’s finds in Troy, and contains much more golden
ornaments,” Nikolov said.

Golden treasure unearthed in Bulgaria

2,400-year old treasure found in Thracian tomb

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,400-year old golden treasure in an

ancient Thracian tomb in eastern Bulgaria, the director of the country's History Museum said
Monday.

The gold-rich burial was discovered late on Saturday by a team of archaeologists, working on
excavations near the village of Zlatinitsa, some 180 miles east of the capital, Sofia.

The most impressive finds included a golden ring and wreath, finely crafted silver rhytons, or
horn-shaped drinking vessels, and many golden and silver pieces of armor and horse
trappings, Prof. Bozhidar Dimitrov told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.