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Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
These Tombs Were Hidden for 2,100 Years. Archaeologists Just Found the Warriors Inside.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Archaeologists working in southern Bulgaria discovered three burial sites, two featuring ancient warriors. The burial mounds, from the second century B.C., included human remains alongside dead warhorses, as was the tradition of the time. Grave goods from the ancient Thracian burial featured spears, shields, and gold-covered swords and hilts. Tombs discovered in what was once the ancient region of Thrace, now southern Bulgaria, held the remains of both people and horses, in addition to a swath of grave goods that included gold-covered sword hilts. The find came during work related to the installation of electric cable in Kapitan Petko Voyvoda near the Turkish border, according to a translated statement. The team of Daniela Agre, Deyan Dichev, and Vladimir Staykov of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences located two burial mounds, one featuring a ruling warrior and the second a noblewoman. Following the initial discovery, they continued to search and discovered a second warrior in a third tomb about 200 feet from the first. All were dated to the late Hellenistic period of ancient Thrace in the second century B.C. Alongside the cremated remains of the first warrior and warhorse, the excavation turned up spears, shields, swords featuring gold-covered hilts and inlays of semi-precious stones, jewelry, and a ceremonial dagger adorned with gold and gems. The team also found gold, silver, and bronze adornments for the horse. 'The quality of the metals and the meticulous engravings suggest we are looking at a goldsmithing workshop linked to Thracian royal courts or even itinerant Hellenistic masters,' Agre said during a National Archaeological Institute of Bulgaria press conference, according to La Brujula Verde. The remains of the second warrior, discovered in a nine-foot by nine-foot tomb at a depth of three feet, were those of what experts determined was a 35-to-40-year-old male, still with a silver wreath around his head. That warrior and his horse were buried with a bridle adorned with a rendering of Hercules defeating the giant Antaeus and a harness with gilded bronze fittings. 'The level of detail is astonishing: the tense muscles, the expression of agony on Antaeus' face,' Dichev said. 'This is not local craftsmanship; it's a piece imported from a first-rate workshop, probably in Pergamon or Alexandria.' Also inside the tomb were iron spears, a crooked ancient Greek Mahira knife, an iron shield, and silver jewelry. Warrior burials weren't the only striking discoveries. The second tomb contained the remains of a noblewoman, as indicated by two pairs of well-preserved leather shoes, a wooden chest emblazoned with gold and silver plating decorated with semi-precious stones, and a mixture of bronze, glass, and amber items. Nearby, a ritual offering site featured coins with a diversity of minting locations and a range of monarchs depicted on the faces, which Agre believes shows the site was either a pilgrimage destination or a commercial trading hub. The experts said the site's multiple tombs filled with valuable grave goods showed it was a high-status burial complex, which could upend what was previously known about the political and ruling structure of pre-Roman Thrace. The finds are set to go on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
17-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Leaking pipes as climate warms: Bulgaria faces water crisis
When water finally comes, it lasts only a few hours, and the retired agricultural expert has to choose between filling cans, running the washing machine or taking a shower. "The problems date back 15 years, but every year the situation gets worse," the energetic 69-year-old told AFP. "This year, we switched to rationing as early as June," she added. Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, has decades-old pipes -- some laid before World War II -- while water theft and poor resource management amplify the consequences of climate change. "Every other drop is lost before reaching the tap," said Emil Gachev, a researcher at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. In mid-July, water interruptions affected more than 156,000 people in the country of 6.4 million, which ranks worst in the EU for losses in supply networks. Systemic issue Gachev warns that Bulgaria is dangerously close to a lasting water crisis, with rationing periods stretching out longer and more localities affected as dry seasons extend. Over the past four years, spring rainfall has been well below the average of the last 25 years, and some reservoirs are only filled to a fifth of capacity. "The villages with disrupted water supplies are scattered throughout Bulgaria, indicating that this is a systemic rather than an isolated issue," Gachev said. This week a commission set up last year to address the worsening situation recommended establishing a national fund to modernise the infrastructure, among other measures. The water disruptions could increase political stability in the Balkan nation, which has seen seven elections in three years -- the most recent in October 2024. Last summer, residents of Gorna Studena blocked the main road connecting two neighbouring regions in protest. This year, the village, located about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Danube in a fertile plain, has been in a state of emergency since late June. The water is rationed according to zones and hours, but some houses can go without water for more than two days. The situation is similar in the two neighbouring villages in the region, where a saying goes: "We have water under our feet, but we are dying of thirst". 'Not asking for swimming pool' "We're not asking for a swimming pool, just a normal life," said Tsoneva, a former agronomist at the local agricultural cooperative, and now keeps a dozen chickens and grows corn. Gorna Studena's population has dwindled from more than 2,000 in the 1960s to some 200, the vast majority of them retirees. A clinic, a pharmacy, a school and a nursery all have closed. These days, mayor Plamen Ivanov, 52, roams the village posting the water distribution schedules, while his phone keeps ringing. "This rationing system needs to change; it no longer works," Ivanov told AFP in his air-conditioned office. Ivanov explains that the situation is causing tensions, with different parts of the village receiving different amounts of water. Not far from the mayor's office, a resident, who only gave her name as Nivyana, slowly steps out of her house with a bucket in her hand. She's lucky: one of the blue tanks installed by the authorities is right in front of her door. "I wanted to wash my clothes," the 83-year-old said, lowering her eyes. "But the water ran out before I could finish." © 2025 AFP
