Микрорегионът на Хаджидимитрово, Ямболско, през VI и началото на V хил. пр. Хр.: археологически проучвания 2008 - 2021 г (The microregion of Hadzhidimitrovo, Yambol region, in the 6th and the early 5th millennia BC: archaeological research 2008-2021) (original) (raw)
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Archaeological sites from the Late Bronze Age and Early Medieval Period, situated 13 km north-west of Yambol town, are located over the northern slopes of Tandarski bair, directly north of Hadzhidimitrovo village. The excavations took place due to the development and construction of gas-station, truck parking and motel. A total of 11 dka, situated north of Trakia Highway, were examined. Archaeological excavations were undertaken at the end of 2012 and in 2013. A total of 121 sondages were excavated. They measured 1.00 x 5.00 m and 0.50 x 5.00 m, and were oriented by the four cardinal points. The soil profile on the western border of the site included 5 stratigraphic layers (from the base upwards): sterile base with displacement around 5.00 – 5.50 m in north-east direction; brown colour, solid layer excluding artefacts (sondages 77, 77а, 78, 78а, 79, 79а), in which the structure from Early Medieval period was dug; gray-brown colour, solid layer with inclusions from small, isolated finds (sondages 54, 61, 62, 88, 93, 97), with thickness 0.40 – 0.50 m and dated to Late Iron Age; grey colour layer with inclusions from archaeological finds, measuring 0.30 – 0.40 m thick, covered the archaeological structures from the Late Iron Age and Early Medieval period; embankment, piled up during construction of Trakia Highway. During the archaeological excavation, 15 pits and 5 concentrations of ceramic fragments and animal bones, dating to the Late Iron Age period were examined. The pits are mainly comprised of circular or oval hole, ranging in dimensions from 0.90 to 1.50 m. They have a bell-shape or conical section. The pottery found in them was both hand-made and wheel-made. The vessels are turned-conical, or shaped with a cylindrical neck, spherical belly and turned-conical bottom part. They are decorated with horizontal relief lines with holes, and oval-shaped relief protrusions or handles. Part of an amphora rim with stamp was found. The pits and the concentration of pottery fragments, animal bones and remains from wattle-and-daub constructions continued beyond the trench boundaries. The size and function of some of them remain unknown. A damaged pit-house and one oven dug into the sterile layer were found from the Early Medieval Period. The oven is ovoid measuring 1.2 x 1.0 m. The maximum height of the oven is 0.85 m. In the northern part there is an oval entrance measuring 0.57 x 0.36 m. In front of it there is a 0.03 m step. The oven has two floors, a lower and upper floor are connected by a hole of irregular form, close to the oval measuring 0.32 x 0.40 m in size. The thickness of the layer between two floors varied from 0.08 to 0.26 m. On the periphery there are 4 holes with diameters between 0.08 and 0.10 m. The upper floor is 0.42 m high. Two stones and piece of brick were found on the bottom of upper floor. The bottom floor is 0.40 m high and 1.20 m in diameter. In it pieces of hand-made and wheel-made pottery were found. Two graves were also examined. They belong to an infant and adult. The orientation is north-south. The grave of the infant is dug 0.30 m shallower than the adult grave. The dictation between the two graves pits is 0.15 m. The skeletons are orientated with the heads to the north. It is difficult to accurately date the graves due to the lack of artefacts contained within them.
The tumulus located c. 9 km to the SW of the ancient Thracian town of Kabyle, had the following dimensions before the excavations: diameter 50 m and height of 3.18 m above then surrounding terrain. A single grave was investigated in the mound – an inhumation of a male individual of 15-17 years, lying at the bottom of a rectangular pit (dimensions: 1.20 x 2.50 x 0.93 m) in extended position, arms alongside the body. The grave inventory consists of ceramic vessels – krater, kantharos, amphora, askos and lamp – and an iron knife and a spear. On the body and the floor of the pit, there were scattered parts of a funerary wreath – gilded copper leafs and clay “fruits”. Beneath the right collar-bone, a bronze coin of Antiochus II Theos/ Αντίοχος Β’ Θεός (261-246 BC), countermarked in Kabyle, was found, allowing to date the entire complex in the third quarter of the 3rd c. BC.
The archaeological site is located 1.4 km to the south from the center of the village of Zavoj, Yambol district. It is situated on the left bank of Tundzha River. During preliminary trench excavations, an area of 491 sq. m. were investigated. Twenty structures were registered, among them three deposits of ceramic vessels from the Early Iron Age (structures № 11, 16, 18); a deposit of ceramic vessels (structure № 1) and four pits from the Late Iron Age (structures № 4, 12, 13, 14), and remains from two dwellings with wattle-and-daub construction from the Iron Age (structures № 2, 8). Two dwellings (structures № 10, 20) and two pits (structures № 6, 17) from the Middle Ages (9th – 10th c.) were also located. During the excavation, a grave (structure № 5) was uncovered, while two other grave-pits were located (structures № 7, 9). A pit from the period of the Bulgarian Revival (19th c.) was investigated. Two fireplaces (structures № 3, 19) were also located. The structures located during the preliminary trench excavations showed that the railway crosses the southern periphery of a settlement from the Iron Age and the Middle Ages and a necropolis.
The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology – PAS and the Regional Historical Museum – Yambol, financed under Project № NCN OPUS 2017/25/B/HS3/02516 of the National Science Center – Poland. The mound (Fig. 1) was completely investigated with 6 cremation graves, 4 inhumation graves as well as 3 features related to the mortuary practices found in it (Fig. 2). Features Nos. 7, 9, 10 (cremation graves) were placed in the central part of the barrow. Rich grave inventory and bronze coins were found in the grave pits. Features Nos. 1-3 (cremation graves) were placed in the mound’s periphery. In all three graves bronze coins were found as well. The four inhumation graves (Nos. 8, 11-13) were places in southern part of the barrow. Rich graves inventory and bronze coins were found in the grave pits (Fig. 3). Three features related to the mortuary practices were found in the mound’s periphery as well. All features were surrounded by a ring wall, made of middle sized and large stones. Above all of them the mound was piled, with a diameter of 13 m and height of 1.0 m. Based on the mortuary practices and grave inventory, the tumulus and the structures could be dated to the second half of the 2nd – beginning of the 3rd c. AD.
The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology – PAS and the Regional Historical Museum – Yambol, financed under Project № NCN OPUS 2017/25/B/HS3/02516 of the National Science Center – Poland. The mound (Fig. 1) was completely investigated with 2 cremation graves and 2 features related to the mortuary practices found in it (Fig. 2). Primary is feature № 2 (cremation grave). Six clay vessels, iron medallion with golden encrusted plate (Fig. 3), animal bones and a bronze coin of Lucius Verus (161 – 169 AD) were found in the pit. Above the pit a small mound of virgin soil was piled. In its northern periphery the pit of feature № 3 (cremation grave) was dug. A ceramic bowl, pieces of a bronze vessel and animal bones were found in it. The two graves were surrounded by a ring wall, made of middle sized and large stones. Near the ring wall, two features related to the mortuary practices were found. Finally, above all the features a mound was piled, with a diameter of 16 m and height of 1.7 m. Based on the mortuary practices and grave inventory, the mound and its structures could be dated to the second half of the 2nd c. AD.