The fourth archaeological season has begun with auspicious discoveries in the courtyard of the St Peter and Paul church in Veliko Turnovo.
Professor Nikolai Ovcharov, head of excavations, said that his team is finding gold and silver ornaments on an almost daily basis. In the first few days of the expedition, archaeologists discovered a large part of the dining room of a monastery.
The highlight, however, has been numerous unique wall paintings from the 15th century. Twelve pictures of saints and inscriptions in old Bulgarian have also been recognised.
Archaeologists believe that an earthquake in the 16th century accounts for the monastery's fallen paintings. As was customary in that era, all images that were destroyed had to be honoured through burial in tomb memorials.
"Because of that practice we can now see the intact images of the saints in a preserved layer," says Ovcharov.
The unique images are covered with golden halos but there is a noticeable difference in style between two artists who painted the saints, according to archaeologists.
"The subject of numerous pieces is the image of St Panteleimon, who was a saint and highly esteemed healer," says Hitko Bachev, an archaeologist at the scene.
In less than four years in the courtyard of the monastery, specialists have discovered more than 300 pieces of gold and silver jewellery. The latest discovery is a special silver ring with preserved gems in two colours - brown and milky white.
The ring is extremely well preserved and holds an image of a man with a crown. "This ring is certainly not made in Bulgaria," says Ovcharov. "Whether it was made in ancient times or in the Renaissance, it comes from Western Europe, probably Italy," he said. "In that period it was fashionable among the emerging artisan class who could afford such expensive jewellery."
On their current mission, archaeologists have been entrusted with discovering monastery buildings within the complex; historical evidence suggests that this is one of the largest complexes of the Bulgarian Middle Ages.
By the end of the summer archaeologists hope to have discovered a royal necropolis.
The public can see the artefacts uncovered so far at Veliko Turnovo's archaeological museum.
Source: The Sofia Echo [July 28, 2011]
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| Bulgarian medieval coins and ornaments found during the 2010 excavations in the monastery complex of St. St. Peter and Paul in the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Tarnovo [Credit: Veneta Pavlova] |
The highlight, however, has been numerous unique wall paintings from the 15th century. Twelve pictures of saints and inscriptions in old Bulgarian have also been recognised.
Archaeologists believe that an earthquake in the 16th century accounts for the monastery's fallen paintings. As was customary in that era, all images that were destroyed had to be honoured through burial in tomb memorials.
"Because of that practice we can now see the intact images of the saints in a preserved layer," says Ovcharov.
The unique images are covered with golden halos but there is a noticeable difference in style between two artists who painted the saints, according to archaeologists.
"The subject of numerous pieces is the image of St Panteleimon, who was a saint and highly esteemed healer," says Hitko Bachev, an archaeologist at the scene.
In less than four years in the courtyard of the monastery, specialists have discovered more than 300 pieces of gold and silver jewellery. The latest discovery is a special silver ring with preserved gems in two colours - brown and milky white.
The ring is extremely well preserved and holds an image of a man with a crown. "This ring is certainly not made in Bulgaria," says Ovcharov. "Whether it was made in ancient times or in the Renaissance, it comes from Western Europe, probably Italy," he said. "In that period it was fashionable among the emerging artisan class who could afford such expensive jewellery."
On their current mission, archaeologists have been entrusted with discovering monastery buildings within the complex; historical evidence suggests that this is one of the largest complexes of the Bulgarian Middle Ages.
By the end of the summer archaeologists hope to have discovered a royal necropolis.
The public can see the artefacts uncovered so far at Veliko Turnovo's archaeological museum.
Source: The Sofia Echo [July 28, 2011]