Balgarianovinite.com Fourteen students from the Taraclia Branch of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse are taking part in a three-week archaeological field practice in the town of Byala, Varna Region. They are working at the archaeological site at Cape Sveti Atanas, where they are participating in actual field excavations under the guidance of history lecturer and assistant professor at the Taraclia Branch Nikolay Mostovoy.
At the site, the students are working alongside Assoc. Prof. Valeri Yotov, an archaeologist and long-time director of the Archaeological Museum in Varna, who is the scientific supervisor of the excavations. Speaking to BTA, he said that the archaeological site is located about 50 km south of Varna and that cooperation with colleagues and students from Moldova has a history of more than ten years.
Yotov recalled that the cooperation began many years ago on his initiative and with the organisational support of Prof. Nikolai Russev. Initially, it involved the Higher Anthropological School University in Chisinau and the Grigori Tsamblak State University of Taraclia, which has since become a branch of the University of Ruse.
According to Yotov, Cape Sveti Atanas was for a long time known mainly as the site of a Late Antique, or Byzantine, fortress. Over the years, however, excavations have shown that the site is much richer and contains several cultural layers.
“This site has three main layers. The earliest is Greek-Thracian, the next is Roman, and the latest is Late Antique or Early Byzantine,” the archaeologist said.
The earliest layer dates approximately from the 5th century BC to the 1st century AD. According to Yotov, it is associated with the local Thracian population and with the processes of Greek colonisation along the Black Sea coast. A sanctuary located at the tip of the cape has been identified in this layer.
Yotov said that part of a temple belonging to the sanctuary has been uncovered at a depth of about 3.5 to 4 metres below the present-day ground level. The temple was surrounded by an enclosed sacred area. Pits associated with offerings, ritual feasts and sacrifices have also been discovered at the site.
The next layer dates from the Roman period, approximately the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD. Kilns for ceramic production have been uncovered there. According to Yotov, the vessels found at the site make it possible to identify the pottery as Roman.
The archaeologist added that there was probably also a small sanctuary from the Roman period. This is suggested by marble votive tablets associated with Heracles, also known as Hercules.
The best represented layer is the Late Antique, or Early Byzantine, one, dating from the end of the 4th to the beginning of the 7th century. A large religious centre has been uncovered there, including an early Christian three-aisled basilica, baptisteries, the residence of the chief priest and premises associated with the religious life of the community.
“This entire complex can be described as a small textbook of early Christian archaeology because it contains all the characteristic elements that explain religious life at that time,” Yotov said.
In addition to the religious complex, archaeologists have uncovered about 36 residential buildings. According to Yotov, they were probably two-storey structures, of which only the lowest sections survive today – ground-floor areas used for storage and household purposes. Numerous pithoi have been found there, indicating that the settlement was an important trading centre.
Yotov said that several wineries have also been identified at Cape Sveti Atanas. One of them has been well restored and can be used to demonstrate the process of crushing grapes and producing must, the basis for wine production. “This gives us grounds to speak of an important centre of wine production in the Early Byzantine world,” the archaeologist said.
According to him, the settlement was not large, with an estimated population of between 1,500 and 3,000 people. Nevertheless, it can be described as a Late Antique port town. Archaeologists have uncovered a main street, a small square, a Roman bath, commercial premises and structures associated with economic and religious activities.
The students from Taraclia are involved in various activities at the site. They work in the excavation sectors currently under investigation and gain practical skills in archaeological fieldwork, documentation and the uncovering of structures and finds.
Yotov recalled that the cooperation with students and specialists from Moldova began as early as 2010, with an interruption only during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the students usually arrive in early August and work actively at the site for three or four weeks.
The archaeologist said that over the years participants from Moldova have worked in different areas of the excavations, including on the investigation of a kiln used for the production of Roman pottery.
“The most important thing is that the students demonstrated not only good fieldwork skills, but also good knowledge as young people coming into contact with archaeology, the history of Bulgaria and the specifics of our discipline,” Yotov said.
History lecturer Nikolay Mostovoy said the archaeological practice is intended for history students enrolled in the Bulgarian Language and History programme. He noted that the previous excavations involving his students took place about five years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that fieldwork has now resumed.
Yotov said that the partnership is supported by Assoc. Prof. Valentina Vasileva, who is responsible for the practice, Taraclia Branch Administrative Director Alexander Borimechkov and Nikolay Mostovoy, whom he described as the main driving force behind the cooperation.
The field practice is taking place at the invitation of the Municipal Cultural Institute/Museum in Byala and Byala Municipality, which have provided the students with free accommodation and meals for the duration of their stay. Work at the site begins early in the morning and continues until noon because of the high temperatures in the afternoon. Taraclia Students Join Archaeological Excavations at Cape Sveti Atanas near Byala 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-10 16:09:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
