site.btaGold Piercings, Copper Prototype of Fishing Hook Among Archaeological Discoveries in Varna Necropolis

Gold piercings and a copper prototype of the modern fishing hook are part of the interesting finds discovered in the Varna Necropolis in 2024, head of the excavations Dr Vladimir Slavchev told BTA on Wednesday.

In October, the archaeologists put an end to their work in the southeastern sector of the necropolis, which clarified its southern border. In 2025, the research will be in the northern part of the necropolis, with Slavchev pointing out that there is a chance that they will be able to finish this area as well, if they receive funding. The western parts of the necropolis will remain untouched, as these are on private land. Thus, there will be work for future generations of archaeologists, he said.

In 2024, archaeologists worked on nearly 200 square metres, discovering eight graves, which takes the number of found burial places to a total of 336 since 2020. There were several surprises in these eight graves, Slavchev noted, giving the example of grave gifts, which were found placed on the feet. According to the archaeologist, this is unusual for this culture, as the vessels are usually placed behind the head of the deceased.

"For the first time ever for the Stone and Copper Age and for this necropolis, we found a niche grave", Slavchev added. He specified that this type of burials were characteristic of much later times and that there is no way to say why this burial was made in this way. He did not exclude the possibility that there are other graves, either explored earlier but in poor condition, or still undiscovered, in which there are also niches.

He also said that for the first time, archaeologists also studied cenotaphs, which are graves in which no bodies were laid, only gifts. There are different interpretations about the cenotaphs, with one of the versions saying that the grave could have belonged to a person who died far from their birthplace and their body could not be retrieved.

Slavchev added that, surprisingly, two of the graves found this year contained female burials. According to him, they are much less common, not only in the Varna Necropolis, but in general during excavations from the Chalcolithic period. The gold piercings were found in exactly one of these graves. The body is that of a young girl, about 12 years old, but at the time she was probably considered an adult woman. One earring was on the lower lip of the buried woman, the other in the area of ​​her waist.

Gold amulets and additional decorations were found in both female graves. The found piercings from nearly 6,500 years ago prove that this is not a modern trend, Slavchev said with a smile, adding that needles and dyes for making tattoos from the same period were also discovered.

In male burials, archaeologists found two battle axes made of copper, with the archaeologist adamant that the axes are combat weapons and not ordinary knives. "This is the first weapon for close combat invented by man," Slavchev pointed out. The axes found were not sharpened, they were massive and were used to pierce the skull of the enemy, not to inflict slashing wounds.

Slavchev also added that one of the most interesting finds in 2024 in the necropolis is a copper fishing rod, which was found in a man's grave and is a prototype of a modern fishing hook. In this case, the fishing rod is made of copper and not of bone, as would be typical of those times, added Slavchev.

There are still too many questions surrounding the Chalcolithic necropolises, he stressed. What is clear is that male burials are twice as many as female burials and that not all people living in the nearby settlement were buried in the necropolis.

The necropolis in today's Varna existed for nearly 300 years (4400 – 4100 BC), while at least 250 to 300 people lived in the nearby settlement, so there is no way there could be such a small number of burials in so many years, the archaeologist explained. Still, no one can answer the question of what they did with the bodies of those who were not laid to rest in the necropolis.

It is also unclear how or on what principle the people for whom burials were arranged, were chosen. From the gifts found, it can only be concluded that the leading factor was not their position in the social hierarchy, Slavchev pointed out. The archaeologist added that no traces of violent death were found on the bones discovered in the necropolis, nor evidence that the people suffered from malnutrition, which suggests that they lived peacefully and well.

The excavation team wishes to present some of the finds discovered in the Varna Necropolis in 2024 at the annual exhibition of Bulgarian Archeology in 2025.The excavation were financed by the Culture Ministry and the Varna History Museum.