site.btaAncient Tomb at Maltepe Turns out to Be of Unprecedented Dimensions, Likely Belonged to Roman Emperor
NW 18:34:02 18-08-2018
LN1834NW.109
109 CULTURE - ARCHAEOLOGY - EXCAVATION - ANCIENT TOMB
Ancient Tomb at Maltepe Turns out to Be
of Unprecedented Dimensions, Likely
Belonged to Roman Emperor
Manole, Southern Bulgaria, August 18 (BTA) - A burial pyramid found in a mound in the southern village of Manole, which was initially thought to be 4 m high and belonging to a Thracian dignitary, has turned out to be of unprecedented scale and is now seen as the likely tomb of a Roman emperor. During a visit to the ongoing excavation site, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that is the largest ancient tomb ever unearthed and it will be displayed for viewing in September next year when the nearby city of Plovdiv will be European Culture Capital.
The brick-and-stone tomb is pyramid-shaped and stands an astonishing 24 m tall.
The complete unearthing of the tomb will be fully financed by the local and the central government, said the head of the excavation expedition at Maltepe and Director of the Plovdiv Regional Archaeological Museum, Kostadin Kissyov.
During an earlier stage of the expedition he told BTA that the structure was likely 4 or 5 m tall.
Archaeological research at Maltepe has gone into its third year now. Last year archaeologists found a large number of artefacts which were dated to the 3rd century A.D.
When they started work at the mound this year, the researchers used georadars which found an anomaly 5 m below the mount's peak - some kind of a burial structure - and they started working from the top down, Kissyov told the reporters. At a depth of 70-80 cm they found a medieval necropolis with 12 graves dating back to the 12th century. 5 m below the mound peak they found the tomb. There were three huge marble slabs which possibly served as a foundation for a statue standing on top of the tomb - either of the person who was buried inside or of a deity he worshiped.
"Until 20 days ago we thought we had two tombs, one on top of the other, but it turned out that it was one huge tomb of unparalleled dimensions," said Kissyov. "This is unique for Bulgaria, the Balkans and all Europe," he added.
The tallest tomb in Bulgaria so far has been one in Pomorie, at 5.5 m, and the tallest one ever is in Mycenae, at 14 m. Similar tombs in Rome and Palmyra are 6 m or 7 m tall. "No burial structure stands 20 m high or more," said the archaeologist.
The tomb is now believed to have belonged to a Roman emperor, most like one of the soldier emperors in the period after the 3rd century A.D. "If, however, it is established that the tomb was built earlier [than the 3rd century A.D.], we might have a Thracian ruler buried here," said Kissyov.
The diggers have so far revealed the southern wall of the tomb and reached a depth of 8 m. "It is another 13 m until we reach the bottom and we donТt know yet where the entrance is," said the archaeologist. LN/
//
LN1834NW.109
109 CULTURE - ARCHAEOLOGY - EXCAVATION - ANCIENT TOMB
Ancient Tomb at Maltepe Turns out to Be
of Unprecedented Dimensions, Likely
Belonged to Roman Emperor
Manole, Southern Bulgaria, August 18 (BTA) - A burial pyramid found in a mound in the southern village of Manole, which was initially thought to be 4 m high and belonging to a Thracian dignitary, has turned out to be of unprecedented scale and is now seen as the likely tomb of a Roman emperor. During a visit to the ongoing excavation site, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that is the largest ancient tomb ever unearthed and it will be displayed for viewing in September next year when the nearby city of Plovdiv will be European Culture Capital.
The brick-and-stone tomb is pyramid-shaped and stands an astonishing 24 m tall.
The complete unearthing of the tomb will be fully financed by the local and the central government, said the head of the excavation expedition at Maltepe and Director of the Plovdiv Regional Archaeological Museum, Kostadin Kissyov.
During an earlier stage of the expedition he told BTA that the structure was likely 4 or 5 m tall.
Archaeological research at Maltepe has gone into its third year now. Last year archaeologists found a large number of artefacts which were dated to the 3rd century A.D.
When they started work at the mound this year, the researchers used georadars which found an anomaly 5 m below the mount's peak - some kind of a burial structure - and they started working from the top down, Kissyov told the reporters. At a depth of 70-80 cm they found a medieval necropolis with 12 graves dating back to the 12th century. 5 m below the mound peak they found the tomb. There were three huge marble slabs which possibly served as a foundation for a statue standing on top of the tomb - either of the person who was buried inside or of a deity he worshiped.
"Until 20 days ago we thought we had two tombs, one on top of the other, but it turned out that it was one huge tomb of unparalleled dimensions," said Kissyov. "This is unique for Bulgaria, the Balkans and all Europe," he added.
The tallest tomb in Bulgaria so far has been one in Pomorie, at 5.5 m, and the tallest one ever is in Mycenae, at 14 m. Similar tombs in Rome and Palmyra are 6 m or 7 m tall. "No burial structure stands 20 m high or more," said the archaeologist.
The tomb is now believed to have belonged to a Roman emperor, most like one of the soldier emperors in the period after the 3rd century A.D. "If, however, it is established that the tomb was built earlier [than the 3rd century A.D.], we might have a Thracian ruler buried here," said Kissyov.
The diggers have so far revealed the southern wall of the tomb and reached a depth of 8 m. "It is another 13 m until we reach the bottom and we donТt know yet where the entrance is," said the archaeologist. LN/
//
news.modal.header
news.modal.text