site.btaAugust 20, 2004: Thracian King's Grave Unearthed

Twenty years ago Tuesday, archaeologists announced unearthing the grave of a Thracian king and found in it the 23.5-carat gold, 672 g life-size mask of Thracian King Teres I (d. 445 BC). They were working at a site near the town of Shipka in the central Balkan Range. It was the first gold mask ever found on the territory of Bulgaria and has remained one of the most captivating examples of Thracian art. 

Following is the Daily News story on the discovery of August 20, 2004:

Thracian King's Grave Unearthed

Shipka, Balkan Range, August 20 (BTA) - Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a Thracian king buried in an Orphic ritual near the town of Shipka in the Central Balkan Range. 

They first found a gold death mask and a ring while digging in a grave at the base of a Thracian mound. The mask weighs half a kilogramme, and the ring with a javelin thrower on it weighs 15 grams. 

Parts of a ruler's body - arms, legs and jaws - were found in the grave. The ritual was performed by Orpheus's followers, according to Senior Research Associate Georgi Kitov, who unearthed the find.
 
As the myth has it, the Thracian musician was torn to pieces by the Maenads, women who went berserk as Orpheus would play only to men, who would indulge in Mysteries.

Ancient Greek red-figured vessels, silver and bronze vessels, parts of arrows and a sword were also found in the grave. A phial with handles points incontestably to a Thracian king's funeral, Kitov said. This is most likely the grave of the Thracian king Teres, father of Sitalkes, who lived in the middle of the 5th century B.C. The face in the death mask is similar to coins bearing Teres's image. 

The grave suggests a resemblance to Mycenae practices, where a grave and a shrine would be made into a natural mound. A shrine may be found in the mound behind the grave, according to Kitov. The TEMP expedition will carry on digging.