site.btaTerracotta Figurine of Celtic Goddess Epona Found at Heraclea Sintica

A terracotta figurine of the Celtic goddess Epona astride a horse was discovered at Heraclea Sintica, the media platform Archaeologia Bulgarica said Monday. 

The find suggests a possible Gallic or Celtic presence in the city, where a sizeable community of Gauls may have lived, said Lyudmil Vagalinski, who leads the excavations.

Vagalinski said the figurine was the most noteworthy of the artefacts unearthed to date. In Gallic Celtic mythology, Epona ranks among the most venerated deities and is regarded as a guardian of horses and breeders; some interpretations also view her as a guide of souls after death, Archaeologia Bulgarica added.

Vagalinski’s team uncovered 18 terracotta figurines and eight balsamaria during rescue digs in the west necropolis earlier in May. The items were found in a tomb within a designated area set by Bulgartransgaz.