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| Tomb of the Thracian King |
Just outside Kazanlak, in central Bulgaria lies a tomb now thought to
belong to Thracian King, Seuthus III.
From the outside the tomb looks little more than a massive
mole hill covered in grass. In fact all over the flat valley bottom, there are
mounds just like this, some large, some tiny, but all similar in appearance and
all left over from around the 5th century BC. It is estimated there are
around 1,500 such tombs and thus the area has been renamed the Valley of the
Thracian Kings. However, only a handful have been excavated and not all the
mounds actually contain the stone-built tombs inside. Many more have been bull-dozed
by farmers or raided for the treasurers they may or may not have contained.
Little is known about the Thracian culture, although the
opening and exploration of a few of these tombs has revealed various treasures
from which assumptions can be made. The tomb of Seuthus III was excavated in
September 2004.
Now, the tomb can be reached by a brand new tarmac road, leading
to car park by the side of the large mound. On the south side of the mound, an
opening has been dug into the side and new glass doors enclose a foyer where
pamphlets in both Bulgarian and English can be purchased and where you pay
around 4 levs (2 E) per person to enter the tomb itself.
Right in the doorway to the foyer is a large stone. This is
the spot where a bronze head of a bearded man was discovered. It had been
snapped off a statue and lay propped up by stones at the entrance to the tomb.
From the tomb’s ‘foyer’ a corridor runs for around 13 metres
into the centre of the mound where three rooms were found. This corridor had
been filled with stones and soil when it was originally found but the roof and
walls, which are made of huge square carved granite blocks, show that at some
point, a fire had raged through the corridor, blackening the walls and ceiling.
It is thought that maybe the wooden support structures where set alight when the
tomb was closed.
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| Tomb of the Thracian King |
At the end of this corridor is a small rectangular room with
a sloping ceiling. The skeleton of a horse was found this chamber and it is
believed that the animal was sacrificed so as to accompany its owner to the
next life. In other burial mounds, the skeletons of large dogs have been found
and in some, the bodies of young females, possibly wives of the tomb’s owner as
it is thought that it may have been an honour to die and be buried with your
husband.
The chamber above leads into a small round room with an
impressive domed ceiling and through this you enter the burial chamber. This
room appears to have been carved out of one enormous block of stone, with a bed
or table, carved into the far wall. It was in here that the body of King Seuthus
III was found, along with many golden treasures, including a golden wreath and
a cup and many other exquisite ornaments. A richly woven cloth covered the
floor and the bed. The tomb owner was identified by inscriptions found on some
of the items in the tomb. King Seuthus III had built his city, called
Seuthopolis not far from the tomb but unfortunately it now lies at the bottom
of a large reservoir.
Many of the treasures found are now on display in the museum
in Kazanlak. Other tombs are slowly being excavated and a number are to be
linked by a tarmac road or trail, leading from one to the other. You can book a
private tour of a number of different tombs in the area for around 2 or 3 Euros
per person per tomb. The tombs all have different architecture and some have
ancient murials on the walls or the ceiling.
For any one interested in ancient history and culture, you
should make the effort to visit one or two of these Thracian burial mounds that
populate the area around Kazanlak and visit the local museum.
For some good photographs of the excavation and treasures
found please visit http://www.kroraina.com/thracia/gk/
*Written by guest writer Rachel Gawith. For more information
on visiting Bulgaria and
particularly the Kazanlak area visit holiday
villas for rent in Bulgaria at http://www.therentalbug.com and read more about the area and rural cottages for rent. ©2012
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