Ancient Thracian Temple to Be Reburied

S T A R O S E L, Bulgaria, Aug. 16 -- A Thracian temple recently discovered in Bulgaria and believed to be the largest yet found faces the threat of being buried again under concrete for lack of funds, a top archaeologist said on Tuesday.

Digging at the site began a month ago and archaeologists uncovered the large Thracian sanctuary dating back to the fifth century B.C. near the village of Starosel in the central Plovdiv region.

“This is the most impressive and well-preserved Thracian monument discovered so far in the area of the Balkans inhabited by ancient Thracians,” the head of the archaeological team, Georgi Kitov, told Reuters.

Located in a scenic valley near Bulgaria’s second largest city, it could become a tourist attraction, provided the government spent $150,000 to restore and conserve the temple.

But the government, which is prepared to spend only $2,500, has offered to bury the tomb again under soil and concrete after excavations are completed, said Kitov.

“That would be a sad loss,” he said.

The team needs some $20,000 to complete exploration in a month, but sponsors are hard to find.

Thrace’s Most Powerful King

According to Kitov, high-level religious ceremonies were held at the temple before it became the burial site of Sitalces, one of ancient Thrace’s most powerful kings.

A monumental staircase leads to an imposing entrance to the temple hidden in a 66-foot-high mound overlooking a vast valley. It is surprisingly intact after 25 centuries.

The mound with a diameter of 295 feet is surrounded by a 785-foot-long stone wall and has also withstood well the ravages of time.

“It is extremely rare to see traces of coloring preserved on external walls,” said Kitov, pointing to black and red stripes along the relief ornaments surrounding the entrance.

The two colors symbolized worship to two Thracian gods.

A 55-foot-long corridor leads to two rooms, one rectangular and one round, which archaeologists have yet to explore.