18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A marble slab with an inscription from the 2nd century was discovered during excavations in Bulgaria

Archaeologists discovered a 1,900-year-old marble slab bearing an ancient Greek inscription in the Roman Baths of Hisarya, a small resort town in Bulgaria‘s Plovdiv province, revealing who managed the finances of the province of Thrace and when the baths were built.

Hisarya is located about 40km from the city of Plovdiv. The oldest remains that have been found in the city date from the 4th century BC. It was founded by the emperor Diocletian who also gave the name of the city, at that time called, Dioclecianopolis.

Hisarya has Roman baths extremely well preserved and at that time were used for thermal procedures. The city has 22 points with mineral water with different physical-chemical composition and temperature which has proven curative qualities.

The marble slab was discovered in a special premise and is dedicated to Emperor Antony Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The text gives accurate information that the baths were built in the year 152 and that the finances of the province of Thrace were managed by Volusius Severus.

The inscription was placed during the time of the governor of the province of Thrace – Galonius Fronton and was a donation by Elia Bendida and her husband for the thermal baths in the imperial domain near the mineral springs.

The discovery confirms the previous statement about the construction of the baths in the middle of the 2nd century.

Epigrapher Dr. Nikolay Sharankov from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” is already working on the reading of the inscription, the Municipality of Hisarya specified.

Associate Professor Mitko Madjarov, Director of Hisarya Archaeological Museum, made a statement to Bulgarian National Television (BNT): “The inscription is intact, 1.3 x 70 cm in size. When we talk about an imperial cult, it means that it was placed in a cult place. The room in which it was found is a deep pool, a huge amount of marble, cipher slabs and certainly this room was sacred,” he said.

The Roman Baths were built after the area was designated as an imperial possession, and they later rose to prominence as the spa capital of Thrace and the Balkans.

So far about 3.5 decares have been excavated and explored in the Roman Baths. According to Assoc. Prof. Madjarov, the valuable artifact is a prerequisite for new discoveries in the Roman Baths:

“A few years ago, we found a male foot of a solid statue, and it is very likely that we will find this statue here as well – whether it will be of an emperor or of the God of Health, future excavations will tell.”

Experts define the findings as extremely valuable because they give a clearer idea of the significance of the thermo-mineral deposit of the ancient city of Diocletianopol.

This is the third epigraphic monument discovered on the site during the rescue archaeological excavations under the project of the municipality of Hisarya, which is implemented under the operational program Regions in Growth.

The marble slab is now on display in a special place in the Archaeological Museum.

Cover Photo: Darik Bulgaria

Related Articles

Deadly 7.7 quakes hit Turkey destroys historical Gaziantep Castle

6 February 2023

6 February 2023

A deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, with tremors felt in the neighboring provinces, has...

An inscription written in both runic and Latin script on a church wall in Denmark turned out to be still a legally significant promissory note

31 May 2023

31 May 2023

An inscription in both runic and Latin script on a church wall in Denmark turned out to be legally valid...

6,000-year-old Finds in Dorset Downs

11 June 2021

11 June 2021

In the Dorset Downs, a significant landscaping project has revealed a plethora of intriguing findings on a grand scale. Excavations...

Ancient Hittite Archives Unearthed at Kayalıpınar: 56 Cuneiform Tablets and 22 Seal Impressions Found

18 September 2025

18 September 2025

Archaeologists excavating the ancient Hittite city of Kayalıpınar (ancient Šamuḫa) in Sivas province have uncovered a remarkable collection of 56...

Czech archaeologists discovered a unique bronze belt buckle dating back to the eighth century

12 December 2023

12 December 2023

Czech archaeologists have unearthed a bronze belt buckle from the early Middle Ages, depicting a snake devouring a frog-like creature....

Archaeologists Uncover Monumental 2,800-Year-Old Lydian Palace in Sardis, Birthplace of Money

15 August 2025

15 August 2025

Archaeologists excavating the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sardis, located in the Salihli district of Manisa, Türkiye, have uncovered the...

Obsidian Research in Alberta Uncovers Evidence of Extensive Long-Distance Trade Among Indigenous Peoples Before European Contact

31 March 2025

31 March 2025

Recent research into obsidian artifacts in Alberta, a province located in western Canada, has unveiled significant evidence of long-distance trade...

Countless Votive Offerings Discovered at Ancient Sanctuary on Greek Island Kythnos

10 June 2023

10 June 2023

Archaeologists excavating a hilltop temple complex on the Cycladic island of Kythnos (commonly called Thermia) Greece have unearthed more than...

Archaeologists may have found Lyobaa, the Zapotec Land of the Dead

1 July 2023

1 July 2023

An archaeological team from the Lyobaa project has confirmed the existence of a vast Zapotec underground complex in their study...

The Celts’ Astronomical Secrets: The Chão de Lamas Lunula and the Coligny Calendar Connection

2 March 2025

2 March 2025

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Palaeohispanica has shed light on the ancient timekeeping practices of the Celts, centering...

Earliest Direct Evidence of Psychoactive Plant Use in Iron Age Arabia Identified in Tomb at Qurayyah

25 May 2025

25 May 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, scientists have uncovered the earliest known use of the psychoactive plant Peganum harmala—commonly known as...

Carvings at Göbeklitepe could be World’s Oldest Calendar

6 August 2024

6 August 2024

Experts suggest that markings on a stone pillar at the 12,000-year-old Göbeklitepe archaeological site in Türkiye probably represent the oldest...

Exploring the life story of a high-status woman from isotope data in Hungary’s largest Bronze Age cemetery

29 July 2021

29 July 2021

Researchers examined 29 tombs from Szigetszentmiklós-Ürgehegy, one of Hungary’s largest Middle Bronze Age cemeteries, and one of them, a high-status...

3,000-Year-Old Twisted Gold Torc Discovered in Essex, southeast England

16 July 2023

16 July 2023

A metal detectorist has discovered a 3,000-year-old part of a twisted gold torc in a field near Mistley, on the...

Nine Ancient Patolli Games Found in Mexico

10 September 2024

10 September 2024

In recent rescue excavations in Mexico by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) nine patolli engravings...

  • Not being an archeologist, I find it fascinating to learn of some of these newly discovered sites, the knowledge of which helping to identify even more older civilizations. A site mentioned in Iran sounds very interesting but unfortunately because of the political situation, no one will be able to go there either to see it or to work on the site.