28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Discovered Over 500 Ancient Coins and A Gold Template for Making jewelry in Bulgaria

In Plovdiv, in southern Bulgaria, archaeologists have discovered over 500 ancient coins and a gold template for making jewelry from different periods.

The coins were found during salvage excavations at the foot of the Old Town, in the Philipopol-Trimontium-Plovdiv historical zone, which is a group cultural monument. It is located next to the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis, BTA reports.

Plovdiv is an ancient city built around 7 hills, in southern Bulgaria. It has been recognized as one of the oldest settlements in Europe, with evidence of habitation reaching as far back as the 6th millennium BC. Until relatively recently in its history, the city was known as Philippopolis as it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon during the 4th century BC.

Originally, a Thracian settlement of the banks of Bulgaria’s largest river, The Maritsa, the Plovdiv has had a turbulent history and has been invaded by Persians, Greeks, Celts, Romans, Goths, Huns, Bulgarians, Slav-Vikings, The Crusaders and The Ottomans, in the past.

Head of the excavations Desislava Davidova told BTA in an interview that coins are roughly 100 meters from Philippopolis’ East Gate and most likely represent a small workshop, similar to the ones in the Revival period.

Photo: BTA

As per Davidova, the site is exceptionally fascinating, especially considering that Plovdiv has cultural layers that can be as deep as seven meters. The working depth at this location is approximately 6.5 meters. There were additions from several eras found, including the Hellenistic (3rd–1st century BC) and Roman. The additions to the street, including the shops, residences, and workshops, are all included in this area.

The coins found are mostly bronze and prove that the area has been inhabited for more than 2500 years. “The coins are subject to restoration and I cannot say if they are only bronze because sometimes silver coins have a thick patina and are difficult to identify in the field,” Davydova explains.

The gold template was found in a secondary excavated pit and has yet to be analyzed as the site has multiple layering. The template was definitely not for coin production. It was probably made for ornamental purposes and turned into a kind of jewelry. A lot of pottery material from different eras was also found.

“These are small workshops, different from those in the southeast of the city, where another type of production took place. This is basically where the settlement developed before the Romans came, and for that it is of particular interest,” Davidova said in a statement to BTA.

A special inscription was also discovered at the beginning of fieldwork on the site.  It is most likely an honorific inscription from a pedestal for a statue dating from the time of Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211), according to Dr. Nikolay Sharankov, a specialist in epigraphy. Also, a special team will be formed to analyze the inscription.

Cover Image: Radio Plovdiv

Related Articles

Earliest evidence of forest management discovered at the La Draga Neolithic site in Spain

19 July 2023

19 July 2023

Archaeologists have discovered the earliest evidence of forest management at the La Draga Neolithic site in northeastern Spain. A scientific...

Newly Discovered 200,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings in Marbella: Potentially Among Europe’s Oldest Cave Art

14 March 2025

14 March 2025

Marbella has just made an incredible discovery that could change everything we thought we knew about prehistoric Europe. Archaeologists working...

The Ramesseum’s ‘House of Life’ Reveals Ancient Egypt’s Educational Secrets!

6 April 2025

6 April 2025

A recent archaeological mission has unveiled groundbreaking findings at the Ramesseum, the grand mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II, located...

Paleontologists Unearth 139 Million-Year-Old Pregnant Dinosaur Fossil in Chile

10 May 2022

10 May 2022

Archeologists in Chile have unearthed the fossilized remains of a 13ft-long pregnant ichthyosaur from a melting glacier -marking the first...

Archaeologists Uncovered a Unique Ancient Roman Winery with Marble Tiling and Fountains of Grape Juice

17 April 2023

17 April 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique ancient Roman winery at the luxurious Villa of the Quintilii, just to the south of...

The 8,000-year-old Aslantepe in Turkey has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Monday that a rich, 30-meter-high archaeological mound going back 8,000 years in southern Turkey has...

Maya city Tikal put today’s urban gardens to shame

26 June 2021

26 June 2021

The Maya civilization was known for its achievements in art, architecture, mathematics, astronomy, and calendar systems. Tikal, the ancient Maya...

A First in Denmark: Rare 4th Century Roman Helmet and Chainmail Found

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have recently unearthed a massive stockpile of weapons near Hedensted, Denmark, buried 1,500 years ago by an ancient chief....

A newly Discovered Church in Sudan could be a Cathedral

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

Archaeologists have found the remains of the largest church known from medieval Nubia in old Dongola (Sudan). Dongola was the...

A 7,500-year-old settlement has been discovered in Turkey’s Domuztepe Mound

11 September 2021

11 September 2021

During the most recent excavations at Domuztepe Mound in the Türkoğlu district of southern Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş province, a settlement and...

Construction Workers Discovered Ancient Sarcophagus in Turkey

2 March 2021

2 March 2021

On Monday, reports said that during excavations in the Seyitgazi region of Eskisehir Province in northwestern Turkey, municipal staff unexpectedly...

Ritual Sacrifice of Pregnant Woman: Ecuador may Reflect the Community’s Fear of Her Power

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find in Ecuador, researchers have uncovered the rich burial of a pregnant woman and her fetus,...

Storms uncover precious marble cargo from a 1,800-year-old Mediterranean shipwreck in Israel

15 May 2023

15 May 2023

Numerous rare marble artifacts have been found at the site of a 1,800-year-old shipwreck in shallow waters just 200 meters...

A huge artificial lake in Sicily is an ancient sacred pool that was aligned with the Stars and used 2,500 years ago, study reveals

17 March 2022

17 March 2022

A sacred freshwater pool on western Sicily’s San Pantaleo Island that dates back some 2,500 years was aligned with the...

Multiple Burials found at Çatalhöyük

17 September 2021

17 September 2021

Multiple burials were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the house on the eastern mound of the Neolithic settlement Çatalhöyük....