27 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists found gold coins from the time of Justinian the Great in Northern Bulgaria

Archaeologists have discovered five gold coins dating from the reign of Justinian the Great (483-565) in Debnevo, the largest village in the Troyan Municipality in northern Bulgaria.

Justinian was a powerful emperor, who reconquered previously owned Roman land. During his time of reign, he helped the Byzantine Empire reach its peak in culture and prosperity. From 527 until 565, Justinian I ruled as the Byzantine Empire’s emperor. Justinian is best remembered for his work as a legislator and codified.

The discovery was announced on 27 August by Assoc. Dr. Stiliyan Ivanov from the National Historical Institute with a museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who led the archaeological expedition exploring the fortress “Kaleto” above the village.

Archaeologists exploring the Kaleto Fortress above the village found the coins scattered on the floor of a burned-out dwelling dating to the time of the reign of the Bulgarian kings Simeon and Peter.

“During this year, the most interesting archaeological situation is an early medieval dwelling that was burned down. In other cases similar dwellings are found without remains of the internal structure, while here we have the rare opportunity to see the wooden lining of the dwelling, which, although charred, is clearly discernible. It must be related somewhere to the 10th century, to the time of the rule of the Bulgarian kings Simeon and Peter”, the associate professor said.

Gold coins from the time of Justinian the Great, found during archaeological excavations in the Troyan village of Debnevo. BTA Photo/Preslava Ivanova

The owners left all the inventory in the dwelling – two iron sickles, iron tools, a belt buckle, three bronze rings, various-sized ceramic vessels, from which it can be judged that they were involved in agriculture, he added.

“The most interesting find from the apartment is the discovery of five gold coins scattered on the floor. Two of them were badly damaged by fire. What is interesting about the coins is that they are much older than the early medieval dwelling where they were found. They date from the 6th century, from the time of Emperor Justinian I. They were most likely discovered by those who built the dwelling and who subsequently preserved them”, said Ivanov.

Although not in circulation, these coins were valuable enough because they were made of gold – a material that was quite valuable even in the Middle Ages”, Dr. Ivanov said.

According to Ivanov, part of the fortress walls are well preserved, while others have suffered because material from them was used to construct a nearby settlement. He said that traces are found of a large Thracian settlement from the 4th-3rd centuries BC, three phases of habitation from Late Antiquity (4th-6th centuries), the First Bulgarian Kingdom, a necropolis from the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and the Ottoman period.

Related Articles

An Ampulla was discovered for the first time in the ancient city of Dara, Turkey

11 January 2022

11 January 2022

An ampulla was found for the first time in the ancient city of Dara, located in the province of Mardin...

Enigmas Roman Dodecahedron Uncovered by Amateur Archaeologists in the UK

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Amateur archaeologists have unearthed a striking Roman dodecahedron in the serene countryside of Norton Disney, England, a mysterious class of...

Excavation of Carlisle Roman bathhouse uncovers a connection between the site and a third-century Roman emperor

27 September 2021

27 September 2021

Excavation of a Roman bath at the Carlisle Cricket Club in Stanwix, part of the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, has...

Evidence of Early Forms of Pottery Production and 8,000-Year-Old Buildings Belonging to the Elite of the Time Discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Udine have uncovered two ancient human settlements in the Rovia sub-district of Dohuk province in...

In Jerusalem, a 2700-year-old private toilet from the First Temple era was unearthed

5 October 2021

5 October 2021

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered a private toilet from the First Temple Period on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem,...

Samen Underground City Getting Prepared for Public Visits

6 June 2021

6 June 2021

Samen Underground City is a unique structure in Iran and the extent of such a structure has not been observed...

Egyptian mission discovered five ancient water wells in North Sinai

1 March 2022

1 March 2022

A team of Egyptian archeologists working in the Tell El Kedwa discovered five ancient wells which are believed to be...

3500-year-old menhir discovered in Mahbubabad, India

15 March 2022

15 March 2022

Six feet in height stone, also called a menhir, was found on the roadside of Ellarigudem, a hamlet of Beechrajupally...

A woman in the Czech Republic found a medieval jackpot during a walk

29 May 2024

29 May 2024

A woman walking in the town of Kutná Hora in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic found a...

400-year historical document confirms the martyrdom of Japanese Christians

27 February 2021

27 February 2021

In Japan, the suppression of Christianity increased from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th...

Khufu Boat moved to its New Museum by Smart Vehicle

8 August 2021

8 August 2021

A 4,600-year-old intact wooden boat bearing the name of an Egyptian pharaoh, Khufu, was transported to a new museum about...

Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick

6 September 2023

6 September 2023

Researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, uncovering a wealth of information about the plant life...

Scientists recreate Stone Age cave lighting

17 June 2021

17 June 2021

For early hunter-gatherer societies that were lucky enough to live near caves, these natural underground homes provided ideal protection from...

Israeli researchers have found evidence of cooking fish 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov

14 November 2022

14 November 2022

Hominins living at Gesher Benot Ya’akov 780,000 years ago liked their fish to be well cooked, Israeli researchers revealed Monday,...

Wasabi Isn’t Just For Sushi: It is an Innovative Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

28 February 2024

28 February 2024

A new natural technique for cleaning and preserving priceless ancient Egyptian papyrus that are in danger from bacteria and fungi...