21 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Two Altars Used for Blood Sacrifices and Divinations Discovered in the Ancient Thracian City of Perperikon

In the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon, partly carved into the rock in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, two altars were unearthed, one of which was used for sacred winemaking and the other for animal sacrifices.

Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, head of the Perperikon excavation team, announced the discovery of two altars, one designated for blood sacrifices, that mark the boundaries of a “sacra” area in the southern section of the archaeological site.

Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, who has been leading excavations at the site for nearly 25 years, told BTA that these altars fully prove the fact that the great temple of Dionysus was located in the complex.

The priestesses of Thrace’s renowned Dionysus Oracle foretold the glorious futures of Alexander the Great and Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. This is what ancient historians tell us. However, none of these ancient sources have provided a precise description of the shrine’s location, other than to say it was on Thrace’s highest mountain, in the lands of the Satri tribe. So far, historians have claimed that the seer lived primarily in the Rhodope and Stara Planina mountains, where he competed with the Delphi-based Apollo Oracle in prestige and prophecy accuracy.

However, Perperikon is the largest megalithic settlement in the Balkans and has a history of 8,000 years. Over time it was used by various civilizations such as the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, and the medieval Bulgarian Empire.

In Perperikon, numerous rock-cut altars and sanctuaries that may have been used for religious rituals honoring Dionysus have been discovered by archaeologists. These altars, carved directly into the rock, often feature basins that may have been used for libation. Dionysus was central to the Orphic Mysteries, a collection of religious practices that began in Thrace.

Some scholars also suggest that the Thracian god Zagreus, son of Zeus and Persephone—who was dismembered by the Titans and reborn—was sometimes identified with an Orphic Dionysus, linked to mystery cults and the cycle of life and death. Sabazios, the sky father and horseman, was another deity worshipped in Thrace, and he might have also influenced later interpretations of Dionysus.

“The earliest sacrifices were made 3000-3200 years ago, at the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age,” the archaeologist explained, adding: “As the altar is from the Roman era, we are using the data from that era and doing a comparative reconstruction,” said Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov.

Prof. Nikolai Ovcharov described the function of the altar. Photo: Valentina Stoeva, BTA Kardzhali

He noted that it was most likely an altar for the underground gods, where it was necessary for people to dress in black and animals to have black fur. He added that it must have been small animals, like goats and sheep, which were brought as sacrifices, and that it was also mandatory the animals were healthy, as well as that the animal itself went voluntarily, and not to be dragged by force.

Ovcharov said that the altar was most likely made as early as the end of the Bronze Age or the beginning of the Iron Age and was abandoned in the Middle Ages. It is related to the temples of the 3rd-4th century, which have been studied in the southern quarter and include the temple of the Eastern god Mithras, the temple of the Ancestors and an unidentified temple. Ovcharov emphasised that the two large sacrificial altars are only the beginning and more finds are to be expected.

The excavations at Perperikon will continue until the beginning of November.

Cover Image: Perperikon, Kardzhali District, Bulgaria

BTA

Related Articles

A 1,000-year-old burial chariot dating back to the Liao Dynasty, founded by the nomadic Khitan discovered in Inner Mongolia

8 August 2024

8 August 2024

Archaeologists from the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have discovered a hearse from...

Egypt opens King Djoser’s 4,500-year-old tomb after a 15-year restoration

15 September 2021

15 September 2021

Egypt on Tuesday showcased an ancient tomb structure belonging to the cemetery complex of King Djoser, a pharaoh who lived more than 4,500...

2100-year-old women skeleton found lying in bronze ‘Mermaid Bed’

4 June 2022

4 June 2022

Archaeologists have discovered the 2100-year-old skeleton of a woman lying in a bronze ‘Mermaid Bed’ near the city of Kozani...

Isles of Scilly Iron Age warrior buried with a mirror and sword was probably a woman

27 July 2023

27 July 2023

Archaeologists conducted a DNA analysis of the tooth enamel of a person who died more than two millennia ago on...

Early Female Emperors in Japan “Empress Kōken”

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

Born into the aristocratic Fujiwara clan, this extraordinary woman first ascended to the throne as Empress Kōken and became the...

A rare 2,500-year-old marble disc, designed to protect ancient ships and ward off the evil eye discovered near Palmachim Beach

5 August 2023

5 August 2023

A rare 2,500-year-old marble disc designed to protect ancient ships and ward off the evil eye was discovered by a...

3D printing technology was used for the restored relic restoration of an ancient palace in Liangzhu Archaeological Site

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Six rebuilt massive wooden pillars of an old palace have been exposed to the public for the first time at...

Parts of the City of the old city of Ghadames called the pearl of the desert collapsed due to rainfall

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Some parts of the Old City of Ghadames, located in an oasis about 600km southwest of Tripoli near Libya’s border...

Ancient golden neck ring found in Denmark

24 April 2022

24 April 2022

A one-of-a-kind golden neck ring from the Germanic Iron Age (400-550 A.D.) has been discovered in a field not far...

Long-Awaited Excavation to Commence at Mount Ararat ‘Noah’s Ark’ Site

9 May 2025

9 May 2025

The legendary search for Noah’s Ark, a tale that has captivated imaginations and spurred countless expeditions for generations, is poised...

Stonehenge’s Altar Stone May Be From Scotland, Over 700 Kilometers Away

14 August 2024

14 August 2024

Recent research led by Curtin University suggests that the Altar Stone at Stonehenge may have originated in northeast Scotland, at...

Sicily: Archaeologists make striking discovery in Segesta

8 June 2021

8 June 2021

Archaeological excavations in the Segesta Archaeological Park, investigating a “monumental edifice” near the portico at the end of the old...

A coin of Queen Fastrada and Charlemagne found – First of its kind

8 May 2023

8 May 2023

A coin purchased by the Charlemagne Center in Aachen, Germany, bears the name of Queen Fastrada. This is the first...

Rare a Serbian Stefan Uros II Milutin Silver Grosso discovered in Bulgaria’s Medieval Rusocastro Fortress

8 September 2023

8 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a silver grosso minted by the Serbian king Stefan Uros II Milutin in the medieval Rusocastro fortress,...

Polish archaeologists discover papyruses containing a list of Roman centurions at Berenike

23 May 2024

23 May 2024

Papyruses with lists of Roman centurions stationed in Egypt were found by Polish archaeologists in Berenike. These unique documents were...