ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR TVARDITSA (Krasimir Velkov – dakras@abv.bg, Tatyana Kancheva–Ruseva) The explorations have been carried out since 1994 and stone circles, ritual pits and graves from the 4th century BC to the 5th century AD were discovered. In 2012, the stone circles were thoroughly explored in the western half of the tumulus and six graves (two cremations and four inhumations) were discovered. Thus the total number of the graves discovered in the tumulus so far reached 105. The cremations in Graves Nos. 100 and 101 were performed outside the burial pits and the grave goods included a small ceramic cup of the 2nd – 4th century AD and dishes of the 3rd – 4th century AD. The burial pit of grave No. 101 was 1.50 m by 0.74 m in size and 22 cm in depth, with a layer of charcoal and ash 10 – 15 cm thick. Graves Nos. 102, 104 and 105 were inhumations in burial pits covered with boulders. A child was buried in Grave No. 103 and the burial pit was covered with fragmentary tegulae. All the deceased were laid supine. A bronze ring was found in Grave No. 105. The cremation burials dated to the 3rd century AD and the inhumation burials dated to the 4th – 5th centuries AD.