EXPLORATIONS NEAR SAMOKOV (Anastasia Cholakova – anastasia.cholakova@gmail.com, Veselin Hadzhiangelov) Part of the northeastern fortification wall and adjacent Building No. 1 were explored in Sector 1B. An earlier structure was documented under the building and stone constructions of its interior were discovered. A pierced coin of Licinius minted in AD 308 – 310 was found above the clay floor and under the debris from the fire. The interior stone structures were related to the construction of the building in the 4th century AD and its occupation until the fire dated to c. AD 425, judging from a coin of Theodosius II. Occupation layers related to reusing the walls during the 6th century AD were explored. In 2007, a forge was discovered and pieces of slag and coins of Anastasius I minted in AD 512 – 517/518 were found. Probably, after some hiatus, the occupation of Building No. 1 was resumed at the end of the 5th – beginning of the 6th century AD. The latest coin was minted by Justin II in AD 576 – 577, which coincided with the fire and the destruction of the settlement which occurred in c. AD 575 – 580 and were documented in Sectors 2 and 3. Part of the western fortification wall was discovered in Sector 3. The finds included and iron fibula of the Viminacium Type dated to the end of the 4th – 5th century AD and a coin of Valens minted in AD 367 – 375, which dated the construction of the fortification wall to the 4th century AD. A quadrilateral fortification tower and an adjacent building with a forge were discovered. The finds included sherds, a fragment of glass cup and a coin, which dated the construction of the tower to the period after the middle of the 5th century AD, probably related to the reconstruction of the settlement after the fire of c. AD 425. The occupation in Sector 3 continued throughout the 6th century AD, judging from coins of Justinian I, the latest one minted in AD 544 – 545, a belt buckle of the Sucidava Type and an iron fibula. The end of the occupation in Sector 3 was documented by traces of fire and arrowheads.