ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SALMANOVO (Stanimir Stoichev – s_stoichev@mail.bg, Yuri Iorgov, Ivan Babadzhanov) The excavations of tumulus No. 1, which were carried out in 2006, continued in 2007. The tumular embankment was thoroughly explored. Three ceramic vessels of the 3rd century BC were found in the embankment. Their chronology corresponds to the funerary pyre and the two graves explored in 2006. The pottery group from the tumular embankment, the pyre and the graves includes 46 vessels. The ground under the tumular embankment and the area surrounding the tumulus were explored and 16 ritual pits with different shape and depth were discovered. The finds from the pits include fragmentary ceramic vessels, terracotta cult hearths, escharai, spindle whorls and weapons dated to the 6th – 5th centuries BC. Nine ceramic vessels from the pits were completely or partly restored.