ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BENKOVSKI (Petya Georgieva – petyageorg@gmail.com, Rumyana Koleva) Archaeological structures of the Late Iron Age (5th – 1st centuries BC) and the Roman period, located at about 200 m from each other, were recorded. Two constructions of the Late Iron Age, dug into the ground, were explored in the eastern end of the site. The first construction is a building, probably house, partly dug into the ground. It is oriented north – south, measures 3.90 m by 2.30 m and was built of wooden posts. There is a pit, probably used for farming activities, located in the northern half of the building. The pit is 1.60 m in diameter and 75 cm in depth. Bones from sheep or goat, dog and ground squirrel, part of them burned, were found at the bottom of the pit. Sherds were found inside the pit and around it. Another structure dug into the ground was partly explored again in the eastern end of the site. Late Iron Age sherds were found. Sherds and fragmentary building ceramics from the Roman period were found in the western part of the site. Several pits containing sherds of the Roman period were documented. One of the pits contained a horse skeleton and corroded iron object. The situation allows us to interpret the site as the lowest part of a razed tumulus.