ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BABINTSI (Lachezar Lazarov – naim@naim.bg) The explorations were carried out near the entrance of the fortress. An area of 276 sq. m was explored. The occupation layers were 40 – 80 cm thick. Sherds of the end of the Late Bronze and the first phase of the Early Iron Age (from the 13th – 12th to the 11th – 9th centuries BC) and of the Late Iron Age (4th – 2nd centuries BC) were found. The foundations of two buildings, constructed of stones bonded with mud, were discovered. The finds include sherds from pots, cups, bowls, jugs and an amphora, glass fragments from small cups or bowls, iron nails, small knives, arrowheads, three fibulae (one of them of the Viminacium Type of the end of the 4th – 5th century AD and the two others of the 6th century AD), a bronze finger-ring with a monogram of the 6th century AD, a bronze earring, a bronze stylus, a bronze mirror of the Sarmatian Type of the 4th – 6th centuries AD, nine coins of Septimius Severus, Trebonianus Gallus, Claudius Gothicus, Constantine I and Leo I the Thracian. The two buildings date from the middle of the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD. Remains of destroyed mediaeval Christian burial were documented.