ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SVALENIK (Deyan Dragoev – dragoev78@yahoo.com) The explorations continued in trenches K/21 – 23 and L/21 – 23, situated on the highest area of the Late Antique fortress. Two construction periods were identified. The first one dated to the second half of the 4th century AD when the fortification walls were built. The southern fortification wall was documented at 14 m in length. The wall was 1.30 – 1.40 m wide and was built in opus vittatum from ashlars bonded with mortar. It was preserved up to four courses in height. Sherds from Roman provincial pottery of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD were found. Probably they were related to the open settlement situated at the foot of the fortress. A hoard of 18 Late Roman coins with a small nominal value, the latest one minted by Valentinian I in AD 367 – 375, was discovered in trench K/22. The coin hoard testified to some catastrophic event that occurred in the fortress during the last quarter of the 4th century AD. The second construction period dated to the end of the 5th – 6th centuries AD. It was characterized by the reconstruction of the interior of the fortress. Buildings with foundations of uneven stones bonded with mud and walls of sun-dried bricks were densely built inside the fortress. Three parallel rooms arranged in a line, belonging to a building, were identified. Three coins with a small nominal value of the 5th century AD, the latest one minted by Theodosius II in AD 425 – 450, were found in the bonding medium of mud and gave the terminus post quem for the construction of the building. The building was destroyed by a fire that occurred at the end of the 6th century AD, judging from burned iron and bronze fibulae, belt appliqués, coins and pottery. A production facility, related to the extraction of metals and metalworking, was discovered. Sherds from pots, amphorae and lids of the 6th century AD, a burned bronze fibula, pieces of slag and whetstones were found.