ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF VODEN (Stefan Bakardzhiev – st_bakarjiev@abv.bg) The Late Antique fortress is situated on a peak at 350 – 400 m from the Roman road leading to Hadrianopolis. The fortress has a triangular layout and covers an area of 0.08 ha. There is a trapezoidal extension from the eastern side of the fortress and thus, its total area increases up to 0.15 ha. The northwestern corner of the fortress was explored. Two construction periods were documented. During the first construction period, a circular bastion, 4 – 4.20 m in diameter, was constructed at the northwestern corner of the fortress. During the second construction period, a new wall, 1.90 m wide, was constructed adjoining the bastion. Thus, the diameter of the bastion reached 8 m. The building technique was opus implectum. At some places, one row of bricks was used to level the structure. The walls of the bastion are preserved at 3.30 m in height. The finds include part of an amphora of the 5th century AD and fragments of pots of the end of the 9th – 12th centuries.