MALKOTO KALE FORTRESS (Stefan Bakardzhiev – st_bakarjiev@abv.bg, Todor Valchev) The area along the inner sides of the entire western and a half of the southern fortification walls was explored. Building No. 2 consisted of parallel rooms arranged in a line along the western and southern fortification walls. The entrances between the different rooms were arranged in one and the same line and were 1.60 m wide. The entrances towards the interior of the fortress were 2.20 m wide. The outer walls of the rooms were 80 – 85 cm wide, built of mortared stones with incorporated timber beams and with upper parts built of bricks. The inner sides of the outer walls were plastered with mortar. Decorative bricks from the cornices of the building were found. A thick stratum of debris with single sherds was discovered. Another stratum 25 – 50 cm thick was explored beneath, containing remains from burned timber beams, sherds, including from sgraffito pottery and lustre ware of the 11th – 12th centuries, two copper coins of Manuel I Komnenos. This stratum indicated the fire of the end of the 12th century which destroyed the fortress.