ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BYALA (Valeri Yotov – valeri.yotov@gmail.com, Alexander Minchev) The explorations continued in Sector LXIII to the south of the basilica. The excavation of Buildings Nos. 7 and 8 continued in the upper stratum of the end of the 4th – beginning of the 7th centuries AD. Both buildings were two-storey. There was a shelter to the east of Building No. 7 and stone bases pf columns and dolia were discovered. A cross, two bunches of grapes and a Greek inscription were incised on the shoulders of one of the dolia discovered in the ground floor of Building No. 7. The inscription reads: Kυριε βοηθι – “God help!”. A mould for terracotta lamps, bronze semi-prepared objects, etc. were found in Building No. 8, indicating production activity in the house. A sector of the street of the 6th – beginning of the 7th centuries AD was explored to the east of Building No. 7. The eastern wall of Building No. 7 was constructed over a fortification wall of stones, 1.30 m wide, dated to the 3rd – 2nd centuries BC.