ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BYALA (Valeri Yotov – valeri.yotov@gmail.com, Alexander Minchev) During the 6th century BC – 1st century AD a temple existed on the site and more than 70 Thracian ritual pits were explored. A sanctuary of Heracles of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD was discovered and six small marble statues and a small votive relief were found. The explorations of the Late Antique fortress of the end of the 4th – beginning of the 7th centuries AD revealed a sector of the fortification wall, houses, farm buildings, warehouses, streets, water conduits and drains. Three wineries were discovered as well.