EXPLORATIONS IN DUPNITSA (Slavyanka Nikolova – hmuseum_dtsa@mail.bg, Sergey Ustinov) The fortification tower excavated in 1993 was re-discovered. It was 8 m by 7.60 m in size and its walls were 1.30 – 1.40 m wide, built of roughly cut stones bonded with mud. A rectangular pit, 2.50 m by 2 m in size, cut out into the rock, was explored in Sector I. Building No. 2 was discovered in Sector II, located to the southeast of the warehouse that accommodated 10 dolia explored in 2009. The building was 6.50 m by 7.60 m in size with an entrance on its northwestern wall and with walls 70 cm wide, built of roughly cut stones and boulders bonded with mud. Four dolia, dug out into the floor and covered with stone lids, a quern and a hearth were discovered in the building. The building was destroyed by a fire. Fragmentary roof tiles, five pots, two jugs, spindle whorls, whetstones, a bone hair-comb and a bronze coin of Justinian I minted in Constantinople up to AD 535 were found in the layer with traces from the fire. The building was probably a tower with a storage room on its ground floor and living rooms on the second floor. Its outer wall was part of the southwestern fortification wall discovered at 13 m in length and ending with a buttress. A tower, 8 m by 6.40 m in size, was documented in Sector III and the eastern fortification wall was discovered at 16 m in length. A knife with a bone handle, a spatula-knife, spindle whorls, a small stone icon and a dolium were discovered. The eastern fortification wall with an entrance 1.30 m wide and five buttresses was discovered at 21.50 m in length in Sector IV. Five dolia covered with stone lids, two pots, an iron spur and a silver finger-ring were discovered. The southwestern fortification wall was discovered at 27 m in length in Sector V. Two rooms were explored, situated at 1.50 m from the fortification wall. A dolium covered with stone lid, two bronze pins, an oinochoe and an iron sword were discovered. The fortification walls were 70 – 80 cm wide, built of roughly cut stones bonded with mortar or mud.