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Excavation

  • Kulata Fortress
  • Dupnitsa
  •  
  • Bulgaria
  • Kyustendil
  • Dupnitsa

Tools

Credits

  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

  • AIAC_logo logo

Summary (English)

  • EXPLORATIONS IN DUPNITSA (Slavyanka Nikolova – hmuseum_dtsa@mail.bg, Sergey Ustinov) The tower of the 11th – 12th centuries measured 8 m by 7.60 m and was located in the middle on the hill. Its walls were built of roughly-cut stones bonded with mud and were 1.30 – 1.40 m wide. The Late Antique fortress covered an area of 0.32 ha and dated to the 4th – 6th centuries AD. Its walls were built of roughly-cut stones bonded with mortar or mud and were 0.70 – 1.10 m wide. The fortification walls had eight buttresses and two towers. The fortress had two entrances. The tower in the southwestern sector was 6.50 m by 7.60 m in size with walls 0.70 m wide and it was destroyed by fire. A warehouse that accommodated 10 dolia dug-out into the bedrock was discovered to the west of it. The tower in the northeastern sector measured 8 m by 6.40 m. Three of its walls were built of roughly-cut stones bonded with mud and were 70 cm wide, while its front wall was constructed with a bonding medium of mortar and was 80 cm wide. The tower was destroyed by fire. There were buildings constructed close to the southern fortification wall. Building No. 1 was 6.90 m by 3.15 m in size, with walls constructed of roughly-cut stones and boulders bonded with mud and 65 cm wide. A bronze coin of Licinius I was found and three dolia were discovered. This was a storage room and probably there was a living room on a second floor. The finds included sherds, iron knives, two small glass spoons and a small glass cup. Building No. 2 was 5.30 m by 3.80 m in size, with walls constructed of roughly-cut stones and boulders bonded with mud and 65 cm wide. A dolium dug-out into the bedrock was discovered. The finds included sherds, a quern, a bone comb and animal bones. Both buildings were destroyed by fire. Building No. 3 was identical. Two dolia dug-out into the bedrock and covered with stone lids were discovered. Two Christian burials of children dated to the 11th – 12th centuries were discovered over the debris of the building. A pile was discovered, consisting of sherds, a stamped roof-tile, two spatulas, a small iron shovel, a pair of scissors, whetstones, glass spoons, an iron latch and nails, probably originating from a neighboring building. A postern was documented in the eastern sector of the southern fortification wall. A layer with traces from fire was discovered, containing a bronze fibula, an appliqué, 20 nummi minted by Anastasius I Dicorus or Justin I, an iron knife and two iron latches.

  • Slavyanka Nikolova - Museum of History – Dupnitsa 
  • Sergey Ustinov - Museum of History – Dupnitsa 

Director

Team

Research Body

  • Museum of History – Dupnitsa

Funding Body

Images

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