ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF OSIKOVITSA (Tatyana Borisova – tatqna_borisova@abv.bg) The excavations were carried out around St. Mary Church of the 14th century. The church was explored in 2004 when the foundations of an earlier building of the pre-Roman period, 8.40 m by 5.50 m in size, were discovered. During the excavations in 2010, it was found that the northern wall of the earlier building was probably situated under the northern wall of the church. Judging from the Thracian sherds, the earlier building dated to the 4th century BC. A semicircular wall built in rubble masonry was discovered to the northwest of the northwestern corner of the church. A ritual pit, 22 cm in depth, was explored. It contained carbonized wheat and almonds, charcoal and Thracian sherds. An area with fallen fragmentary frescoes was documented. The fragmentary frescoes were concentrated around a rectangular structure built in rubble masonry. These frescoes were not related to the church, but to another room situated to the southwest, probably a baptistery. A narthex with foundations built in rubble masonry was documented from the western side of the church. Its walls were probably with timber construction. Thracian sherds of the 9th – 7th centuries BC and the 5th – 4th centuries BC were discovered in trenches Nos. 8, 9 and 10 at 30 – 50 cm in depth. A terracotta altar, 58 cm in diameter and 12 – 17 cm in height, was explored. Thracian sherds of the 5th – 4th centuries BC were found close to the altar.