EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Nadezhda Todorova, Vanya Petrova) The site covered an area of over 5 ha. The Early Neolithic (Karanovo I, end of the 7th – first half of the 6th millennia BC) settlement was surrounded with five consecutively dug out circular ditches and at least one timber palisade. The explorations of the ditches were completed. They contained debris, querns and sherds. Once the ditches were filled up, burials were carried out in some of them. A grave of a man, 25 – 35 years old, was explored. The dead was laid in a Hocker position on his left side with head to the east. So far 19 graves were discovered, containing remains from 27 dead individuals. During the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic periods the settlement was relocated to the west/southwest over an elevation. During the Late Chalcolithic period (Karanovo VI, second half of the 5th millennium BC) the settlement was relocated again on the settlement mound and was surrounded with a ditch. A building with foundations of stones, 11.50 m by 8 m in size, was explored. A hearth was discovered inside. A ritual pit was explored at c. 7 m to the south of the building, containing several fragmentary ceramic vessels, two stone pestles, a piece of quartzite, a dish, two flint plates and a piece of a bone object, probably a scepter. Human bones were arranged among the objects, including a skull of an adult. A dolium was laid on top of them, with a quern placed vertically at its bottom. A burial of an adult, probably a man, was explored in the eastern periphery of the settlement mound. The dead was laid in a Hocker position with his head to the south/southeast. A piece of copper wire was found close to the mandible of the dead. Part of a building of the end of the Chalcolithic period (end of the 5th millennium BC), 16 m by 9.50 m in size, was explored. During the Second Phase of the Early Iron Age (8th – 6th centuries BC) a Thracian settlement was built on the settlement mound. Several buildings constructed with wattle-and-daub were documented. A burial of a baby was discovered. The baby was laid in an amphora-like vessel. During the 17th – 18th centuries, the inhabitants of the Muslim Village of Salihche used the settlement mound for a cemetery. Over 70 Muslim graves were explored so far.