EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BOTEVO (Stefan Bakardzhiev – st_bakarjiev@abv.bg, Todor Valchev) The tumulus was 3.15 m in height and 25 – 28 m in diameter, built in three stages. Nine burials were discovered: three cremations in situ and six inhumations. Central Grave No. 7 was a cremation inside a rectangular burial pit oriented northeast – southwest. A semicircular construction of stones was built around the grave, 5 m in diameter and 1.18 m in height. The grave goods comprised a pitcher, a ceramic vessels, a terracotta spindle whorl, a warn-out as of Vespasian and a gold lunula pendant. The burial dated not before the AD 140s. The second stage of the construction of the tumulus was related to Graves Nos. 8 and 9. Grave No. 8 was a cremation inside a rectangular burial pit oriented east – west. The grave goods comprised a bowl, two ceramic cups and an iron knife. Grave No. 9 was a cremation inside a rectangular burial pit with two steps oriented north – south. The grave goods comprised a ceramic vessel, a bowl with barbotine decoration, another bowl, two dishes, a belt buckle and two belt points of the end of the 2nd – first decades of the 3rd century AD, a bronze chain, a bronze fibula produced in Olbia and dated to the second half of the 2nd century AD, an iron knife, seven beads of blue glass and iron hobnails. A veteran was probably buried in the grave. After the burials in Graves Nos. 8 and 9 were carried out they were covered with stones. Remains from funerary feast were discovered in the southern periphery of the tumulus comprising finds of the AD 220s: two ceramic vessels, a glass bowl with decoration in relief and a Roman provincial bronze coin minted in Pautalia. Five inhumation burials of the second half of the 3rd century AD were discovered in the northwestern sector of the tumulus. A child 7 – 9 years old was buried in Grave No. 4 with its head to the southwest. The grave goods comprised a pitcher and a dish. A child c. 5 years old was buried in Grave No. 5 with its head to the southeast. The grave good was a bronze bracelet. A child 7 – 9 years old was buried in Grave No. 6 with its head to the northwest. The grave goods comprised a pitcher, a ceramic cup with an incised swastika and an amphoriskos. Two babies were buried in Graves Nos. 1 and 2 without grave goods. A secondary Muslim burial of the Ottoman period was discovered in the southern half of the tumulus.