ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR VELINGRAD (Diana Gergova – dianagergova@gmail.com, Asen Salkin, Nikolai Dermendzhiev) The sanctuary is situated above Kleptuza Karst Spring. The outer face of the southern wall of the temenos, preserved up to 1.90 m in height, was thoroughly explored. Part of the eastern wall was traced out. The discovered sectors of the wall were built of cut slabs bonded with clay and were c. 2.20 m wide. Clay platforms, a stone altar and a ritual pit were discovered. The finds included Thracian sherds of the Early Iron Age, sherds from imported Greek pottery of the 5th century BC, Thracian cult pottery of the Hellenistic period, loom weights and a coin of Histiaia of the 2nd century BC. In 2011, the remains from a stone building, probably a tower, were explored. The debris of the building was located in the southern part of the temenos and shaped a mound, 3 m in height and 12 m in diameter. Stones, small pieces of charcoal and burned clay were discovered. The inner side of the wall was explored in the southwestern part of the temenos and it served as the wall of the tower. The walls of the tower were 2.20 – 2.30 m wide and its inner size was 3.30 – 3.40 m. The temenos and the tower were probably built in the last centuries of the 1st millennium BC. The inner side of the surrounding wall, preserved up to five courses, was documented in the northeastern corner of the temenos. Judging from the explorations, the temenos was oriented north – south and its inner size was 8 – 8.50 m by 25 m.