ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR VELINGRAD (Diana Gergova – dianagergova@gmail.com, Asen Salkin) The Thracian sanctuary is situated on a slope above Kleptuza Spring and functioned during the 1st millennium BC. It measured 20 m by 30 m and was surrounded by a wall, 2.20 m wide and built of roughly-cut stones bonded with clay. A building was discovered in the northwestern part of the sanctuary. It measured 4 m by 4 m and its walls were 2.20 m wide, connected to the northern and the western wall of the temenos. The finds comprised fragmentary plaster, Thracian sherds, including from cult pottery, a ceramic strainer, a portable terracotta altar, a bronze ring and a bronze coin of Amphipolis or Thessalonica of the 1st century BC. The explorations of the tomb situated in the tumulus continued. The tumulus was 3 m high and 15 m in diameter and was situated in the southern end of the temenos. The tomb measured 3 m by 2.70 m, its walls were 2 – 2.20 m wide and its entrance was 1.40 m wide, oriented to the north. The walls had two construction phases and sun-dried bricks and plaster were used during the later phase. The finds comprised fragmentary clay plaster, burned fragmentary sun-dried bricks, pieces of charcoal, animal bones, a dolium, Thracian sherds, including from cult pottery. The Thracian tomb probably was a heroon.