EXPLORATIONS OF THE BI-RITUAL CEMETERY NEAR BALCHIK (Lyudmila Doncheva–Petkova – ldoncheva_petkova@abv.bg, Kircho Apostolov) An area of 200 sq. m was explored. The southwestern border of the cemetery was located. Twenty graves were discovered in the western part of the cemetery and their total number became 175. Cremation burials (11 graves) prevail. Four graves were cremations in chambers (three of the chambers were constructed of roughly cut stones and one chamber was made of bricks) and six graves were cremations in pits (one circular, one rectangular, two ellipsoid and two unspecified). One cremation grave was surrounded and covered with stones. Three of the cremation burials were situated above inhumation graves. Nine inhumation burials were discovered. Six of them were burial pits. Two marking stones were placed above one burial pit and another pit was covered with stones. The burial pits have rectangular or trapezoid layout. One burial of a baby was surrounded with stones from the north and the west, another burial of a child was surrounded with stones on all sides and a third burial of a child was performed in a cist grave. The graves are 0.75 – 1.80 m in depth and are oriented north – south, although some of them have different orientation. Charcoal was found in some inhumation graves. Most of the skeletons were supine with their arms at their sides, but there are variations in the positions of the arms. The grave goods consisted mainly of pottery: eight jugs, three pots and a pail. Five iron buckles, a bronze and an iron ring, a small bronze bell, three earrings and several beads were also found. Animal bones were found in the graves. Skeletons of a calf, a cow and an ox were discovered in graves Nos. 164, 170 and 172.