EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF GOLYAM DERVENT (Deyan Dichev – dejan.dichev@abv.bg) The dolmen was looted. There is another dolmen located at c. 40 m to the west, explored in 2005. The dolmen is situated in the center of a tumulus constructed of uneven stones, which is 55 – 60 cm in height and 15 – 16 m in diameter. The dolmen is tripartite and consists of two chambers and a dromos, all of them covered with stone slabs. It is oriented north – south, with an entrance to the south, and is built of granite slabs. The burial chamber has a trapezoidal cross section. Part of the floor pavement, consisting of boulder slabs, was preserved in the northern part of the chamber. The burial chamber is 2 m long, 1.83 cm wide and 1.54 m high. Fragments of human skull and bones were found on the floor. The antechamber has a trapezoidal cross section. It is 1.68 m long, 1.65 m wide and 1.20 m high. The dromos has a trapezoidal cross section. It is 1.70 m long and 1.60 m wide. Part of a relief decoration (a frieze with geometric ornaments) is preserved on the both sides of the entrance towards the antechamber, cut in a vertical slab. Part of a column with square section, preserved at 30 cm in height, was discovered close to the western side of the dromos. There is a relief decoration on its southern front side, similar to the decoration on the entrance slab toward the antechamber. Fragments from the frieze, including a relief showing a labrys, were discovered in the tumular embankment in front of the dromos. The façade of the dolmen is 6 m long to the west and 4 m long to the east. It is built of uneven stones arranged in irregular courses. Its preserved height is 50 cm. Thirteen piles of sherds from c. fifteen Thracian vessels were discovered in front of the façade. The pottery and the dolmen date to the 8th century BC.