ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KONYOVETS (Rasho Rashev, Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) During clandestine excavations, remains of stone building were discovered in the southwestern quarter of the Early Mediaeval large earthen fortification, which is the second largest proto-Bulgarian fortification after Pliska, the capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. The architectural features of the building find parallels in the monumental structures of Pliska. Probably, the building was a pagan temple dated to the first half of the 9th century AD. Supposedly, an aule from the Pagan period of the First Bulgarian Kingdom existed at the site, which was related to Pliska located at 10 km away and to the proto-Bulgarian tumuli in Kabiyuk locality situated at 3 km from the site.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) The earthen fortification was situated at c. 15 km from the capital Pliska and was the second largest fortification of the First Bulgarian Kingdom with an area of 350 ha. The explorations of the building of the first half of the 9th century AD continued. The building had a rectangular layout with a smaller rectangular room situated in the middle of the outer rectangle and is oriented east – west. The building was 26 m by 17.60 m in size and the inner rectangular room was 17.60 m by 9.60 m in size. There were wooden posts driven in the ground under the foundations of the walls. The posts were 7 – 8 cm thick and were arranged in five rows. Mortar pads with imprints from the ashlars of the foundations were discovered. All ashlars were taken away during the demolition of the building. The foundations were 0.97 – 1 m wide and were dug at c. 1.50 m in the ancient terrain. Marble architectural details were found: a column base, a capital, plates for floor and wall facing. The building was a proto-Bulgarian pagan temple. A pavement of ashlars, 1.20 – 1.30 m wide, was discovered to the north of the building. Postholes situated inside the inner rectangular room and along the outer face of its walls were documented. The postholes along the outer face of the walls of the inner room were 18, 1.20 – 1.80 in size, and were symmetrically arranged. The wooden posts in two of the postholes were quadrilateral beams, 50 cm by 50 cm in size. The postholes belonged to an earlier timber building, 19 m by 10 m in size, which preceded the stone building. Two graves in the Christian cemetery were discovered and the total number of the burials excavated so far reached eight. The Christian cemetery dates to the 10th – 11th centuries. It was situated above the central part of the building and appeared after its demolition.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) A row of pits for timber columns, situated aside from the proto-Bulgarian pagan temple, was documented. The pits for timber columns Nos. 5, 6 and 16 were explored. The trenches from the foundations of the monumental pagan temple were documented. Mortar was found, but there were no ashlars preserved. The debris from the temple was explored and parts of the pavement constructed of ashlars were discovered below. Most of the ashlars were taken away during the demolition of the temple. An Early Byzantine marble capital with a cross in relief was discovered in trench 2Yu. It was reused in the proto-Bulgarian temple. Pits from timber columns and trenches were documented under the level of the pavement. A row of circular and quadrangle pits for timber columns was discovered to the south of the outer foundation of the temple. The necropolis with eight Christian graves explored during the past archaeological seasons was the latest complex on the site. It dated to the 10th – 11th centuries and was situated over the central part of the demolished pagan temple. The temple consisted of two quadrangle rooms, the smaller one situated inside the large one, and dated to the first half of the 9th century AD. It was most probably demolished after the Christianity was adopted in the First Bulgarian Kingdom in AD 864. The pits for timber columns, arranged in quadrangle around the inner room of the pagan temple, and the newly discovered pits and trenches belonged to the earliest complex on the site.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) A layer of debris up to 50 cm thick, containing stones, mortar and fragmentary building ceramics that originated from the destroyed proto-Bulgarian pagan temple, was discovered in the southern extension of the trench. The temple dated to the first half of the 9th century AD and was a rectangular building with an inner rectangular room located in the middle. It was demolished most probably after the Christianization of the First Bulgarian Kingdom in AD 864. Remains from a pavement were documented under the layer of debris. Most stones from the pavement were taken away and probably reused in other buildings. Postholes arranged in a line oriented east – west were discovered under the stone pavement. The postholes preceded the construction of the pagan temple and belonged to a quadrilateral timber building, which was located around the inner rectangular room of the later temple. A Christian cemetery of the 10th – 11th centuries, consisting of eight graves and situated in the central part of the demolished pagan temple, was discovered on the site.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) The earthen fortification covered an area of 530 ha and was located at c. 15 km to the southwest from Pliska, the capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. The site was located at the end of the 19th century by the Czech archaeologist Karel Škorpil. The layout of the proto-Bulgarian pagan temple was documented. The building consisted of two rectangular rooms with the smaller inner room situated inside the larger outer one. The outer room measured 25.60 m by 17.60 m and the inner one measured 17.40 m by 9.60 m. The building was constructed of ashlars bonded with mortar and arranged in headers and stretchers. Wooden posts were driven into the ground under the foundations of the walls and their upper parts above the ground were covered with mortar. A pavement of ashlars and stone slabs was discovered around the temple. Postholes from the pillars of timber scaffolding used for the building of the temple were documented. Eighteen postholes, 1.20 – 1.80 m in diameter, were explored belonging to the timber columns from the structure of a rectangular timber building that preceded the stone temple. The postholes were symmetrically arranged around the outer side of the smaller inner room of the temple. The sherds that were found dated to the 9th – 10th centuries. The temple was built in the beginning of the 9th century and was demolished at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) The postholes of wooden columns that belonged to the earlier timber building, 18.50 m by 10 m in size, were explored. The timber building preceded the proto-Bulgarian pagan temple. There were 18 postholes of wooden columns symmetrically arranged around the outer side of the inner room of the later pagan temple. The postholes had rectangular layout and were 1.30 – 1.40 m in size. The corner postholes were up to 1.80 m in size. Fourteen further postholes of timber columns, 50 cm by 30 cm in size and arranged in rows, were discovered. They were earlier than the timber building. Fifteen postholes, c. 15 cm in diameter, probably synchronous to the 14 postholes of timber columns, were also explored. A section of a water-conduit of terracotta pipes was discovered in the corridor of the pagan temple. The water-conduit was cut during the construction of the pagan temple in the first half of the 9th century AD.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov, Gergana Ilieva) A sector to the south of the Pagan Temple was explored. Eighteen postholes were discovered. They were up to 2.10 m deep and accommodated monumental square wooden posts up to 90 cm by 85 cm in size, or round wooden posts up to 50 cm in diameter. The postholes belonged to a timber building, probably the one that preceded the Pagan Temple built in the first half of the 9th century AD.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN KABIYUK (Stanislav Ivanov – stanislavivanovarh@gmail.com, Tihomir Tihov) The proto-Bulgarian camp, situated at c. 15 km to the southwest of Pliska, was protected with a rampart and covered an area of 530 ha. Postholes and trenches of the timber structure of the pagan temple were explored. Its debris was also discovered: stones, pieces of mortar, a fragment from a marble cornice, fragmentary marble tiles, bricks and roof-tiles (mostly tegulae). Semi-prepared stone spindle whorls and sherds were found. Three postholes were explored; they accommodated monumental square timber pillars c. 40 cm by 40 cm in size that belonged to the timber structure of a building, which probably preceded the pagan temple and was situated to the south close to it. Other postholes from the same building were documented as well.