ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BANSKO (Katya Melamed – katjamelamed@yahoo.com) During the 1980s sondages were carried out and a Late Antique necropolis was discovered. During the present excavations, bricks and roof-tiles, probably from a settlement, were found to the north of the necropolis. Nine Christian burials were explored in the necropolis. The graves were covered with stone slabs or tegulae and were oriented east – west. No grave goods were found. Late Antique sherds were found in the filling of some of the graves. A quadrangle structure built of stone slabs, 3/2.90 m by 1.80/1.77 m in size, was discovered.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BANSKO (Katya Melamed – katjamelamed@yahoo.com) The explorations were carried out in the southern sector of the cemetery. Walls from a farm, which existed from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries, were documented. A single-naved church with one apse and probably with a narthex, dated to the 4th – 6th centuries AD, was discovered. It was preserved at 8.80 m in length and was 5.70 m wide with walls that were 60 – 75 cm wide, while its apse was 2.30 m in depth. Fragmentary tegulae and sherds were found. Walls from buildings were documented and fragmentary tegulae and imbrices, sherds, slag and charcoal were found. The church and the buildings were burned at the end of the 6th century AD during the invasion of the Slavs. Four Christian graves were explored in the cemetery. Thus the total number of the burials reached 14. Two ritual structures related to funerary practices and memorial services were discovered. They were surrounded with slabs and were situated at 30 cm from each other and measured 1.70 m by 3.10 m and 1.40 m by 2.50 m and were 30 cm deep. A hearth was discovered in one of the structures and sherds and bones from goats were found. The sherds discovered in the cemetery dated to the 4th – 6th centuries AD.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BANSKO (Katya Melamed – katjamelamed@yahoo.com) Christian cist graves were discovered in Sector South of the cemetery, covered either with stone slabs, or with tegulae, and oriented east – west. The graves contained Late Antique sherds and pieces of charcoal. Fragmentary wattle-and-daub with traces from fire, some painted in white, was discovered in some burials. The fragmentary wattle-and-daub was most probably intentionally placed inside the graves. An iron insertion and bones from sheep were found in Grave No. 27. Iron fragments most probably from umbo were discovered in Grave No. 30. Bronze appliqués from a military belt of AD 280 – 340 were found in Grave No. 33. Ritual Structure C for commemorations was discovered; it was a rectangular chamber with a hearth, surrounded with stone slabs. The cemetery dated to the 4th – 5th centuries AD.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR BANSKO (Katya Melamed – katjamelamed@yahoo.com) So far 37 Christian graves were explored, surrounded and covered with stone slabs, or covered with ridge roofing of tegulae. Part of the graves were empty or parts of the skeletons were missing. Grave No. 30 was covered with tegulae and contained a fragmentary iron umbo. Grave No. 33 was covered with stone slab and contained appliqués and a buckle from a military belt dated to the reign of Constantine the Great and two fragmentary ceramic vessels of the 4th century AD: an urn and a cup. Six memorial structures surrounded with vertical stone slabs were explored near to the graves. Two of the structures contained ritual hearths. In 2013, four burials were explored: two cist graves and two graves covered with ridge roofing of tegulae. Three memorial structures were explored as well. In addition, sherds of the 9th – 10th centuries and a gilded iron mace of the 10th century were found. The cemetery dated to the 4th – 5th centuries AD and belonged to local Thracians who were recently converted to Christianity.