ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF GALOVO (Valeri Grigorov – valerig@abv.bg, Svetlana Venelinova) The Ostrovski Rampart was the largest earthen fortification in Northwestern Bulgaria and was c. 58 km long. It was documented at the end of the 19th century when field surveys were also carried out. A cross section of the rampart was excavated in the early 1960s and in 2011 archaeological excavations were carried out. In 2019, geophysical survey and sondage excavations were carried out. The ditch was 2.20 m wide at its upper part and 1.70 m wide at its bottom and was 3 m deep. Part of a skeleton of a calf was discovered inside the ditch, dated by radiocarbon to AD 767 – 900. Sherds of the end of the 3rd – beginning of the 5th centuries AD and of the 9th century AD were discovered close to the rampart. The structure was functional during the early period of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, while in the mid 9th century AD the bottom of the ditch was already covered with a layer of sediment.