ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN PERNIK (Vasilka Paunova – vasder@gmail.com) The explorations of the Early Christian necropolis continued. Two graves were explored in Sondage I. Grave No. SI-21. Orientation: southwest (head) – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back. Grave No. SI-22. Orientation: southwest (head) – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back. A gilded bronze fibula of the 6th century AD was found between both graves, probably a grave good from another burial destroyed in the past. A silver coin of Histaia of the 2nd – 1st century BC and an Ottoman mangir of Sultan Suleiman II were found in the sondage, too. In addition, destroyed burials without grave goods were documented in Sondage I. The burials dated to the 5th – 6th centuries AD. Two burials of adults were discovered in Sondage II. Grave No. 48. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back, rested in a wooden coffin. Grave No. 51. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back, rested in a wooden coffin. Three burials were explored in Trench No. 274: two children (Graves Nos. 49 and 50) and one adult (Grave No. 54). Grave No. 49. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back. A bronze earring was found close to the skull. Grave No. 50. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back, rested in a wooden coffin. Grave No. 54. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back. Two burials of adults were discovered in Trench No. 253. Grave No. 52 was destroyed. Traces from wooden coffin were documented. Grave No. 53. Orientation: southwest – northeast. Inhumation. Deceased was laid on his back, rested in a wooden coffin with iron plates. The burials dated to the 4th – 5th centuries AD. Pieces of charcoal from ritual purification with fire were found in all burial pits.