ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF ZIMNITSA (Boni Petrunova – boni_boon@abv.bg, Iliya Iliev) The explorations of the Late Antique and Mediaeval settlement continued. A tumulus, c. 1 m in height and 50 m in diameter, was situated close to the settlement. Eighteen sondages were carried out on an area of 16000 sq. m. Nine Mediaeval houses and 11 midden and ritual pits were discovered. Pit No. 3 was explored in Sondage No. 2 and it contained a skeleton of a dog surrounded by stones and ceramic vessels. Pottery (conical bowls, jugs and pots) were found inside and around the structures and six ceramic vessels were discovered in situ in House No. 2. The finds included coins, glass bracelets, iron tools and nails. The Mediaeval settlement dated to the 10th – 13th centuries. It was destroyed by a fire. The cemetery of the Mediaeval settlement was located on the tumulus. Judging from the graves discovered, the inhabitants of the settlement were Christians. The settlement was surrounded by marshes, which protected it.