ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF MANOLE (Kostadin Kisyov – kostadin_kissiov@abv.bg) Sondage No. 2 carried out in 2016 in the eastern tumulus’ periphery, was widened. Six marble ashlars were discovered. Ritual Pits Nos. IX and X were explored, 1.20 m in diameter and 70 cm deep, containing sherds and bronze coins of Septimius Severus, Julia Domna (minted in Philippopolis), Claudius Gothicus, Aurelian and Probus. Sondage No. 1 carried out in 2016 in the southeastern tumulus’ periphery, was widened. Two Christian burials were discovered. A building with two rooms was explored, 8.50 m by 5.50 m in size. Its walls were constructed from clay and were 15 – 20 cm wide. Pits Nos. VII and VIII were discovered in the northern room, covered with fragmentary tegulae and bricks and containing sherds and a bronze coin of Aurelian. Two bronze coins of Aurelian, a bronze coin of Cornelia Salonina, an iron knife, a bronze hook, a glass bead, a bronze fibula decorated with stylized horse heads, sherds and animal bones were discovered on the floor of the building. Sondage No. 3 was carried out in the southern periphery of the tumulus. Two ashlars were discovered. Ritual Pits Nos. IV – VI were explored, 0.90 – 1.10 m in diameter and 40 – 50 cm deep, containing fragmentary wattle-and-daub, sherds, fragmentary building ceramics, animal bones. The finds discovered outside the building and outside the ritual pits included 28 bronze coins of Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Elagabalus, Gordian III, Aurelian and Probus, two Byzantine bronze coins: an anonymous follis minted during the reign of Romanos III Argyros and a scyphate of Manuel I Komnenos, an iron knife, a bronze bracelet, a pendant and two bronze appliqués.