EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF MANOLE (Kostadin Kisyov – kostadin_kissiov@abv.bg) The excavations on the top of the tumulus continued. An L-shaped marble ashlar, a billon antonianus of Aurelian and 11 burials were discovered at 0.60 – 1.20 m depth. Nine graves (Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14) were Mediaeval Christian burials and two graves (Nos. 7 and 8) dated to the 4th – 5th centuries AD. The grave goods in the Mediaeval burials included bronze spherical buttons, glass beads (Grave No. 4), bronze finger-rings (Graves Nos. 5 and 8) and silver earrings (Grave No. 6), which dated to the end of the 11th – 12th centuries. A pile of roughly-cut stones with mortar was discovered at 1 – 2.80 m in depth. Fragments from marble ashlars, a pile of roughly-cut stones with mortar and an antonianus of Maximian were discovered at 3.80 m in depth. The monumental pillar in the center of the tumulus was discovered at 4.40 m in depth. It measured 6.60 m by 6.60 m and was built of roughly-cut stones bonded with mortar, with corners constructed of bricks bonded with mortar. Four marble ashlars, a marble ashlar with a corner base of a column, coins of Gordian III, Valerian II and Manuel I Komnenos, and lead bars and melts used for iron clamps that held the marble ashlars together were also found. Grave No. 12 oriented north – south was discovered at the southern side of the pillar and a bronze belt buckle was found in the grave. Bronze coins of Gallienus and Aurelian were discovered on the same level. A bronze cowbell, an iron horseshoe, an iron fibula, a silver drachma (Celtic imitation of the Alexandrian Type) of the 2nd – 1st century BC and an Ottoman silver akçe of the end of the 18th century were found to the north of the pillar. The monumental stone pillar was c. 20 m high, situated in the center of the tumulus. It was built simultaneously with the construction of the tumular embankment. The sherds found during the excavations were from cups, pots and amphorae of the 2nd – 4th centuries AD.