EXPLORATIONS IN AUGUSTA TRAIANA – VEREYA, SQUARE 68 (Dimiter Yankov, Maria Kamisheva – maria_ivanowa@abv.bg) The site lies on the western side of the two fortification walls of Augusta Traiana. Remains from the inner and the outer fortification walls were discovered, preserved at 17 m and 22 m in length respectively. During the first construction period the inner wall was 1.65 m in width and was constructed of uneven stones with a bonding medium of mortar. During the second construction period dated to the first half of the 4th century AD the wall was reconstructed and the spaces between the pilasters were filled. Thus, the width of the wall increased up to 3.40 m. Part of the ancient city, c. 25 sq. m in size, was explored and remains of a burnt wooden building were discovered. More than 200 fragments of terracotta lamps, c. 20 bone pins and small spoons, and sherds were found. The building existed until the end of the 3rd – beginning of the 4th centuries AD. Three water-conduits parallel to the fortification wall were traced out. Remains of the outer fortification wall built in opus mixtum were discovered. Destruction along its entire length was registered. Most likely, it happened during the second – third quarter of the 8th century AD. Remains of a house of the 11th – 12th century and a basement of a house of the second half of the 19th century were discovered at the southern end of the wall. A Byzantine inscription of the last quarter of the 8th century was found among the debris of the inner fortification wall. The inscription was written on a reused Roman console showing the image of Pan and reads: ‘Despots Constantine and Irene, the sage and pious rulers of the Romaioi, reconstructed the fortress … let Christ help them for the protection of the city’. The inscription was incorporated into the reconstructed wall.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN AUGUSTA TRAIANA (Maria Kamisheva – maria_ivanowa@abv.bg) The site is situated in the northwestern part of Augusta Traiana, close to the fortification wall. In 1997 a triangle fortification tower was explored to the west of the site and in 2005 part of the fortification wall was discovered. Two shafts of the water-supplying system of Augusta Traiana were explored in 2006. The first shaft measures 1.40 m by 1.55 m and is built of bricks bonded with mortar. The second shaft measures 85 cm by 90 cm and is 40 cm in depth. It is built of bricks bonded with mortar and its inner side is plastered with mortar. Presumably, it was a distributing and deposition shaft. The water-conduit that begins from the deposition shaft was discovered. The water-conduit is oriented northwest – southeast and two segments of it were explored: the first one is 62 cm in length and the second one is 2.07 m in length. The water-pipes are 32 cm in length and 13 cm in diameter.