EXPLORATION IN THE GOLYAMOTO TIPITSE CAVE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BORIKOVO (Damyan Damyanov – dam_sm@mail.bg, Nikolai Boyadzhiev) The Golyamoto Tipitse Cave is horizontal, not branched and one storey with a length of 73 m. A sondage on an area of 14 sq. m was carried out in the corridor between the entryway and the chamber of the cave. The occupation strata are down to 25 cm in depth. The separate strata are dated according to the pottery: stratum I from the ground level to 5 cm in depth dates to the Middle Ages (11th – 12th centuries); stratum II from 5 cm to 10 cm in depth dates to the Late Antiquity (4th – 6th centuries AD); stratum III from 10 cm to 15 cm in depth dates to the Iron Age (11th – 1st centuries BC); stratum IV from 15 cm to 20 cm in depth dates to the Early Iron Age (11th – 6th centuries BC); stratum V from 20 to 25 cm in depth dates to the first phase of the Early Iron Age (11th – 9th centuries BC), the Late Bronze Age (16th – 12th centuries BC) and the Early Bronze Age (26th – 24th centuries BC). The finds from the sondage include sherds, bones, a terracotta spindle whorl and an iron nail. The pottery of the 11th – 9th centuries BC prevails. The bones belong to herbivorous animals, birds, a predator and a rodent. The cave was used as a place for temporary occupation and a refuge.