ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN A THRACIAN SANCTUARY OF THE ROMAN PERIOD NEAR THE VILLAGE OF MADARA (Georgi Atanasov, Stanimir Stoichev – s_stoichev@mail.bg, Nedelcho Nedelchev) The explorations in the Thracian sanctuary of the Roman period continued in 2005. Archaeological excavations were carried out in trenches Nos. 12 and 13. A depth between 20 cm and 60 cm down to the bedrock was reached. Fragments of hand- and wheel-made pottery, fragmentary building terracottas, iron nails, fragments of votive reliefs dedicated to the Thracian Rider, fibulae and coins of the 2nd – 4th centuries AD were found. Three sondages aiming at clarifying the borders of the sanctuary were carried out to the north, east and west of it. No archaeological structures were discovered in the sondages. The material found during the excavations confirms that the sanctuary functioned from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD.