ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN ABRITUS (Galena Radoslavova – galena_rz@abv.bg, Georgi Dzanev) The explorations were concentrated to the east and southeast of the Early Christian basilica. The southern and the eastern walls of the ambulatorium of the basilica were discovered. The walls are built of limestone bonded with mortar and are 75 cm wide. The inner side of the walls was plastered with mortar, which had paintings with geometric and floral decoration (red-brown painting on a white background). An entrance was discovered in the southern part of the eastern wall. The finds from that stratum, down to 1.70 m in depth, are from the Early Middle Ages. The foundations of a room with trapezoidal layout, oriented east – west, were discovered under the early mediaeval stratum. The walls are 50 cm wide and are built of stone slabs bonded with mortar. The northern wall of the room served as the foundation of the southern wall of the ambulatorium, while the eastern wall of the room was abutted by the eastern fortification wall of late antique Abritus. The finds from the room include sherds from the 4th – 5th centuries AD and 80 bronze coins from the 4th – first half of the 5th centuries AD. A ramshackle room was probably situated close to the west of the room. The finds include coins and pottery of the 4th – 5th centuries AD. The building was demolished at the end of the 5th century AD. A sondage was carried out along the inner side of the eastern fortification wall. Two walls of a late antique building were discovered. The walls were cut during the construction of the eastern fortification wall of Abritus. An apse, belonging to an earlier basilica or a tower of earlier fortification wall, was discovered. After the buildings were demolished at the end of the 5th century AD, the terrain was covered with debris. The first basilica and the eastern fortification wall were then built there.