ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF TOPCHII (Galena Radoslavova – galena_rz@abv.bg) In 2003, clandestine digs were registered on Dalgata Mogila tumulus. It is situated in the eastern necropolis, located near the Thracian fortress and consisting of 18 tumuli. Remains of demolished stone walls and sherds of Greek amphorae and dolia were found in the clandestine digs. The Dalgata Mogila tumulus is 10 m in height and 50 m in diameter. In 2006, two sondages were carried out in the southern part of the tumular embankment. Two big ashlars, the first one with a face with drafted margins and the second one with traces of red paint, were found. The foundations of destroyed rectangular tomb chamber were explored at 6 m in depth from the top of the tumulus. The tomb is oriented north – south and its inner size is 4 m by 2 m. It was built of big stone slabs and ashlars. The floor was covered with slabs. The preserved height of the chamber is 1.40 m. The chamber probably had an inner stone facing. It is not clear what kind of roofing construction covered it. A thick layer of small broken stones was registered from the outer side of the chamber. A patch of charcoal was explored in front of the southern wall of the chamber, at the floor level. Sherds (a mouth of Greek amphora, a fragmentary small cup, a mouth of an askos, sherds of hand-made pottery with decoration in relief, a mouth of a wheel-made bowl, etc.) and animal bones were found. According to the pottery, the tomb dates to the 4th – 3rd century BC.