EXPLORATIONS IN SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) More than 30 ritual pits from the end of the 3rd to the beginning of the 1st centuries BC were excavated. They have beehive, conical, hemispherical and bell-like shapes. Sherds, loom weights, spindle whorls, whetstones, coins, millstones, charcoals, fragmentary lath-and-plaster and animal bones were found within the pits. Human bones were discovered in three pits. The Thracian pottery includes dolia, urns, cups, dishes, jugs, etc. The imported pottery includes a dish from Pergamon, a ‘Megarian’ bowl and a kantharos produced in a Pontic workshop, and amphorae. A building with exedra, constructed of uneven stones bonded with mud and dated to the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD, was explored. Walls of other buildings of the same period were discovered, too. Coins of the 1st – 3rd centuries AD, sherds of the 2nd – 4th centuries AD and an architrave displaying images of two lions and the Gorgon were found. In addition, another building constructed of uneven stones bonded with mortar and 24.95 m by 16.50 m in size was explored. The width of the wall is c. 1 m. The building has three rooms and dates to the 4th – first half of the 5th centuries AD, according to the coins discovered. Remains of the roofing construction were found at the western room. Five bases of columns and a secondary pit containing sherds and coin of Justinian I were discovered in the middle room of the building. In addition, mediaeval pottery and coins dated to the 9th – 11th centuries were found during the excavations. Most likely, there was a mediaeval settlement on the site. A Christian burial of a young woman without grave goods was explored, too. Coins, sherds and fragmentary porcelain of the 18th – 19th centuries were found on the site.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) Nine ritual pits and two quadrangular constructions of the 1st century BC – 1st century AD were explored. The pits are beehive, hemispherical and with the shape of a truncated cone. They contain charcoal, fragmentary lath-and-plaster, flints, bones, spindle whorls, a mill stone, coins, a fibula, bronze objects and pottery. Remains of a building with an exedra and materials of the second half of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD were discovered above the pits. An altar of Apollo was discovered in situ, in addition to buried fragmentary and intact votive reliefs. The building could be identified as a temple of Apollo. The wall of the temple is oriented northeast – southwest and is preserved up to 5.05 m in length and up 80 cm (including a 30 cm foundation) in height. About 50 fragments of wall plaster painted in red and white and a coin of Emperor Caracalla were found. Only three courses of the foundation of the southeastern wall are preserved at 3.60 m in length. It was cut by the northeastern wall of the later Principia. During the excavations c. 50 coins of the 1st – 3rd centuries AD were found. There are no coins of the middle of the 3rd century AD, while most antoniani of the last quarter of the 3rd century AD were burned. The southwestern wall of the Late Antique Principia was discovered, in addition to two column bases from the peristyle, part of the northwestern extension, a collapsed roofing construction and a floor level. The Principia measures 24.95 m by 16.50 m. The floor in the exedra is covered with bricks arranged on mortar padding. Twenty eight bronze coins were found on the floor level and twenty coins – under the collapsed roofing construction in the western room. All coins date to the 4th century AD. Fragmentary tiles with stamps that read RVMORID and NOVAS were found. The Principia dates to the 4th century AD.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) Twenty-two ritual pits, 1.50 – 2.40 m in depth and 1.10 – 2.30 m in diameter, were registered. They contained animal bones, small pieces of charcoal, ash, fragmentary clay plasters, dolia, two ceramic bowls, a ceramic strainer, five amphorae handles with stamps, a sherd of imported pottery, three spindle-whorls, two whetstones, an iron adze, a ploughshare, three bronze fibulae, two pins, etc. The pits date to the 1st century BC – 1st century AD. They are arranged close to each other and some of them are overlapping. It was found that the southwestern wall of the Temple of Apollo was destroyed. Most probably, only the Temple of Apollo existed on the site during the second half of the 2nd century AD. The other cult buildings, explored in 1976 – 1978, are part of architectural complex that existed in the 3rd century AD. The Principia of Sexaginta Prista was built over the Temple of Apollo in the beginning of the 4th century AD. Its apse, 4 m in length, was discovered. The wall is c. 80 cm in thickness. Part of the brick floor of the “Temple of the Standards” is preserved. A hoard of coins minted from Constantine the Great (emission minted in AD 313 – 315) to Arcadius (emission minted in AD 383 – 392) was discovered. According to the coins, the roof of the Principia collapsed in the period AD 383 – 400. During the 5th – 6th century AD, the building was reconstructed and reused, but it was not used as the Principia. Foundations of a building and six cess pits of the 19th century were registered. During the excavations, two Hellenistic coins, eight Roman coins of the 1st – 3rd centuries AD, 21 Late Roman coins of the 4th century AD, two Early Byzantine coins of the 6th century AD, and three Ottoman and Late Mediaeval coins were found.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) Thirty-two Thracian ritual pits were explored. Six clay and two stone platforms were documented. The pits were 1.10 – 3.60 m deep and 0.60 – 4.50 m in diameter. They contained bones, small pieces of charcoal, fragments of clay plaster, fragments of dolia, flints, six spindle whorls, two whetstones, a bone whistle, a bronze finger-ring, an iron tool, a terracotta bead, a bronze arrowhead, seven stamped handles from amphorae, sherds, etc. The pits date to the 1st century BC – 1st century AD. The Principia was thoroughly explored. Part of the northeastern long wall of the Principia had collapsed, probably due to the earlier tunnel situated under the wall. The tunnel is 1.75 m high and 50 – 80 cm wide and probably dates to the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD. It had been filled with earth after the collapse that occurred at the end of the 4th century AD, judging from a coin of Emperor Valens. Fragmentary tegulae and imbrices and Roman sherds were found inside the tunnel. Eight pits and a building of the 19th century were discovered. Five Ottoman coins (three of them minted by Sultan Abdülmecid I: emission 1839), fragmentary building ceramics, sherds, broken glass, tobacco pipes and other objects were found there. During the excavations of the site, two Hellenistic coins, two coins of the 3rd century AD, eight coins of the 4th century AD, one coin of the 6th century AD, one coin of the 11th century, and 10 Late Ottoman and one European coin of the 19th century were found.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) Ten Thracian pits, 1.30 – 3.28 m in depth and 0.90 – 1.70 m in diameter, were explored. The pits contained fragmentary wattle-and-daub, Thracian sherds, sherds from local imitations of Megarian bowls, Celtic sherds with graphite decoration and a fibula of the Aucissa Type dated to AD 20 – 80. The pits dated to the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD. The floor of bricks in the Principia of Castellum Sexaginta Prista was explored. The floor was cut by pit No. 1, dug out after the beginning of the 5th century AD when the Principia already did not function. Three coins of the first half of the 4 century AD discovered between the bricks of the floor and the mortar layer and another one found inside the mortar layer were indicative of the chronology. They show that the Principia and the Castellum were built during the reign of Constantine the Great. Two pits were discovered under the floor of the Principia. Pit No. 2 contained eight coins, the latest one minted by Diocletian in AD 292. Pit No. 3 contained three coins, the latest one minted by Maximian in AD 293. Pit No. 3partly destroyed pit No. 4, which contained pottery of the 3rd century AD. A fragment of marble votive relief and nine coins, the latest one minted by Maximian in AD 285 – 286, were found in the area that was explored. A quadrilateral base of a column belonging to the temple of Apollo was discovered. During the archaeological excavations, 25 Roman coins were found: an as of the 1st century AD, six coins from the first half of the 3rd century AD, 13 coins from the last quarter of the 3rd century AD, four coins from the first half of the 4th century AD and one unidentified.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) Trenches І’1 and І’1’ were explored. The finds included Thracian, Roman, Late Antique and Mediaeval (10th – 11th centuries) sherds and 62 coins: one of the 1st century AD, three of the 2nd century AD, 18 of the 3rd century AD, 33 of the 4th – 5th centuries AD, one of the 11th century, three of the 16th – 17th centuries and three of the 20th century. Seventeen coins belonged to a hoard dated to AD 330/335 – 408/423. Eleven Thracian ritual pits (Nos. 83 – 91) were explored, 1.40 – 2.40 m in depth and 0.60 – 1.50 m in diameter. They contained fragmentary clay plaster, sherds from Thracian dolia and hand- and wheelmade pottery, and a fragment from a bronze pin. Pit No. 89, 4.20 m in diameter, contained a terracotta anthropomorphic cult figurine. An animal skeleton was discovered in pit No. 85. Pit No. 91 contained 220 flint artifacts. The pits dated to the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD. Two walls constructed of stones bonded with clay and five pits of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD were discovered. The first wall, 64 – 68 cm wide, partly destroyed the southwestern wall of the temple of Apollo. The wall incorporated an antonianus of Philip I, which was the terminus post quem for its construction. The wall was destroyed by the walls of the Principia of the castellum Sexaginta Prista, which indicated that it was used until the beginning of the 4th century AD at the latest. A dug out was explored, containing building ceramics and pottery of the 2nd – first half of the 3rd century AD and a skeleton of a child, laid in a Hocker position and oriented north – south with head to the south. Pit No. 1 contained six fragments from small marble votive reliefs, bones, iron and bronze fragments, building ceramics and pottery. Pit No. 2 contained two coins of the 1st and the 2nd century AD and pit No. 3 contained an antonianus of Probus.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Deyan Dragoev) The strata of the Thracian and the Roman periods, the Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages were almost entirely destroyed in Sondages I – II. Thracian ritual pit No. 92 was documented in Sondage I, containing animal bones and sherds of the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD. The finds from the sondages included a handle of an amphora from Sinope with a stamp dated to 228 – 223 BC, 38 coins (3 coins of the 2nd century AD, 3 coins of the 3rd century AD, 29 coins of the 4th – 5th centuries AD and 3 coins of the 6th century AD), a sherd from terra sigillata and tegulae with stamps. A Late Antique wall was discovered in Sondage III. It was 1.10 – 1.20 m wide, preserved up to 1.40 m in height and built of roughly-cut stones bonded with mortar. A layer with debris and traces from fire, c. 40 cm thick, was documented. The finds indicated that the fire occurred in the second half of the 6th century AD. A Late Antique pit was explored, containing a coin of Theodosius II. Sherds from pots of the 9th – 11th centuries were found.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Nikola Rusev, Deyan Dragoev) A stratum of a Thracian settlement was documented and a domestic oven, a pottery kiln and 26 pits of the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD were explored. The finds included sherds, 10 coins, 13 amphora stamps and five fibulae of the 5th century BC – 1st century AD. There were no strata and structures of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD, but sherds and 54 coins, mostly of the 3rd century AD, were found, probably related to the sanctuary of Apollo and the Thracian Horseman situated nearby. Part of the southeastern fortification wall with a gate with towers and part of another U-like tower were discovered, built in the beginning of the 4th century AD, judging from folles that were found. The fortification wall was 3 m wide, built in _opus vittatum_, preserved up to 1 m in height. Part of a building of the 4th – 5th centuries AD was explored and eight pits of the 5th century AD were discovered, containing sherds, animal bones and 39 coins. A house of the 6th century AD adjoining the inner side of the fortification wall was explored, dated by coins of Justinian I and Justin II and Sophia. A stratum of the 10th – 11th centuries was explored, containing sherds, belt buckles, part of a cross-encolpion and five anonymous Byzantine folles of the Class A and B. Coins of the 13th – 14th centuries were found.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg, Nikola Rusev, Deyan Dragoev) A sector of the eastern fortification wall was discovered, built in _opus vittatum_ with an emplecton of roughly-cut stones bonded with mortar, 3.30 – 3.25 m wide and preserved up to 7.15 m in height. The fortification was built in the beginning of the 4th century AD and functioned until the end of the 6th century AD. It was dated by coins of Anastasius I Dicorus, Justin I and Justin II. Two houses were explored in the fortress. House No. 1 was built in the 6th century AD, adjoining the inner side of the fortification wall. It was constructed of roughly-cut stones bonded with mortar and had a roof covered with tegulae and imbrices. The building was burned. House No. 2 adjoined the inner side of the fortification wall and consisted of five rooms built of roughly-cut stones bonded with clay. The upper parts of the wall were constructed of sun-dried bricks and the roof was covered with tiles. Two fragments from roof-tiles had stamps that read: RVMORID and LEGIITAL. A fragment from a votive relief of the Thracian Horseman that was re-used in the walls was discovered in the debris. House No. 2 was destroyed by earthquake. Coins from the beginning of the 3rd to the middle of the 5th centuries AD were found in the house: the earliest ones belonged to Caracalla and also included folles of the beginning of the 4th century AD, and the latest ones belonged to Arcadius, Honorius, Pulcheria and Theodosius II. The building dated to the first half of the 5th century AD. Its foundations were dug into a stratum of the 4th century AD. Three pits, two hearths and a place for stirring mortar of the 4th – 6th centuries AD were discovered. During the excavations, 430 coins were found.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Nikola Rusev – nikola_rusev@hotmail.com, Varbin Varbanov, Deyan Dragoev) A hearth and 17 pits of the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD were explored, containing sherds, including three amphora handles with stamps, and fibulae. Two pits of the 2nd – 3rd centuries AD were explored, one of them containing a human skull of a young individual. Part of the southeastern fortification wall with a tower of the beginning of the 4th century AD was explored. A large dugout and a pile of debris from building ceramics of the 5th – 6th centuries AD were explored. A dugout of the 11th century was discovered; mediaeval sherds and an anonymous Byzantine follis of the Class C were found there. The finds from the excavations included coins: one of the 2nd century AD, eight of the 3rd century AD, 55 of the 4th – beginning of the 5th centuries AD, three of the 6th century AD, four of the 11th century and one of the 13th century, and mostly Thracian and Late Antique sherds.

SEXAGINTA PRISTA (Varbin Varbanov – ramonearhaeology@abv.bg) Trenches C and D were excavated. Twenty coins were found: two of the 2nd–1st century BC – 1st century AD, 14 of the 3rd century AD, one of the beginning of the 4th century AD, one of the 6th century AD and two of the 18th – 19th centuries. Thracian and Roman sherds were also found. Two ovens, a hearth and 14 pits of the 2nd century BC – 1st century AD were explored. The finds included five amphora stamps from Rhodes, two amphora stamps from Sinope, one amphora stamp from Knidos, fibulae, terracotta spindle whorls, terracotta loom weights, fragments from glass bracelets and a hoard of 25 stone checkers for games. Part of a building of the 3rd century AD was excavated. Its walls were 55 – 60 cm wide, built of roughly-cut stones bonded with clay, and it was partly destroyed during the construction of the fortification wall. An oven and Pit No. 5 with an _antonianus_ of Herennius Etruscus were excavated. The fortification wall of the 4th – 6th centuries AD was discovered in Trench C. The dugout of the 10th – 11th century AD, discovered in 2017, was entirely excavated.