EXPLORATIONS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICA IN AUGUSTA TRAIANA (Krasimir Kalchev – rim@museum.starazagora.net) The site is situated in the northwestern part of the ancient town. Remains of a street and several asynchronous buildings of the Roman period were discovered on an area of 600 sq. m. During the first phase, a row of rooms adjoining to each other, most likely shops, were built to the north of the street. During the second phase, a monumental construction, most likely a cistern, was built in the eastern end of the excavated area. Its walls have two faces of ashlars and the inner face was plastered with hydrophobic mortar. During the third period, there is a reconstruction or a new construction of a row of rooms adjoining to each other. Their southern façade adjoins the northern wall of the Early Christian basilica. The northern nave and part of the central nave of the basilica were discovered. The basilica was three-nave and single-apse. From the outer side, the apse consists of three walls. Initially, the floor of the basilica was plastered with mortar, and presumably, there were mosaics. During the second phase of the functioning of the basilica, its floor was paved with mosaics. Several fragments of mosaics showing mainly geometric ornaments were discovered. During the same phase, a pavement to the northeast of the apse was made and a semicircular construction of bricks bonded with mud was built. There is a baptistery adjoining the northwestern angle of the basilica. A cemetery situated over the debris of the basilica appeared in the Middle Ages. Eight mediaeval Christian graves and pits of the Middle Ages and the Ottoman period were discovered.

AUGUSTA TRAIANA – VEREYA (Maria Kamisheva – maria.ivanowa@gmail.com, Atanas Atanasov) In 2004, an Early Christian basilica was explored close to the west of the site and part of a temple was discovered. In 2015, the temple was explored. It was built at the end of the 2nd century AD and existed until the middle of the 4th century AD. The building was 6.48 m wide and opened to the east, with a pediment showing a shield in relief. The walls, preserved up to 1.82 m in height, were built of ashlars. The floor was paved with marble ashlars. The temple was probably devoted to the Imperial cult. Two Latin inscriptions dated to c. AD 303 were discovered that read: “To the first among the youths, Galerius Valerius Maximianus, most noble Caesar, Aemilius Alexander (erected), a most perfect man, Governor of Province of Thrace, devoted to his divinity and greatness“; “To the first among the youths, Flavius Valerius Constantius, most noble Caesar, Aemilius Alexander (erected), a most perfect man, Governor of Province of Thrace, devoted to his divinity and greatness“ (partly preserved). A cardo was discovered to the east of the temple, 8.80 m wide and paved with large slabs. A barrel-vaulted water-conduit was situated under the street. There was a kerb on the eastern side of the cardo, followed by covered portico. Probably, its construction was related to two fragments from architrave that were discovered, with a Greek inscription that read: “[... equipped the columns / the portico of the temple] of Hermes (located) up to the wide street that leads to the Odeon at [his own expenses]”, dated to the first half of the 3rd century AD. There was a building to the east of the portico, with an entrance constructed of marble ashlars. The destructions in the temple and the street were related to the earthquakes of the middle of the 4th century AD, documented during the archaeological explorations of the town. During the second half of the 4th – end of the 6th centuries AD, the street was reconstructed. New water-conduits of terracotta pipes and drains of bricks were built. A layer of trampled small stones, marble fragments and fragments from building ceramics was spread over the street. The remains of the temple were converted into a cistern, which became functional again during the 12th – 13th centuries.

AUGUSTA TRAIANA (Maria Kamisheva – maria.ivanowa@gmail.com) The site was situated in the northern part of Augusta Traiana. The temple of the imperial cult was situated to the west of the cardo; a portico with altars and a building with two rooms behind it were situated to the east of the cardo. The southern room of the building was excavated. Its floor was paved with stone slabs. The exploration of the barrel-vaulted drain of the first construction period (end of the 2nd – first half of the 4th centuries AD) continued. It ran beneath the cardo and was built of bricks bonded with mortar. A second drain was discovered to the north of it, 14 – 16 cm wide and built of bricks bonded with mortar. The exploration of the drain of the second construction period (second half of the 4th – end of the 6th centuries AD) continued. It was 75 cm wide, built in rubble masonry, and ran through the western wall of the southern room.