EXCAVATIONS IN ESKI MOSQUE IN STARA ZAGORA (Dimitar Yankov – dimiter_yankov@yahoo.com) Foundations of an earlier mosque were discovered in a sondage to the east of the apse of the mediaeval church explored in the prayer room of Eski Mosque. The mediaeval church is the earliest building on the site. The foundations of the earlier mosque had a timber construction of transverse and longitudinal beams and big vertical beams used as posts. A ritual pit of the end of the Early Iron Age (11th – 6th centuries BC) was discovered to the southeast of the apse, under the foundations of the eastern wall of the mosque. Fragmentary wall-paintings, remains of foundations, most likely from the narthex, and four Christian graves were found in front of the entrance of the mediaeval church. Five mediaeval Christian graves, a pit containing pottery of the 2nd – 4th centuries AD and remains of a pottery kiln were discovered in the western anteroom of Eski Mosque.

ESKI MOSQUE (Dimiter Yankov – dimiter_yankov@yahoo.com, Georgi Iliev) Two buildings, constructed of stones bonded with mortar, were discovered under the floor of Eski Mosque, built in 1408 – 1409, and under the foundations of the preceding Mediaeval church dated to the end of the 10th century. The buildings belonged to a sanctuary of the Roman period (2nd – 4th centuries AD). A ritual pit, containing the skeleton of a piglet, c. six months old, was explored under the northern wall of the church. A wall with an opening for a jamb of a door, built of stones and bricks bonded with mortar, was discovered in Sondage No. 2 situated to the north of the western antechamber of the mosque. The wall belonged to a building, destroyed by the end of the 6th century AD. Sondage No. 1 (2009) was carried out to the east of the Thracian ritual pit of the second phase of the Early Iron Age (8th – 6th centuries BC), which was situated under the eastern wall of the mosque and to the east of the apse of the church. A stratum of the second phase of the Early Iron Age, containing Thracian pottery and two cult terracotta figurines, was documented under the foundations of the mosque. Several water-conduits of the Ottoman period, which supplied water to the baths that existed until the middle of the 19th century and were situated to the east of the mosque, were explored in Sondage No. 1 (2005) and remains of a synchronous fountain were also discovered. Thirty-four Christian burials were discovered inside and around the Mediaeval church and their total number reached 65. Two burial pits were fired after the burial. One of the deceased in another burial was decapitated and his head was placed between his legs: a common ritual practice against becoming a vampire. A pit, containing debris from the church and fragmentary frescoes, was discovered. The finds from the excavations included seven coins, bronze bracelets and finger-rings.