ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF CHERNOMORETS (Petar Leshtakov – junior_1_bg@yahoo.com, Miroslav Klasnakov, Dimitar Nedev) The area of the settlement probably is over 0.08 – 0.1 ha. Five sondages were carried out on an area of 20 sq. m. Two layers from the Late Neolithic period (late 6th – early 5th millennia BC) were documented. Also, an area of 370 sq. m was explored. The cultural stratum is 0.70 – 1 m thick. The latest materials date to the Early Bronze Age (3500 – 1900 BC): sherds from dishes decorated with vertical lines in relief and Buckels on their mouths, and a ceramic vessel with horizontal handles. A stratum from the Bronze Age was not distinguished. An inhumation burial was discovered. The grave pit is oval and dug into the Chalcolithic stratum. The deceased is southwest – northeast oriented in a Hocker position, rested on back with legs to the left. The head is oriented to the southwest, facing to the north. The arms are twisted. A spherical ceramic vessel was found above the left hip. The burial probably dates to the Early Bronze Age. A Chalcolithic stratum, 30 – 45 cm in thickness, was explored. Piles of sherds and 13 pits were documented. Four pits had identical features and were used for grain storage. The most common pottery shapes are dishes with curved mouth, cylindrical-conical dishes and bowls. The pottery is predominantly with incised decoration. Sherds with painted decoration were attested. Pottery painted with graphite occurred rarely. The stratum could be generally dated to the Early Chalcolithic period (first half of the 5th millennium BC). Pieces of copper ore were found along with burned sherds with adhering pieces of ore, which testifies to metal production. The exploration reached the Neolithic stratum. Separate structures related to Karanovo III – IV and IV periods were explored in some sectors.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF CHERNOMORETS (Petar Leshtakov – junior_1_bg@yahoo.com, Miroslav Klasnakov) The earliest materials dated to the Late Neolithic period (Karanovo III – IV). The occupation layer was 30 – 40 cm thick. More than 40 ritual pits, mostly over 1 m in depth, were documented. They contained ash, charcoal, burned debris, pottery, stone and flint and bone tools, anthropomorphic terracotta figurines, jewelry, and animal bones. The occupation layer of the Early Chalcolithic period was 20 – 30 cm thick. Pits from the Early and Late Chalcolithic period, up to 1.50 m in depth, were explored. They contained pottery and objects. An Early Chalcolithic shaft (pit No. 50A), 1.30 m in diameter, was explored up to 5.40 m in depth. The shaft contained over 200 pieces of timber with traces from woodworking, pottery and animal bones (including horns from aurochs). Pieces of copper ore and slag, a terracotta melting pot and two copper awls were found in the Chalcolithic layer. Grave No. 4 was explored. The deceased was an adult, probably a woman, rested in the Hocker position, oriented north – south. Grave No. 5 was explored. The deceased was a child, 6 – 7 years old, rested in a Hocker position on its left side, oriented northeast – southwest. The grave goods included two ceramic vessels. Both graves dated to the 4th millennium BC. A bone from the deceased in grave No. 1, explored in 2008, was dated (AMS 14C) to the first half of the 4th millennium BC. A ritual pit of the 3rd phase of the Early Bronze Age, 50 cm in depth, was explored. It contained pottery, a terracotta spindle whorl, an antler tool, flint tools, animal bones and a skull of a dog. Two graves of the 19th century were discovered. Probably, the deceased were military from the British Army. Metal and bone buttons, galloons, bronze clasps and nails from a coffin were found. There were inscriptions in English on the back side of the metal buttons.