ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF VLADISLAV (Alexander Chohadzhiev – alcho_2000@yahoo.com) The settlement mound is about 12 m in height and about 140 m (east – west) by 40 m (north – south) in diameter. Kilns located at the settlement mound were partly destroyed due to clandestine digs, which required rescue excavations. Kiln No. 1 is 1.20 – 1.26 m in diameter. Its wall is 4 – 6 cm in thickness. Its inner plaster is 1 – 1.5 cm thick. The kiln was probably partly dug into the loess. Its foundation is about 10 cm in thickness. The dome of the kiln was plastered with a layer of clay, 2 cm thick. A pit, 64 – 72 cm in diameter and 66 cm in depth, was discovered to the south of the kiln. Kiln No. 2 is circular and its preserved height is about 45 cm. It is partly dug into the ground. Its probable diameter is 1.30 – 1.40 m. The wall of the dome is 6 cm in thickness. The plaster is 1.5 – 2 cm thick. The preserved part of the kiln measures 60 cm by 17 cm. The wall of the dome is 6 – 6.5 cm in thickness. The plaster is 1.5 cm thick. All kilns are situated at less than 2 m from each other and probably formed a complex. There is no proof for the date of the kilns. No pottery was found inside the kilns and around them. Sherds (Chalcolithic, Early Byzantine and mediaeval) were found in the surface layer of the terrain. Prehistoric and Early Byzantine (5th – 6th centuries AD) sherds were found in the pit.