EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Nadezhda Todorova, Vanya Petrova) The site covered two settlement mounds: northwestern one, c. 140 m by 120 m in size and covering an area of c. 1.7 ha, and southeastern one, c. 150 m by 130 m in size and covering an area of c. 1.95 ha, both divided by ravine with a stream. An area of c. 0.1 ha was explored in the northern periphery of the northwestern settlement mound. The strata were 3.20 – 3.80 m thick and contained remains from the Early Neolithic Karanovo I Culture (beginning of the 6th millennium BC), Late Chalcolithic Karanovo VI Culture (end of the 5th millennium BC), and Phase I of the Early Iron Age (end of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennia BC). Single sherds from the Late Neolithic period, the Early Chalcolithic period and the Late Iron Age were discovered as well. Five Early Neolithic ditches with V-like and U-like cross-sections were partly explored. The outer ditch was the latest one and was c. 97 m in diameter, up to 3 m wide and down to 1.50 m deep. An Early Neolithic building was discovered, 7.50 m by 5.50 – 6 m in size. Fifteen Early Neolithic graves were explored, containing remains from 19 deceased: seven children (including a baby) and 12 adults (six men, three women and three unspecified). The deceased in eight graves were laid in a Hocker position, while the rest of the graves contained disturbed human bones and/or skulls. The early Neolithic finds included ceramic vessels, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic terracotta figurines, small terracotta cult tables, loom weights, stone tools and pestles, retouched flint flakes, bone and horn spatulas, small spoons, punches and a spearhead, a pendant of a Cardium shell. A Late Chalcolithic ditch was documented with a diameter larger than the diameter of the outer Early Neolithic ditch. Stone foundations of a building were discovered. A pile was explored, consisting of ceramic vessels, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic terracotta figurines, stone tools and terracotta loom weights. The Early Iron Age stratum was up to 80 cm thick. Pits were explored, containing Thracian sherds. Thirty Muslim graves of the 16th – 18th centuries were explored on the northeastern slope of the settlement mound.

EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Nadezhda Todorova, Vanya Petrova) The site covered an area of over 5 ha. The Early Neolithic (Karanovo I, end of the 7th – first half of the 6th millennia BC) settlement was surrounded with five consecutively dug out circular ditches and at least one timber palisade. The explorations of the ditches were completed. They contained debris, querns and sherds. Once the ditches were filled up, burials were carried out in some of them. A grave of a man, 25 – 35 years old, was explored. The dead was laid in a Hocker position on his left side with head to the east. So far 19 graves were discovered, containing remains from 27 dead individuals. During the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic periods the settlement was relocated to the west/southwest over an elevation. During the Late Chalcolithic period (Karanovo VI, second half of the 5th millennium BC) the settlement was relocated again on the settlement mound and was surrounded with a ditch. A building with foundations of stones, 11.50 m by 8 m in size, was explored. A hearth was discovered inside. A ritual pit was explored at c. 7 m to the south of the building, containing several fragmentary ceramic vessels, two stone pestles, a piece of quartzite, a dish, two flint plates and a piece of a bone object, probably a scepter. Human bones were arranged among the objects, including a skull of an adult. A dolium was laid on top of them, with a quern placed vertically at its bottom. A burial of an adult, probably a man, was explored in the eastern periphery of the settlement mound. The dead was laid in a Hocker position with his head to the south/southeast. A piece of copper wire was found close to the mandible of the dead. Part of a building of the end of the Chalcolithic period (end of the 5th millennium BC), 16 m by 9.50 m in size, was explored. During the Second Phase of the Early Iron Age (8th – 6th centuries BC) a Thracian settlement was built on the settlement mound. Several buildings constructed with wattle-and-daub were documented. A burial of a baby was discovered. The baby was laid in an amphora-like vessel. During the 17th – 18th centuries, the inhabitants of the Muslim Village of Salihche used the settlement mound for a cemetery. Over 70 Muslim graves were explored so far.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Nadezhda Todorova, Vanya Petrova) Two ditches (Early Neolithic and Late Chalcolithic) were documented in the western part of the site. Late Neolithic (Karanovo III – IV, end of the 6th millennium BC) dug out structures were explored, related to the settlement and containing fragmentary burned debris, sherds and animal bones. An Early Chalcolithic (Karanovo V, first half of the 5th millennium BC) dug out structure was explored, containing sherds. Late Chalcolithic (Karanovo VI, second half of the 5th millennium BC) dug out structures were discovered, containing sherds, a quern, fragmentary burned debris, a stone slingshot and animal bones. A building was explored in the Early Iron Age settlement. It measured 3.90 m by 4.20 m and was built of wattle-and-daub and wooden posts. Pits were discovered, containing Thracian sherds, a terracotta stamp for decorating pottery with S-like ornament, loom weights, spindle whorls, querns, fragmentary burned debris and animal bones. Two graves in the Muslim cemetery of the 17th – 18th century were explored. The cemetery was situated on the slopes of the prehistoric settlement mound and belonged to the Village of Salihche.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Nadezhda Todorova, Georgi Katsarov) The explorations of the Early Neolithic settlement continued. Parts of the four surrounding ditches were explored. A dug out structure was documented, 4.10 m by 1.40 m in size and c. 1.80 m deep, filled with a layer of burned debris, 20 – 80 cm thick. Early Neolithic strata were documented in the Southern Sector and occupation remains that were not burned were excavated: building ditches with postholes, domestic ovens, pits and floor platforms. Nine radiocarbon dates from animal bones discovered in the Southern Sector indicated a relatively short occupation period of c. 150 years: from 5988–5845 to 5842–5709 cal BC. For comparison, the Early Neolithic occupation period documented in the Northern Sector lasted for c. 430 years. A hoard of bones from sheep/goats deserves attention, with two semi-produced pieces and three spatula-chisels among them. Judging from the osteological analysis of the bones from the excavations, the sheep/goats prevailed, while the oxen were significantly less and the pigs were only a few. Hunting was quite important for securing the food of the community and the bones from deer were much more numerous than in other Neolithic settlements. The large number of turtle shells and mussel shells is interesting, too.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA NADEZHDA (Krum Bacvarov – krum.bacvarov@googlemail.com, Georgi Katsarov) Strata of a later phase of the Early Neolithic period were documented in Sector South. Debris from a building and postholes were discovered in Trench K9. In Trench J10, the exploration of an oven was launched and four hearths were documented, probably situated outside buildings. Two pits were excavated, containing fragmentary clay plaster and sherds from dolia. Four bone tools were also found in one of the pits. Two other pits were discovered, containing sherds. One of the pits contained animal bones as well. An Early Mediaeval pit was excavated in Trench K8/9, dug into the Early Neolithic stratum.