Dolna Bartina Thracian Mining and Cult Complex
Nikola Damyanov
A Thracian mining and cult complex (TMCC) situated 1 kilometre southwest of the
village of Barutin, Dospat municipality, in Dolna Bartina area has been thoroughly
examined. It consists of mining and cult archaeological sites from different ages
situated on a rocky hill known to the local population as Chorkvata (the church).
Arranged in chronological order objects uncovered are as follows: a furnace for
melting ore, a Thracian flat necropolis, an old Christian tomb, a three-nave
basilica and a Medieval Christian necropolis. This complex collection of farming
and cult tools serves as evidence that ancient mining and metallurgy existed in the
Rhodopes; it also provides evidence of the early Christianization of the native
Thracian population and serves as proof of the cultural and historic continuity in
the region (Figure 1).
North of TMCC, on the right bank of the Dospatska River an eneolithic settlement
dating from the 4th millennium BC was uncovered [2]. South of the complex, next
to the border with Republic of Greece the Kazankyovete peak (1600 meters high.)
was found to be a rock sanctuary with ritual holes chipped in the rock, holes of
different sizes, shapes and function [3]. The field trips in Dospat region led to the
uncovering, describing and registering on the archaeological map of Bulgaria
(AMB) of dozens Thracian mound necropolises settlements and fortresses. Wellpreserved parts of the Antiquity Trans-Rhodopean Road were uncovered, a road
connecting the Maritsa River valley with the Mesta River valley and further – with
the north coastline of the Aegean Sea. Its paved surface reaches the highest peak
of the Rhodopes in the region of the settlement of the nearby village – Chadar and
marks a fork in the road: south – to Paranesti and west – to the ancient city
Nicopolis ad Nestum. All of the above mentioned makes TMCC in Dolna Bartina a
place of major importance in the future joint efforts of Bulgarian and Greek
archaeologists popularise the rich Thracian and Byzantine cultural heritage on the
two sides of the Bulgarian-Greek border. The objective of the following paper is to
present unpublished data from the archaeological sites in TMCC and initiate the
writing, carrying out and implementation of a joint Bulgarian-Greek project for
turning the complex into an open museum.
Furnace for melting ore: After the basilica had been completely uncovered we
found, under its south-east corner, an older 4-meter-long, half-destroyed wall,
oriented southwest-northwest. It was built from partially crushed stones bound
with mud; it is 0.65 m thick, 0.90m high. The wall was part of a smaller building in
which we found pieces of slag and a furnace for melting ore. It is obvious that it
had been used – therefore built - two times, the new one built over the remnants
of the old one. The furnace has irregular elliptic shape, its base - built with round
river boulders laid on top of the rock and bound with clay. Its dimensions are as
follows: diameter-0.6m; height – 0.5m. Using the base, a circular wall of partially
crushed stones was built, bound with mud – the two layers are quite obvious –
each 0.3m thick, filled with clayey soil. From the secondary wall copying the shape
of the furnace, four rows of slates – with total height of 0.6m have remained “in
situ”. The inside of the secondary re-building, level with the first row of stones, is
covered with slates. The slates, serving as base, are covered with a thin layer of
soil – 0.02m - on top of which small stones from the river had been laid, bound
with clay. The clay facing reaches the inner side of the outer wall, closing the
crack between the inner and outer wall making the furnace look like a cup. (Fig.2).
The furnace provided us with additional information about the time it was built,
how it functioned and its place in the chronology of TMCC. Part of its base was
damaged by a cist grave, built with Roman tegulae (grave № 13). We can
circumstantially date the furnace judging by the inventory uncovered: clay vessels
and evidence of the rite – Charon’s obol – a coin from the reign of Emperor
Konstantin I (306-337). As its secondary re-build wall is synchronic with the wall of
the small structure: there is evidently a connection between the two – we can date
both the small structure (presumably a shed open to the village to the south -east)
and the furnace for melting ore back to the 3 rd century.
The furnace for melting ore uncovered in TMCC resembles the furnaces in the
settlements near the village of Stomanovo (2005), the village of Vurbovo (2006)
and in the cave - mine Sharenka (2007) near Madan, mentioned in a publication
by geologist - engineer Georgi Konyarov in 1955 and registered by Nikola
Damyanov. The existence of furnaces, the frequent uncovering of slag along the
high mountain ridges of the Rhodopes as well as the few small pieces of ore on
the sites near the furnaces prove that ore-mining and metallurgy were the most
common occupations among the mountain Thracians. This has been proved not
only by the archaeological findings mentioned above but also by data in the works
of the ancient authors Herodotus, Thucydides, Strabo and others. The Bessi – a
Thracian tribe living in the Rhodopes were said to be so excellent in ore mining,
that in the literature at that time their name came to stand for ore-miners in
general. In the Central Rhodopes area (today’s Smolyan region) in particular,
during early Iron Age (11 th –9th century B.C.), ore-mining was well-developed and
played an important role in the lives of the people in the mountain influencing the
building of a network of settlements. The topography of the mound necropolises
from that age shows that they and respectively the Thracian settlements were
concentrated in areas of iron-ore deposits [6].
Unfortunately the archaeological studies of ore-mining and metallurgy sites are
quite insufficient. Apart from the attempts of V.Mikov (during the 40s of the last
century) to study the material culture of the Rhodopean Thracians [7] and the
necropolis near Dzhurkovi livadi area ore-mine – 6 km south of Luki(1955)
examined by Hr. Dzambov [8], half a century later, N.Damyanov uncovered the
only of its kind so far cult – ore mining complex (COC) in the settlements near
Vurba and Sharenka villages, Madan municipality. The COC comprises three rock
sanctuaries- Gubata, Babata and Rim-Papa ( the Mushroom, the Granny and
Rome – the Pope) and the three cave-mines – Sharenka, Triugulnata Peshtera
(the three-corner cave) and Malkata Dupka ( the small hole) functioning at the
same time [9]. Most probably, in the beliefs of the ancient Thracians, ore-mining
and metallurgy - as well as any other human activity – were not only initiated, but
also guided by a deity. Worshipping the cave-womb Sharenka (also a cave-mine
with a furnace for melting ore) was not enough anymore. That is why the ancient
miners and blacksmiths sacralised the nearby area and turned it into their
‘professional’, ‘only-for-the-initiated’ place, a sanctuary. They chiselled rock altars
on the highest even surfaces and put gifts for the Mother Goddess in them to
thank her for letting them dig in her womb and yield sacred ore. We cannot
possibly tell what the gifts were, but they certainly included precious pieces of ore
and slag from the melting furnace in the cave. This is the only possible
explanation of the presence of highly oxidized pieces of ore and slag in the rock
altars. Together with them there were the usual pottery fragments identical with
the ones found near the melting furnace. The reason why I have mentioned this
obscure fact is that there are similar findings at TMCC Dolna Bartina. A dozen pits
in the rock – different in shape and size were found – mostly conical and
cylindrical, containing small lumps of ore and slag as well as fragments from
ritually broken pottery identical with the ones found near the furnace.
Thracian flat necropolis Based on the examined tombs in the necropolis in TMCC
and burial rituals evidence, we can define two periods in its chronological
development. The first one ranges from 3rd to the 4th century, and the second one,
nearly three centuries later- from the 10th to the end of the17th century. Such must
have been the periodization of the life in the settlement which the necropolis belongs
to – a settlement destroyed by the construction of Dostpat Dam (1962-1965) [10].
Apart from the rescue excavations of parts of the necropolises in Sovatya area near
the village of Grohotno [11], Bedensko Chereshovo area [12] and Yabalnovo area
near the village of Trigrad [13], the above mentioned first period of the necropolis in
TMCC is the only thoroughly examined Thracian flat necropolis in the Central
Rhodopes [14]. Predominantly, the graves during the first period were dug close to
the basilica - south and west, while those belonging to the second period were dug
predominantly south-east. Some of the graves belonging to the second period were
found on top of graves from the first period and the ruined basilica. It is evident that
the traces of the Thracian flat necropolis were erased by time.
The most commonly used graves were rectangular ritual pits dug in the soft rocky
ground, some of which had rounded corners. The majority of the tombs were
covered with slanting overlapping stone slates. In the 4 th century tombs built with
stones or bricks –whitened or not, covered with tegulae or imbreces appeared.
Sometimes a bigger hole was dug in the rock, with even bottom where the life-size
real grave was chiselled. Next it was covered with slates or built on with bricks.
The tops varied –either flat (covered with slates or tegulae) or arch-like (a low
arch was built along the whole length of the grave) and eaves-like (covered with
tegulae and imbreces). Sixteen burials in total were examined in the Thracian flat
necropolis, divided – according to the burial ritual used (corpse burning or corpse
burying) – into eight types. They are very similar to the classification of graves and
tombs for the Roman period (1st – 4th century) made by L.Getov [15].
Scrutinizing the burials from archaeological point of view, it is evident that a burial
– an essentially complex phenomenon – is divided into three separate parts: a
tomb or grave, the remains of the deceased and burial inventory.Without
analysing it thoroughly, I will present one burial that has no analogue in
archaeological sources (Fig. 3). The tomb in question is a double chamber one,
dug in the horizontal rocky ground, encircled by a round, two-sided stone wall with
diameter of 3.5 m. The two tomb chambers (north-east – grave № 1 and southwest - grave № 2) are tightly covered with stone tiles which fit into pre-dug
grooves, bound with clay. Next to grave № 1 traces of burning (by piling stones
and live coal) - 2.00 × 1.50 m –can be seen; after extinguishing the fire, two
Roman vessels were broken ( a bowl and a plate) covered with black paste, made
on pottery wheel and two vessels ( a shallow and a deep bowls) – local Thracian
products, made by hand. I have reason to believe that the ritualistic breaking of
intact vessels on the burnt spot is rooted in an old Thracian practice registered in
the 12th century B.C. Some animal bones were found on the spot of the ritualistic
burning together with the fragmented ceramics, which further supports my
assumption. Among the ceramic fragments and animal bones two single -wick
clay lamps (two people buried: two lamps, two Roman vessels and fragments of
two Thracian bowls) were uncovered.
The clay paste filling the gap between the covering tiles and the stone groove did
not allow the soil to get into the grave. Removing the three cover tiles, along the
longer axis of the grave, on its east-oriented end, we found a well-preserved –
Oinochoe-type ‘standing’ jug dating from late Antiquity; its mouth was 0.3m away
from the covering tile. A second jug was ‘lying’ along the east-west oriented axis,
its mouth pointing east – the same way the mouth of the Oinochoe jug was
oriented. A third vessel – Oinochoe – was uncovered – attached to the south wall
of the grave. If you draw imaginary line between the three vessels, a right-angled
triangle is formed, its longest side – 1.3 m, the shorter side – 0.6m and the longer
one-1m long. In the middle of the hypothetic triangle there are three fragments
from a yellow-green glass with honeycomb decoration. At 0.82m depth in the
west half of the chamber, we reached the even rock bottom; in its northeast part,
at 0.55m depth (the level where the standing Oinochoe was uncovered) we found
big thigh bones. They were placed in the soft soil 15 cm away from the bottom.
There is no anatomical arrangement, the skull is missing. The grave inventory was
carefully placed unlike the bones uncovered. It was (arranged) in a way, common
for the time – along the skeleton – the result of a ritual corpse-laying. A jug was
uncovered where the head was, a buckle was found on the ‘abdomen’, next to the
left arm- a bronze cup – next to the right one – a glass, next to the left leg - a jug,
next to the right leg- another jug. At the far southeast end there were three pieces
of coal the size of backgammon dice. Right in the middle of the imaginary triangle
a ball of clay was uncovered – approximately the size and shape of a medium-size
walnut
What are the two graves like inside? They were built from stones chiselled flat,
bound with clay paste. The walls were covered with fine lime layer with no trace of
ground brick and colouring. With an insignificant difference, the dimensions of the
two chambers are as follows: length – 1.9m, height – 1m and width – 0.65m.
What is new in the second chamber is a special recess for gifts, built in the
northeast wall. It is square - 0.2x0.2m and 0.25m deep. A glass (with an oval
bottom) containing 91 coins and a gold ear-ring with two hollow teardrop-shaped
pendants was uncovered in it. Under the recess there was only one Oinochoe.
The monetary ‘treasure’ dates mostly from the 4 th century. There are coins from
the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), Constantine II (317-340), Elena,
Constans (333-350), Constantius ІІ (324-361), Constantius Gallus (351-353),
Julian Apostate (355-363), Valentinian І (364-375), Valens (364-378), Procopius
(365-366) [16].
Both the coin ‘treasure’ and the ceramic vessels date the two-chamber tomb back
to the 4th century. Not only the ceramic vessels- inventory from the tomb but also
the pieces of broken pottery outside the tomb on the burnt spot were dated to the
same time. They are so much alike as if they had been made in the same
workshop by the same potter. As to the buried people, they were probably
Thracian aristocrats, accompanied to the next world by numerous gifts, coin
treasure and gold jewellery; the burial was very rich with well-defined stages –
graves dug in the rock, burning of the ground, sacrifice, ritual breaking of vessels
(Roman ones at that), fencing the tomb with a ring (two-sided wall), decorated
with a figure-decorated, single-wick lamp (a woman’s figure in chlamys). It is
known that gold – the gold earring in our case-symbolized the other world (the
world of the dead) and as such it acted as a mediator. Most probably that was the
reason why it was so willingly used in the ritual burials. Gold ensured an easy
transition onto the nether world.
An Early Christian Tomb In sections A-2 and B-2 in TMCC where a few Christian
graves from a Christian Medieval necropolis (10th -17th century) had been dug on
top of graves from a Thracian flat necropolis (3 rd – 4th century) the only Early
Christianity tomb in the Rhodopes was uncovered. After the turf was removed (it
was very thin there) we came upon scattered slates which had obviously covered
a cist grave. The body had been buried according to Christian rituals – oriented
east-west; the body was laid with arms crossed above the abdomen. The bones
were very brittle, the inventory found in the grave – a bracelet with tabs made of
copper wire, twisted four times (10th century). A horizontal recess on the highest
spot of the rocky ridge had been dug, measured in such a way that the grave
chamber could fit in perfectly and be easily built (Fig. 4).
The tomb in Dolna Bartina area is a rectangular room, orientated east-west along
its longer axis; 2.08m long and 1.85m wide. Its base was built from comparatively
well-fashioned crushed stone, bonded with lime paste, at some places filled with
pieces or whole tegulae to make it even. The walls are 0.6m thick; with two-face
masonry – the maximum well-preserved part is 1.04m high. The lime paste is a
pale shade of pink at some places, probably from the finely ground brick in it.
Judging by the ruins from the roof scattered on the tomb floor, the tomb had a
semi-cylindrical arch built in brick. Inside the burial chamber there is rock base,
perfectly levelled with no trace of beds for laying the corpses. There is no
decoration on the walls apart from the pinkish colouring of the lime paste.
A small entrance built with bricks, closed by a massive slate uncovered ‘in situ’,
leads to the tomb. There is a groove in the brick arch specially made for the slate
– hermetically closed by a thick layer of purified clay. Four steps chipped in the
rock lead down to the entrance of the tomb; their height starting from the top is as
follows: 0.3m, .37m, 0.42m and 0.53m. In front of the lowest step, opposite the
entrance of the tomb, there is a small hallway (0.97×0.42 m), oriented (just like the
steps) along the axis east-west. Judging by the sum total of the heights of the four
steps and the heights of the rock outside the bearing wall, we can say that the
womb was dug into the rock at 1.7-2.0 m (Fig. 5).
We have uncovered no trace of burials or inventory but, taking into consideration
the design, the structural characteristics, the building materials and the way of
building, as well as the very few findings – mainly fragmented pottery – we can
definitely date the tomb to the last quarter of the 4 th century. The tomb was part of
a complex of worship with an Early Christianity basilica (the end of the 4 th century)
in its centre – a fact which supports the above dating.
A Basilica from Early Christianity: The church was built on top of the ruins of an
older building. Its outer dimensions are: length – 18.30m (apse-21 m) and width –
10.2m. It is a three-nave, mono-apsidal basilica with an open narthex. Its apse is
3.50 m in diameter, semi-circular single sintron (a bench on the wall in the upper
part of the apse). Five pairs of rectangular columns divide the naos into a wide
central and two narrow side naves. A square room was immured in the southwest
part of the naos additionally, used, most probably, as an ossuary. Later on, a
separating wall was built, partially isolating two of the columns to the west,
providing a martyrs’ space. The premises southwest of the main building of the
basilica, though additionally built, belong to it. They were, most probably, ‘an
entrance hall’ and a place where worshippers left their gifts. The premises were
facing the settlement where the congregation came from to pray, which supports
the above assumption. The outer entrance of the narthex is asymmetrical.
Following the line of the west wall of the basilica, we found out that it was a
continuation of the longitudinal walls and served to separate a portico, a courtyard
or exonarthex. (Fig. 6).
The walls of the basilica were built with crushed stone, on a base of sliced slates
bound with a mixture of lime and big broken brick pieces. The height of the
preserved walls varies between 0.5m to 1.2m. Fragmented linear decoration is
preserved at some places on the inner wall. Traces of ornamental socle were
uncovered on pieces of facing on both sides of the apse. The space leading to the
apses as well as the apse itself were covered with bricks. The sintron is a bench
made from purified clay, 0.5m wide, and 0.15m to 0.25 m high. Based on the
basilica-like design of the church as well as the burnt beams and the wrought iron
clamps and nails uncovered on the floor level, we can conclude that the roofing
was typical of this kind of church design – separate roofs for the three naves,
covered with tiles and supported by wooden structure.
The basilica did not last for a long time. Its design, the manner of construction, the
uncovered archaeological objects, including a coin ( Theodosius I 379-395) and
an apse conch date it back to the end of the 4 th century, it functioned during the
5th century and was burnt down at the end of the 6 th century. The basilica at Dolna
Bartina was the first Early Christian church in this part of the mountain and shared
architectural characteristics with other churches on the ethnic territory of Bulgaria
and Greece [18].
Medieval Christian necropolis: Four graves dug in the rock were uncovered in
the narthex of the basilica. Grave № 8 situated in the north part of the narthex is
particularly interesting, as it is essentially a tomb with dimensions 2.4m×1.2 m
and depth of 1.6m oriented East-West. It was covered with three big stone tiles
fixed into a groove dug into the rock. The dimensions of the groove are as follows:
width – 0.15m, depth – 0.4m. The chamber was skilfully sealed with clay and the
free space to the floor was covered with sterile soil. Two individuals were buried
(a man and a woman 50-55 years old); their heads pointing to the west, their arms
– straight along the body. No inventory was uncovered apart from two piles of
coal, placed next to the feet of the buried people.
While grave № 8 and the ones sharing the same characteristics (location, manner
of burial, the lack of inventory, the presence of coal – a remnant from pagan
times) proves the Christianization of the burial practices in late Antiquity, burial №
56 shows that even a 1000 years later, the burial rites in the Rhodopes exhibited
features of ancient beliefs (Fig.7).
A woman, aged between 30 and 35 was buried in grave. № 56. The grave holerectangular with rounded edges - was dug in the main ground and part of the rock.
The burial ritual was Christian (body laid, legs pointing east, arms crossed on the
abdomen). The bones we found were in bad condition. On both sides of the wellpreserved skull, next to the temples were uncovered fragments of a gold fabric
tiara which had left deep marks on the forehead of the young woman.
‘Nadushnica’ (a piece for hair decoration), made from two hemi spherical plates
bonded on the edges, was uncovered in place of the right ear. Where the be
missing fingers of the right hand used to be - a cast bronze ring with traces of
decoration was found and in her mouth – an Ottoman coin made in 1536, during
the reign of Suleiman the Law-maker (or Suleiman the Magnificent). Grave № 56
is the first one where we registered Charon’s obol in a necropolis dating from
Ottoman times where jewellery was uncovered, too [19].
I have briefly described the five archaeological sites comprising TMCC Dolna
Bartina. Their idiosyncrasies on the one hand and the chronological bind on the
other (revealed during their archaeological examination), shows that a burial ritual
can serve as a historical source of great importance when it comes to the issue of
the ethnic map of the population in the Rhodopes. The study of the burial rites
with the methods of archaeology provides evidence in support of existing
agiographic data that the mission of Saint Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana, was
successful.
References:
[1] According to the linguist Momchil Chalukov, the name of the settlement is
derived from the ancient Slavonic name Barota having a common origin with the
verb ‘borya se’ – to fight.
[2] Special thanks to research scientist Ana Raduncheva for her consultancy work
concerning the dating of the figurine.
[3] The sanctuary is known to the locals as Markovi kazani( Marko’s caldrons ). In
1972 an archaeological team led by N.Damyanov described it, photographed it
and included it in the Archaeological map of the Central Rhodopes.
[4] Коняров Г. Принос към историята на рудодобива и металургията в
България. София, 1955, 172 с.
[5] Дамянов Н. От Гаргантюа във Франция до Рим папа в Мадан. – В:
Родопски вести, Смолян, бр. 45, 46, 48, 49, ХІ-ХІІ.2006; бр. 1, 2, І.2007,
VІІІ.2007.
[6] Кисьов К. Към въпроса за погребалния обичай през ранната желязна
епоха в Западните Родопи. – Археология, 1901, 4, 1-8.
[7] Миков В. Разкопки из Родопите. ГПНБМ, 1940-1941 г., 19-32.
[8] Джамбов Хр. Тракийски некропол край рудник в Родопите. – Археология,
1960, 3, 50-52.
[9] Пак там (цитираната поредица във в-к Родопски вести).
[10] Due to the good quality of the clay covering the settlement, the whole cultural
layer was taken and used for building the wall of Dospat dam (1962-1965).
[11] Дамянов Н. Късноантичен и средновековен некропол край Грохотно,
Девинско. Каталог на гробовете. – В: Rhodopica, 1998, 1, 69-81.
[12] Райчев Д. Късноантичен некропол край махала Черешево, Беденско. –
Родопи, 1976, 10, 34.
[13] Дамянов Н. Средновековен некропол край с. Триград, Смолянски окръг.
Археологически открития и разкопки през 1983 г., Смолян, 1984, 113.
[14] Дамянов Н. Раннохристиянска базилика при с. Барутин, Смолянски
окръг. – Археологически открития и разкопки през 1985 г., Велико Търново,
1986, 181.
[15] Гетов Л. Погребални обичаи и гробни съоръжения у траките през
римската епоха (І-ІV в.). – Археология, 1971, 1, 1-11.
[16] Прокопов И. Нумизматична колекция на Смолянския музей V в. пр.н.е. –
ІV в. София, 1991, 39.
[17] Маразов И. Златният предмет в архаичната култура. – Изкуство, 1985, 8,
31-39; Видимият мост. Изкуство и митология., София, 1992; Проблеми на
изкуството, І, 3-16; Погребаните съкровища. Проблеми на изкуството, 1992,
3-4, 3-18.
[18] Чанева-Дечевска Н. Раннохристиянската култура в България ІV-VІ в.,
София, 1999, 287-290.
[19] Дамянов Н. Средновековните некрополи в Средните Родопи. – Музеи и
паметници на културата, 1986, 4, 23-28; Погребалният обичай през късната
античност в Западните Родопи. – В: Тракийската култура в Родопите и
горните поречия на Марица, Места и Струма, Смолян, 1990, 92-98; Димитров
С. Някои проблеми на етническите и ислямизационно-асимилационните
процеси в българските земи през ХV-ХVІІ в. – В: Проблеми на развитието на
българската народност и нация, София, 1988, 55; Въжарова Ж.
Погребалният обред като исторически източник за етническата същност на
българската народност (по археологически и етнографски данни). –
Археология, 1977, 2, 55.
(Resume)
As a result of an administrative reform in the Roman Empire in the 3 rd century,
Rodopa province appeared on its map, a province, including the Rhodopes, the
valleys of the Maritza and the Mesta Rivers and the part of the Aegean coast
‘locked’ between their mouths. The Trans-Rhodopean road connecting the two
valleys became of utmost importance. It was well-maintained; a number of
garrison fortresses were built to protect it and Nicopolis ad Nestum, the only town
on the Mesta River, became an important economical and administrative centre in
this part of the mountain. At that time, on the right bank of the Dospatska River, in
Dolna Bartina area, a Thracian Mining Cult Complex (TMCC) came into existence.
It contains a number of mining tools and cult objects, made at different historical
ages. In chronological order, they are as follows: a furnace for melting ore (the 3 rd
century), a Thracian flat necropolis (3rd -6th century), an Old Christian tomb (4 th
century), a three-nave basilica (4th -6th century.) and a Christian Medieval
necropolis (10th – 17th century).
In this paper the author presents unpublished findings from the archaeological
sites in TMCC uncovered and examined by him. They all illustrate that the
Rhodopean people ‘inherited’ the cult places starting from pagan times through
early Christianity into the Middle Ages. It becomes clear that the examination of
the burial ritual from archaeological point of view presents not only material
evidence supporting agiographic data that the mission of Saint Nicetas, Bishop of
Remesiana was successful, but also make the burial ritual a valuable source in
clarifying the ethnicity of the Rhodopean people.
Anotations:
Fig.1. Dolna Bartina Thracian mining and cult complex, general view (designed by Iv.
Sulinadzhiev, eng. typesetting: architect Hr. Karayankov)
Fig.2. Dolna Bartina Thracian mining and cult complex , Situation of the main archaeological
sites (designed by architect Hr. Karayankov)
Fig.3. Old Christian tomb, east view (Photo by V.Peltekov)
Fig.4. Old Christian tomb, west view (Photo by V.Peltekov)
Fig.5. Old Christian tomb: a. section along А-А reconstruction; b. section along Б-Б и
reconstruction; c. General view (Designed by architect At. Staykov)
Fig.6. Two-chamber tomb, surrounded by a round stone wall, east view (Photo by At.
Kiryakov)
Fig.7. Furnace for melting ore, east view (Photo by At. Kiryakov)
Fig.8. Basilica from Early Christianity, east view (Photo by At. Kiryakov)
Fig.9. Early Christian Basilica, west view (Photo by At. Kiryakov)