The paper examines six double pins found in two necropolises in the area of Staro Selo, Radomir r... more The paper examines six double pins found in two necropolises in the area of Staro Selo, Radomir region – Vetrilnika and Ravnishteto localities, and provides important information about the culture of the people who inhabited the Upper Struma valley in the period from the 6th to the 1st century BC.
Poster exhibition “The panoply of the Thracian warriors” in Tsaribrod/Dimitrovgrad, Serbia, 2023
Poster exhibitions serve as one of the most accessible means of communication with the public. Th... more Poster exhibitions serve as one of the most accessible means of communication with the public. This paper presents the poster exhibition "The Panoply of the Thracian Warriors", organized by the National Archaeological Institute with the Museum, displayed in Tsaribrod, Serbia, in the autumn of 2023. It was supported by the National Scientific Programme "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad".
The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bron... more The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bronze, lead bronze and brass) – adornments, vessels, weapons and several plates, strips and sticks gathered in the category "others". They are found in southeastern Bulgaria and dated between the 8th and the 3rd century BC. The trend for targeted selection of alloys according to the way of working and the function of items are discussed, as well as some features of technology. The composition of all samples is compared with cluster analysis. The clusters and the data for local production of some artifacts like jewels, helmets, horse-harness appliqués etc. admit the presumption that part of bronze vessels found in ancient Thrace could be local as well.
The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bron... more The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bronze, lead bronze and brass) – adornments, vessels, weapons and several plates, strips and sticks gathered in the category “others”. They are found in southeastern Bulgaria and dated between the 8th and the 3rd century BC. The trend for targeted selection of alloys according to the way of working and the function of items are discussed, as well as some features of technology. The composition of all samples is compared with cluster analysis. The clusters and the data for local production of some artifacts like jewels, helmets, horse-harness appliqués etc. admit the presumption that part of bronze vessels found in ancient Thrace could be local as well.
The paper examines six double pins found in two necropolises in the area of Staro Selo, Radomir r... more The paper examines six double pins found in two necropolises in the area of Staro Selo, Radomir region – Vetrilnika and Ravnishteto localities, and provides important information about the culture of the people who inhabited the Upper Struma valley in the period from the 6th to the 1st century BC.
Poster exhibition “The panoply of the Thracian warriors” in Tsaribrod/Dimitrovgrad, Serbia, 2023
Poster exhibitions serve as one of the most accessible means of communication with the public. Th... more Poster exhibitions serve as one of the most accessible means of communication with the public. This paper presents the poster exhibition "The Panoply of the Thracian Warriors", organized by the National Archaeological Institute with the Museum, displayed in Tsaribrod, Serbia, in the autumn of 2023. It was supported by the National Scientific Programme "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad".
The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bron... more The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bronze, lead bronze and brass) – adornments, vessels, weapons and several plates, strips and sticks gathered in the category "others". They are found in southeastern Bulgaria and dated between the 8th and the 3rd century BC. The trend for targeted selection of alloys according to the way of working and the function of items are discussed, as well as some features of technology. The composition of all samples is compared with cluster analysis. The clusters and the data for local production of some artifacts like jewels, helmets, horse-harness appliqués etc. admit the presumption that part of bronze vessels found in ancient Thrace could be local as well.
The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bron... more The paper presents the ICP-AES analysis of thirty-three artifacts made of copper alloys (tin bronze, lead bronze and brass) – adornments, vessels, weapons and several plates, strips and sticks gathered in the category “others”. They are found in southeastern Bulgaria and dated between the 8th and the 3rd century BC. The trend for targeted selection of alloys according to the way of working and the function of items are discussed, as well as some features of technology. The composition of all samples is compared with cluster analysis. The clusters and the data for local production of some artifacts like jewels, helmets, horse-harness appliqués etc. admit the presumption that part of bronze vessels found in ancient Thrace could be local as well.
This monograph presents a comprehensive analysis of all types of fibulae from Ancient Thrace, dat... more This monograph presents a comprehensive analysis of all types of fibulae from Ancient Thrace, dating from the 5th to the 1st c. BC. It examines their origin, evolution, chronology, distribution, production, and use. The study includes more than 650 fibulae, with 623 of them featured in the catalogue. The first two chapters are devoted to the most common fibulae in Thrace, the so-called Thracian type fibulae and the fibulae with a bilateral spring, recognized in literature as La Tène fibulae. The third chapter of the book is devoted to the hybrid fibulae, which combine the construction of the Thracian type with some La Tène elements. The fourth chapter presents the hinged fibulae which are organized based on systematization for the specimens from the Central Balkans. The last group of fibulae includes various and diverse specimen that cannot be assigned to any of the previous categories. The catalogue is thematically arranged and is placed immediately after the text for each typological unit. 29 graphic and nine colour plates covering all categories of fibulae, along with ten colour maps and a detailed English summary are included. At the end of the book, there are three appendices with the results of the interdisciplinary studies: metallographic analysis, ICP-AES analysis, and X-ray fluorescence analysis.
In the spring of 2022 the rescue archaeological excavations related to the construction of the Ha... more In the spring of 2022 the rescue archaeological excavations related to the construction of the Haemus Highway AM brought to light an Early Hellenistic cemetery situated in the southern part of the Plevenski Visochini upland near the village of Bohot, Pleven Municipality, Pleven region, North Bulgaria. The cemetery was completely excavated and documented. It is part of an archaeological site documented in 2015 during a field survey preceding the construction of the Haemus Highway. The rescue excavations were supported by the Road Infrastructure Agency and carried out by a NAIM – BAS archaeological team.
Two impressive burials within the cemetery deserve special attention. They yielded artefacts of high scientific importance and artistic value, such as six silver hinged fibulae, a large number of bronze Thracian type fibulae and rings, a necklace of gold beads, ornamented silver bracelets, a string of glass beads, iron knives and spear heads. Similar artefacts have been published before, but these were yielded by a reliable and precisely documented archaeological context and were found together, which contributes significantly to our knowledge on the Thracian burial practices. The catalogue presents some of the artefacts yielded by two rich burials, the context of their discovery as well as stylistic and comparative analyses. There is a short review of the burial practices evidenced in the cemetery. The restoration of the artefacts has not been completed yet, and some additional interdisciplinary analyses have to be conducted before the fi nal publication on the excavation results.
These significant discoveries, the possibility to rescue the artefacts for the public, to collect and elicit new scientific information are the result of the dedication of the team that carried out the field work. Additionally, a wide circle of colleagues provided indispensable support during the archaeological excavations, the restoration and the conservation of the artefacts and the special laboratory analyses.
About 4,000 years ago the lands of modern Bulgaria were inhabited by people who built fortificati... more About 4,000 years ago the lands of modern Bulgaria were inhabited by people who built fortifications and cities, buried their dead in monumental tombs, drank wine from gold and silver cups, and warred, traded and did politics with the ancient Greeks and Romans, with the Persians, the Scythians and the ancient Macedonians. Who were these people? What do we know about them? This book will take you to all of the sites related to the Thracians, a mysterious nation that had no written language but left behind a lot of marvellous heritage.
Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine fibulae. An international e-conference in honour of Dr Maurizio Buora, May 12-13, 2022 / Izmir, Turkey, Colloquia Anatolica et Aegaea - Congressus internationales Smyrnenses XII., 2022
This video conference took place on May 12-13, 2022 in Izmir, Turkey. All the lectures and discus... more This video conference took place on May 12-13, 2022 in Izmir, Turkey. All the lectures and discussions in our e-conference were in English, and were recorded for later viewing on YouTube for participants who were unable to attend the live performance.
Thematically papers were divided into 11 sessions, dealing with different aspects of Greek, Roman and Byzantine fibulae (cf. the program in the abstract booklet). Revised papers will be published in a peer-reviewed proceedings volume.
A fibula is a brooch or pin for fastening garments, typically at the right shoulder. The fibulae developed in a variety of shapes and are usually divided into families that are based upon historical periods, geography, and/or cultures. They are also divided into classes that are based upon their general forms. Fibulae were found in relatively large quantities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea area, where they were in use and produced frequently between the Bronze Age and Medieval periods. So far the study of these multifunctional objects has been overlooked in the Mediterranean whereas there is still a huge amount of unpublished material from excavations and museums in an area from Portugal down to Egypt.
Fibulae can be categorized based on different criteria, including genres of material, production, use and distribution. The purpose of this video conference was to create an analytical framework for understanding the fibulae in their social and material contexts. This conference considered in depth the role played by fibulas – whose uses ranged from clothes pins to status symbols to military badges of rank – in ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine societies. In recent decades, major excavation projects have produced vast quantities of material data that have reshaped our understanding of the fibulae, while also raising new questions about their use and production over the long term. We focused on a study of brooches in general and fibulas in particular. Along the way we looked at the intersection between material culture and ethnicity, dealing with the contentious issue of how much that a people’s material culture can tell us about their ethnicity – or not! In this online conference we only focused on Greek, Roman and Byzantine fibulae from the Mediterranean and Black Sea area between c. early sixth century B.C. and early seventh century A.D., and attempted to set out a comprehensive model for the study of fibulae, including their definition, typology, chronology, contexts, function, regional characteristics and distribution patterns in the whole Mediterranean and Black Sea geographies.
This conference on ancient material culture and instrumenta is dedicated to the 75th birthday of Dr Maurizio Buora, the former director of the Civici Musei Castello di Udine in Italy and an international authority on fibulae.
Such papers that engage the following themes and topics are invited:
- Fibulae from archaeological field projects (especially well-dated finds), museums and private collections,
- Identification of different kinds of fibulas,
- Ancient Greek and Latin textual sources on fibulae,
- Evolution of fibulae in the Mediterranean and Black Sea area during the Etruscan, Lydian, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods,
- The construction of fibula taxonomies,
- Similar instrumenta in the ancient Near East and their relations to ancient Graeco-Roman fibulae, - The nature of different types of surviving material culture,
- What ancient Greeks and Romans thought about afterlife? Fibulae in funerary and votive contexts,
- Comparative studies and issues related to the adoption of Greek and/or Roman fibula models in indigenous contexts: fibulae as major indicators of the relationship between these two communities (indigenous and Greek or Roman),
- Fibula as an indicator of rank and prestige in the ancient world,
- Domestic and commercial use of fibulae,
- Early Christian fibulae,
- Byzantine fibulae,
- Post-Byzantine or modern replicas of Classical fibulae,
- Eastern fibulae in the ancient western world,
- Major production centres of fibulae in the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea area,
- Related instrumenta to fibulae in the regards of their function,
- Documentation and analysis of fibulae,
- The creation of a fully annotated and organized corpus,
- Publication of fibulae in the Mediterranean in possible corpara,
- Miscellanea.
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Papers by Miglena Stamberova
Two impressive burials within the cemetery deserve special attention. They yielded artefacts of high scientific importance and artistic value, such as six silver hinged fibulae, a large number of bronze Thracian type fibulae and rings, a necklace of gold beads, ornamented silver bracelets, a string of glass beads, iron knives and spear heads. Similar artefacts have been published before, but these were yielded by a reliable and precisely documented archaeological context and were found together, which contributes significantly to our knowledge on the Thracian burial practices. The catalogue presents some of the artefacts yielded by two rich burials, the context of their discovery as well as stylistic and comparative analyses. There is a short review of the burial practices evidenced in the cemetery. The restoration of the artefacts has not been completed yet, and some additional interdisciplinary analyses have to be conducted before the fi nal publication on the excavation results.
These significant discoveries, the possibility to rescue the artefacts for the public, to collect and elicit new scientific information are the result of the dedication of the team that carried out the field work. Additionally, a wide circle of colleagues provided indispensable support during the archaeological excavations, the restoration and the conservation of the artefacts and the special laboratory analyses.
Who were these people? What do we know about them?
This book will take you to all of the sites related to the Thracians, a mysterious nation that had no written language but left behind a lot of marvellous heritage.
Thematically papers were divided into 11 sessions, dealing with different aspects of Greek, Roman and Byzantine fibulae (cf. the program in the abstract booklet). Revised papers will be published in a peer-reviewed proceedings volume.
A fibula is a brooch or pin for fastening garments, typically at the right shoulder. The fibulae developed in a variety of shapes and are usually divided into families that are based upon historical periods, geography, and/or cultures. They are also divided into classes that are based upon their general forms. Fibulae were found in relatively large quantities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea area, where they were in use and produced frequently between the Bronze Age and Medieval periods. So far the study of these multifunctional objects has been overlooked in the Mediterranean whereas there is still a huge amount of unpublished material from excavations and museums in an area from Portugal down to Egypt.
Fibulae can be categorized based on different criteria, including genres of material, production, use and distribution. The purpose of this video conference was to create an analytical framework for understanding the fibulae in their social and material contexts. This conference considered in depth the role played by fibulas – whose uses ranged from clothes pins to status symbols to military badges of rank – in ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine societies. In recent decades, major excavation projects have produced vast quantities of material data that have reshaped our understanding of the fibulae, while also raising new questions about their use and production over the long term. We focused on a study of brooches in general and fibulas in particular. Along the way we looked at the intersection between material culture and ethnicity, dealing with the contentious issue of how much that a people’s material culture can tell us about their ethnicity – or not! In this online conference we only focused on Greek, Roman and Byzantine fibulae from the Mediterranean and Black Sea area between c. early sixth century B.C. and early seventh century A.D., and attempted to set out a comprehensive model for the study of fibulae, including their definition, typology, chronology, contexts, function, regional characteristics and distribution patterns in the whole Mediterranean and Black Sea geographies.
This conference on ancient material culture and instrumenta is dedicated to the 75th birthday of Dr Maurizio Buora, the former director of the Civici Musei Castello di Udine in Italy and an international authority on fibulae.
Such papers that engage the following themes and topics are invited:
- Fibulae from archaeological field projects (especially well-dated finds), museums and private collections,
- Identification of different kinds of fibulas,
- Ancient Greek and Latin textual sources on fibulae,
- Evolution of fibulae in the Mediterranean and Black Sea area during the Etruscan, Lydian, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods,
- The construction of fibula taxonomies,
- Similar instrumenta in the ancient Near East and their relations to ancient Graeco-Roman fibulae, - The nature of different types of surviving material culture,
- What ancient Greeks and Romans thought about afterlife? Fibulae in funerary and votive contexts,
- Comparative studies and issues related to the adoption of Greek and/or Roman fibula models in indigenous contexts: fibulae as major indicators of the relationship between these two communities (indigenous and Greek or Roman),
- Fibula as an indicator of rank and prestige in the ancient world,
- Domestic and commercial use of fibulae,
- Early Christian fibulae,
- Byzantine fibulae,
- Post-Byzantine or modern replicas of Classical fibulae,
- Eastern fibulae in the ancient western world,
- Major production centres of fibulae in the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea area,
- Related instrumenta to fibulae in the regards of their function,
- Documentation and analysis of fibulae,
- The creation of a fully annotated and organized corpus,
- Publication of fibulae in the Mediterranean in possible corpara,
- Miscellanea.