The earliest people recorded in the Balkans belonged to three tribal groups–the Illyrians, Thracians, and Dacians. Historians are still out on the question if Thracians and Dacians were the same people or just closely related, Illyrians and Thracians were also related and are often refered to as “Thraco-Illyrian”.A German proverb says, Location is destiny. Bulgaria’s location has destined her to be in the vortex of history. In the Eastern Mediterranean, which is the home of some of the greatest cvilizations the world has ever seen, and at the western edge of the Eurasian steppe, which is the melting pot of Eurasia and home to some of the greatest wariors that ever lived.

According to historians, the people of Bulgaria used to trade with the Mediterranean, and almost the whole of Europe and Asia as early as 7000 years BC. Bulgaria was populated by amazing ancient cultures. In 1972 after a tractor accidentally unearthed a stunning Chalcolithic cemetery near Bulgaria’s port city Varna, archaeologists discovered the oldest gold treasure in the world c. 4500-4000 BC.If the size of his burial trove and the scepter in his right hand are anything to judge by, this 6,000-year-old skeleton was once an important ruler in the ancient Balkans. His grave site was excavated along with about 300 other burials, stocked with over 3,000 gold artifacts: bracelets, beads, pectorals and appliques - the oldest hoard of gold ever found in the world. The rich assortment of gold and copper ornaments found in many of the graves reveal that Bulgaria was a center of wealth and metallurgy 6 thousand years ago.

Isn’t it really amazing ??? I know it is

It is assumed that by approximately 3200BC Bulgaria was already populated by Thracians.

This is what a Thracian warrior is supposed to have looked like. The hat he’s wearing is a fox­-skin hat. Bulgaria’s climate is known for it’s hot summers and cold winters, the highest mountain peak in the Balkans - , is also in Bulgaria. It is cool up there, even on the hottest summer’s day.

Here’s what Casson says about the difference in climate between Thrace and Greece:

“The extremes, however, are great. A mean temperature in winter months only a little above freezing point, and a summer mean maximum well above 80 degrees, is such as to eliminate the unfit. Southern Greece has no such extremes.” It was in southern Thrace that Xenophon operated:

“… and a number of Greeks lost their noses and ears through frostbite. It was then easy to see why the Thracians wear fox-­skins around their heads and ears, and why they have tunics {zeira} that cover their legs and not only the upper part of the body.” {Greek tunics covered only the upper body.}

It is still possible to see people wearing fox-skin caps in the Rhodope Mountains today, although it is very rare now, the ones from the stores are cheaper and the better ones are warmer. The high leather boots embades were also important for the Thracian winter.

Similar Topics from Ancient Bulgaria Archive

» The Oldest Founds of Civilization on European Continent just have been destroyed
» Thracians, the oldest people in the Balkans Part 2
» Thracians, the oldest people in the Balkans Part 3
» The Gold of the Ancient Thracians
» The Rock People from the Rhodope, Strandja and Sakar Mountains