The rocky tomb is situated in the region of Furnadjica - 2km northeast of Gorno Pole. The rocky tomb was chiseled out of the volcanic rock. The tomb is composed of an antechamber, entrance and burial chamber. The antechamber was formed in outline by chiseling in the rock; the entrance leads towards the rectangular chamber with rounded angles. Significant in this particular tomb is that it also has an opening from the top – on the ceiling of the burial chamber. Building of such tombs required a lot of time and effort, which indicates that they were built for people with high social ranks. Traces of burials and burial inventory have not been discovered because the majority of the rocky tombs were plundered in antiquity. Materials of archeological interest were discovered in several similar facilities that suggest that the rocky tomb in the region of Furnadjica is a Thracian cultural monument dating back to the 1st Century BC.
There is another Thracian rocky tomb registered as belonging to the village lands, but it has a much simpler plan of construction. Another interesting monument – a rocky relief displaying two small human figures – is situated nearby in the Furnadjika area. The tomb very likely belongs to a huge Thracian cult complex related to the beliefs and rituals of the ancient people.
This Thracian monument is an oval stone in which a relief was chiseled out.
The stone block with the chiseled relief, after additional processing, vaguely resembles a human figure. At the present day, the stone block lies on one of its long sides, but in the past the stone block stood upright. There is a roughly formed frame in the upper part of the block, in which two human figures were chiseled out. They stand next to each other with raised hands (a gesture of adoration), stretched body and legs; one of the figures is taller than the other. The workmanship is rough, in an outline and strongly eroded by time. The two figures are 22 and 26 centimeters tall, and were chiseled in a 42×32cm frame. This unique monument is one of the oldest relief images chiseled in stone throughout the Bulgarian lands. The relief is part of an interesting rocky complex, at present strongly eroded by time, but evidence for it can be seen on the surrounding rocks.
A probable connection exists between the rocky relief, the nearby rock tombs and the sanctuary in Sivridikme, which is visible from both of the monuments. The relief is assumed to have been created during the Thracian times (1st Millennium BC), but there is a possibility it is much older.
The Antique Mound heaped on a stone basis is situated near Villa Armira in the outskirts of the village of Svirachi. Usage of the mound and its installations is dated to the period of the Roman epoch (1st-5th Century), precisely during the early period of the reign of Emperor Trajan (97-117 AD). The mound was likely used as a family necropolis for the proprietors of Villa Armira.
The 16-meter high mound is heaped on a massive stone construction with a total length of approximately 200m, surrounding its base. The construction is a unique representative of the ancient architecture from the early Roman epoch and is the only one of its kind on the territory of Bulgaria. Stone tiling was laid upon a foundation built in a complex manner of stone and plaster. The whole construction was built following a pre-prepared architectural plan. The tiling blocks are 3.7m long, each one cut in a catenary shape in its outer end. The stones are amphitheatrically arranged in ten rows. They are connected by massive iron cramps, soldered with lead. The mound is composed of many small, heaped hillocks made from the soil taken from the surrounding territory. Ancient materials, perhaps taken from a nearby prehistoric settlement, were also found in the mound.
The integrity of the mound was compromised many times – from antiquity and during the Russian-Turkish War for Liberation in 1878, when defensive facilities were built there and probably destroyed some of its installations. Two secondary burial sites were discovered during archeological excavations (built later than the mound). The first burial site was for an infant and is surrounded with marble plates. The second burial site was for a young man cremated on a funeral pile built on a preliminary leveled terrace. The remains of the pyre were piled in the center of the terrace and covered with flat tiles. The funeral included rich offerings – bronze, marble, glass and clay vessels, toilet boxes ornate with applications, masks and a breastplate – symbols of the Thracian aristocracy – finery and amulets. Two antique chariots were also found near the mound.
The medieval fortress is situated northwest of the village of Slaveevo. The fortress was built directly over the Arda River.
The fortress is assumed to be part of a fortification system, situated along the Arda River. During antiquity, one of the main roads leading from the Edirne plain towards the interior of the Rhodopes passed along its river bed. The fortress most probably was built during the Late Antique Epoch as a part of the so-called Limes Rodopica, built by Emperor Justinian I (527-565) to protect the Byzantium Empire from the barbaric invasions, which became regular during the epoch of the great migration of peoples.
The fortress is situated on the plateau of a ridge, orientated southwest-northeast. The ridge is surrounded by steep slopes on the north and south sides. The fortress walls follow the configuration of the terrain. The north wall is partly preserved, and the south wall is in better condition, preserved up to six meters high. The angles of the fortress are rounded. Piles of stone (most probably traces of buildings) can be seen in the interior of the fortress. In the center of the ridge, there is huge rectangular building orientated north-south with walls of 15×25m length. The building was built of local stones without soldering.
The fortress is one of the best preserved in the Eastern Rhodopes.
