Three clay made idols were found just at the first day of the excavation works at Perperikon. These finds are some of the very first objects for the season 2008 at the ancient sanctuary between Haskovo and Kardjali. Those items were found during the cleaning process of the working areas.
Two of the clay figures have human shape, the third one has shape of bull. Those idols are used from the ancient citizens as gifts at the sanctuaries on Perperikon.
Professor Nikolay Ovcharov has told front of the Bulgarian National Radio that these figures confirms once again the relation between the ancient Thracian town and the Minoan culture.
Continue reading 3 000 years old clay idols were found at Perperikon.
Thracian tomb at about 3000 years was found at Perperikon by Krasimir Leshtakov. That was announced by Professor Nikolai Ovcharov, who told that it is result of studies at the foot of the historical hill. In consideration of treasure-hunter’s excavation near rock, the find has been explored and there has been found hew out sepulchre. That;s the one and only such sepulcher in the Perperikon area. Compared to the other 45 excavated objects, this is the first also with preserved cultural stratum. The find is engraved into monolythic rock at the end of the bronze and the beginning of the iron epoch. At the niche there is placed round feretory, shaped by dry walling and covered with paving stone.
“Probably it’s about symbolic furniture of chieftain or priest, perished somewhere else, because the sepulchre is empty” explain NIkolai Ovcharov. Near the tomb was found Roman ceramic. That confirms that the place has been honored in later epoch, adds Leshtakov. It has been object of people’s cult for the Thracians, different from the official religion, consider mister Leshtakov.
Bronze gad of arrow, 35 centuries old was found at the approaches of the Perperikon’s castle. That find, large 12-13 centimeters is dating to near by 2 3 500 years or from the Trojan’s war, has told the menager of the excavations, mister Nikolai Ovcharov. Local citizen has found the metal object, when he has been tilling his field.
The keen is unique, there are no more than two or three known patterns from this kind in our land. They’ve been set only at arrows, which has been threw against assailing armies, particularize Nikolai Ovcharov.
King’s throne of clay from 6 000 years ago was found at the king’s rock castle Perperikon from the Nikolai Ovcharov’s team. The clay is with four legs, an arched roof back and phallus in the center of the seat. According to mr Ovcharov’s words, that might typify the prelude toward the religious rite of the matrimony.
From this period of the finds at Perperikon there are found seven or eight more objects - idols, religious side-tables, utensil used for opiates, but the throne got no analogue. Just two days before that find, at Perperikon was found golden coin from the first half of the eleventh century, dating to the Mihail third Paflagon era. That coin has never been used and has been preserved into pelvis with analytical balance. At the first side is depicted the effigy of the emperor, at the other is the blessing Jesus Christ. That finds are available now with all other at the exposition at the Historical museum in Kurdjali.
Herodotus found the Oracle of Dionysus in the land of the Satrians remarkable: “[…] it is a prophetess who utters the oracles, as at Delphi.” Other sources provide evidence of at least two of those oracles which left a mark on world history.
Undoubtedly, the most important record in this regard is Suetonius’ account of the visit paid by the first Roman Emperor’s father to the Temple of Dionysus in the Rhodope. The prophets sat in a roofless oval chamber and, as the Roman historian tells us: ” … When Octavian, father of Augustus, at the head of his army, came upon the Holy Mount of Dionysus, he consulted the oracle about his son, and the prophets said to him that his son was to rule the world, for as the wine was spilt onto the altar, the smoke rose up above the top of the shrine and even unto heavens, as had happened when Alexander the Great himself had sacrificed upon that same altar.”
Continue reading The Oracles of Dionysus
Perperikon (or Hyperperakion or Perperakion) is in the Eastern Rhodope range, some 12 miles from the town of Kurdzhali. The roads from Sofia, via Asenovgrad or Haskovo, are fairly good and well maintained. Perperikon is perched on a rocky peak at 1,400 ft above sea level guarded at its foot by the village of Gorna Krepost [high castle]. The gold-bearing river Perpereshka flows nearby forming a valley some 7 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.
This fertile sheltered place had attracted settlers in very ancient times, and today, dozens of sites clustered around the natural hub of Perperikon reveal layer upon layer of archaeological remains. Just a little further downstream, the Perpereshka flows into the artificial lake of Stouden Kladenets on the river Arda. Where the two bodies of water meet, is the village of Kaloyantsi, a scenic place with some tourist facilities.
Below you can see road map of how to get to Perperikon and Izometric drawings of this altar.
Google Earth Placemark - Ancient Thracian city of Perperikon
