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.
