Thracian necropolis in Svetitsata mound
In August 2004 an archaeological team leaded by Dr. Kitov explores the mound "Svetitsata", located in the region between the town of Shipka and village of Krun (part of the "Valley of the Thracian Kings"). During the excavations was discovered Thracian Tomb in shape of sarcophagus.
The Tomb has dimensions of 178 x 316 cm and is orientated in East-West direction. It is built of stone blocks laid in a deep pit. The ceiling was covered with six trapezoidal stone blocks with a length of over 2 m high, and parallelepiped-shaped, which resemble entire construction to sarcophagus. Inside, the Tomb has been colored in sacred for the Thracian colors - red and black. On the floor were discovered bones and parts of the skull of the buried.
It is assumed that the owner of the tomb has been a soldier (even if he is the Odrysaean king Teres I), since he was buried with an almost complete set of armor. In the Northwest corner of the necropolis was found an armor made of bronze and iron parts. There is bas-reliefs with human musculature on its front and dorsal parts.
In the mound were found many artifacts, but the most important among them is the Golden Court-Fiala, modeled as a human face-mask. It was used as a Cup for drink. The object was made from 23-carat solid gold and weighs about 670 grams. By its style it is dated to the middle of the 5th century BC. The mask is a highly distorted and crushed.
Among other valuable objects found in the tomb is a ring-seal, which is also decorated in the style of ancient art from the second half of V century BC.
The tomb is open for visits from tourists for a fee. Working time for visits is between 9.00 am and 5: 00 pm. There is a professional guide from the Museum "Iskra" (town of Kazanlak) or from the other Tomb-Museum "Big Kosmatka", located about a kilometer away from the mound "Svetitsata".
