Ancient Thrace

Kamen D. Dimitrov. "Economic, Social and Political Structures on the Territory of the Odrysian Kingdom in Thrace (5th – first half of the 3rd century BC)".
Petar Balabanov. "POWER AND PROPERTY RIGHTS IN ANCIENT THRACE – 6th-4th CENTURIES BC"
Мaria Chichikova. "THE ROYAL PALACE IN SEUTHOPOLIS".
Kamen D. Dimitrov. "STUDYING THE NUMISMATIC SOURCES ON THE ODRYSIAN KINGDOM IN THRACE (5TH MID-4TH CENTURY BC): CLASSIFICATION, METHODOLOGY AND MAIN RESULTS".
Despoina Tsiafaki. "ANCIENT THRACE AND THE THRACIANS THROUGH ATHENIAN EYES".
Valeriu Sîrbu. "The Getae “Gold and Silver Princes” (4th–3rd Centuries BC). Some Considerations".
Diana Gergova. "The Thracian Bessi. Main characteristics of the culture of a Priestlywarrior tribe".
Hristo Popov ."Settlements"
Georgi Nekhrizov. "Dolmens and Rock-Cut Monuments"
Rumyana Georgieva. "Ritual Pits”
Daniela Stoyanova. "Tomb Architecture"-Problems of Chronology, “Gonimasedze, wife of Seuthes”
Emil Nankov. "Urbanization"
Totko Stoyanov. "Warfare"

""En Filipo II y el Arte de la Guerra tendremos la oportunidad de conocer en profundidad a uno de los más grandes reyes de la antigua Macedonia. Gracias a su habilidad como estratega, diplomático, político y soldado, heredó un reino pobre, débil y acosado por innumerables enemigos y lo transformó en el más poderoso de toda Grecia.

A lo largo de sus páginas podremos conocer la historia del reino Macedonio, desde sus orígenes míticos hasta la formación de un imperio, de la mano del que, a la postre, se convertiría en el padre del mítico Alejandro Magno y en el forjador de un nuevo ejército que cambiaria el devenir de la guerra en la Antigüedad. Filipo II fue el creador de la falange macedonia, formación que se demostraría como inigualable en el campo de batalla y que reportaría incontables victorias sobre poderosos enemigos, como los ilirios, los tesalios, los tracios, los beocios o los atenienses. Pero no sólo eso, logró integrar en el campo de batalla a la infantería y a la caballería para emplearlos en nuevas formaciones tácticas: armó a sus soldados con las míticas sarissas y apreció como pocos las posibilidades militares que la maquinaria de guerra podía proporcionarle, siendo el mecenas de numerosos avances en este campo. Soñó con conquistar el Imperio persa, cuando ya había logrado lo que nadie antes fue capaz: el control de Grecia.

Sólo la muerte le arrebató esa hazaña, pero sentó las bases de lo que más tarde conseguiría su propio hijo. Su figura levantó tanto odios como pasiones; se le conocía como mujeriego y bebedor, pero también por su habilidad para la oratoria, por sus astucia, determinación y valor. Siempre luchó en primera línea junto a sus soldados y nunca permitió que éstos le llamaran rey, sino solo "General".

Този доклад е продължение (втора част) на лекцията озаглавена “Причерноморието – люлка на европейската цивилизация и Тракия като арийска сърцевина”, изнесена пред Международната научна конференция “Древна Тракия – сакрално и профанно. България, Балканите и Черноморската област”, Пловдив, 2019. Докато в първата част вниманието е фокусирано върху аргументи в полза на тезата за депресията, която днес е леглото на Черно море, като не само подслон за преживяване, но и “люлка” за създаване на генетичен резервоар благоприятстващ развитие на подслонената общност, втората част разглежда доказателствата за твърдението, че тук се развива бъдещата хронологически първа за човечеството цивилизация – тази на Арите (Арийците), които по-късно биват наричани също и Пеласги, Траки, Кимери, Илири и пр. Представени са няколко образци на урбанизирани общности на средна възраст около 7000 години, тоест, предхождащи всички други известни на човечеството. Представени са и оцелели във времето образци на протописменост, разпръснати преимуществено из Арийския континуум на Блаканите, тоест в ареала на Траките. В заключение е публикуван апел към всички – в научните среди, както и в кръговете на местния патриотизъм, за употреба на точна терминология, без ограниченията на политическата коректност и каквито и да е други съображения отвъд обективната реалност, за да се спрат спекулациите с нашето историческо и културно наследство.

The use of curved single-edged swords – μαχαιρα/machaira* (and variants thereof) – developed during the Bronze Age in southeastern Europe, with both the Iapodic and Liburian groups on the eastern Adriatic coast using variants of the machaira during this period (Batović 1983:314; Dreschler-Bižić 1983:383-384). Machaira type swords also appear in the area of the Besarabi culture in the 8 th c. BC (Guštin 1974: 78-79, 81-83; Tomedi 2002:112-113), and the use of this form of weapon can be traced on the Balkans throughout the Iron Age (Gaspari, Mlinar 2005). That the machaira was also adopted by the Balkan Celts has been confirmed by recent archaeological discoveries from sites in the western, central and eastern Balkans (Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria), where such weapons have been found in Celtic warrior burials. A good example is that from burial #25 at Most na Soči in Slovenia where a late La Têne cremation burial yielded the burnt remains of a warrior accompanied by a spearhead, a bronze La Têne fibula, and a curved sword of the machaira type. Both the weapons and the fibula from the burial had been ritually 'killed' (i.e. deliberately deformed) in the typical Celtic fashion. The sword from Most na Soči is a machaira of the Ljubljanica type, further examples of which have been found in this region at Šmihel, in Carniola, 2 from the Ljubljana moor, and a Celtic machaira with a decorated hilt discovered in the Ljubljanica river (loc cit).

Bu eserler Mustafa Erman Uyar tarafından Bursa Müze Müdürlüğü ve yerel kurumların çeşitli yazılı izinleri ile çalışılmıştır.

This is an unpublished master's thesis in Turkish language at the Dokuz Eylül University, submitted by Mustafa Erman Uyar in the summer of 2019 and focuses on some archaeological finds from Mustafakemalpaşa in Mysia (northwestern Turkey).

The present document is an abridged version of the thesis, full version of which will be displayed here soon; please ask to its adviser for its full version: elafli@yahoo.ca

Mustafakemalpaşa is a town and district in the province of Bursa in northwestern Turkey. In Graeco-Roman and Byzantine periods Mustafakemalpaşa was called as "Kremaste" (Κρεμαστή; "Kirmasti" in Ottoman Turkish) and was a minor site in Mysia. During the Hellenistic period Kremaste was under the control of the Kingdom of Bithynia. In Graeco-Roman periods the most important site in this particular part of Mysia was Miletoupolis which is very close to the center of Mustafakemalpaşa. Around 300 A.D. Kremaste became an influential city when it became a Christian diocese. During the Byzantine period the site was again of minor importance.
In this thesis most of the surface finds from Mustafakemalpaşa, especially marble architectural elements of some monumental buildings and funerary monuments, are collected and classified. Most of the finds belong to the second and third centuries A.D.

Περίληψη: Στο 7 ο βιβλίο των Γεωγραφικών του Στράβωνα, ενός πολύπλευρου περιηγητή της ρωμαϊκής αρχαιότητας, διασώζονται πληροφορίες σχετικά με την αρχαία Θράκη, τα όρια της, τις φυλές που την κατοικούσαν, τα ήθη και τα έθιμα τους, όλα υπό το πρίσμα της σταθερής προσπάθειας του συγγραφέα να αποδείξει την ορθότητα των ομηρικών περιγραφών και παράλληλα να δώσει τα στοιχεία που συνθέτουν τη φυσιογνωμία, γεωφυσική και ανθρωπολογική, των κατοίκων της περιοχής. Ως ένα από τα χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα των Θρακών αναδύεται η απλή δίαιτά τους, η πολυγαμία τους και μια ιδιαίτερη σχέση τους με τη θρησκεία, ενώ τονίζεται ο νομαδικός και δίκαιος βίος τους.

За нас съвременните хора древните траки са народ и култура, които са обвити в тайнственост. Въпреки множеството материални находки от тракийската древност, тази древна култура не спира да носи в себе си онова магическо, което свързваме с мистерията, с тайната, със забраненото за произнасяне и непознато на всеки, а достъпно само за малцина. Ако съдим по някои антични сведения за траките, за които ще стане въпрос в тази статия, то и в древността често траките са свързвани с магията и магическото.

The article addresses contemporary enthusiasts’ activities dealing with the ancient Thracian heritage in Bulgaria. Alternative re-writings of the past, cult movements and historical re-enactments have been analysed in view of the creation of a popular narrative, which is being endlessly shared, experienced, re-appropriated and re-formulated online. Based on the concept of "community of practice", as it has been recently introduced in Heritage Studies by Nicolas Adell, Regina F. Bendix, Chiara Bortolotto and Markus Tauschek, the focus of the paper is on possible entanglements between various academic and dilettante, professional and amateur, religious and political actors, all of which contribute to the establishment of an “edited” past.

The employment of the tattooing to mark various parts of the human body, is a ‘custom’ that appears throughout the centuries in numerous regions and cultures. Through the existing examples it is pointed out that it was very popular among the ancient Thracians. Either as a sign of nobility for the men of Thrace, or as a mark of punishment on the Thracian women for the death of Orpheus, the Thracian tattoo is testified through the literary sources and the iconography. Focus of this paper is to explore the visual and written information regarding the Thracian ‘custom’ of tattooing and to investigate its symbolism and meanings. In order to do that within the right context, it is provided some brief general information on tattooing and an introduction to the Thracian people and their habits. The Thracian tattoos are approached through the ancient Greek view and they appear to be signs and symbols of various and different status.

Праматаров, К. 2018: Извънградски некрополи в провинция Тракия (Ι-ΙΙΙ в.). Автореферат на дисертация за присъждане на образователна и научна степен "доктор". София 2018, 1-64.

Научен ръководител: доц. д-р Румяна Георгиева
Рецензенти: проф. д.и.н. Людмил Гетов
доц. д-р Гергана Кабакчиева

The study consists of five chapters from a still unpublished book written by the Romanian orientalist Constantin Daniel. The book deals with the Thracian cult of Zalmoxis, considered as a cult of mysteries, similar to those practiced in the Hellenistic world.
The first five chapters don’t approach directly the topic of the cult of Zalmoxis; they rather deal with the very tight connexions between the Greek and the Thracian cultures. In the author’s view, the Thracian world represented the origin of many of the cultural and religious ideas of the Greeks. Constantin Daniel depicts Troja as a Thracian city and the Greek religious ideals as being inspired by the realities of the religious life of the Thracs. Hence, the Abioii, the Hyperboreans and the Agathyrses (according to C. Daniel, all these people being Thracians) and their communities are put forward as the models that inspired the Greeks in creating their own religious ideals. Later on, the author will avail of this eulogistic perspective upon the Thracian spirituality in order to justify the elevated, highly spiritual character of the cult of Zalmoxis.

The book attempts to present –for the first time in the international bibliography– a detailed description of the historical life of Abydos (Άβυδος) of Hellespont (Ελλήσποντος, Δαρδανέλλια); the latter was an important ancient and medieval Greek city, situated on the Asiatic shore of Dardanelles, at the once narrowest part of the local Straits (usually named "Stenon of Abydos") and in the surrounding area of the promontory of Nara (an Ottoman and modern Turkish naval base, where free access is prohibited). The monograph also detects the  relations between Abydos and other known settlements in the wider region of northwestern Asia Minor (Troad, Hellespont, Mysia, Hellespontine Phrygia).

Αbydos was founded predominantly as a colony of Miletus (ca. 680-650 BC) and had a continuous historical life that lasted about 2.000 years (mid. 7th c. BC - early 14th c. AD). The prosperous ancient city minted various coins between 6th c. BC - 3rd c. AD. Its lively port was used for centuries as a key point for the passage from Europe to Asia and the cruise from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (and vice versa) as well as a major customs station ("telonion Abydou" during the Roman imperial years, "demosion teloneion" or "kommerkion" or "dekateuterion Abydou" during the medieval period of the city). Byzantine Abydos was also an important administrative center, a military and naval base and an ecclesiastical seat (bishopric and later metropolis).

However, the long and turbulent history of Abydos and its region is virtually unknown in modern years, despite the fact that the city's reputation was particularly widespread during ancient and medieval times in the Mediterranean world. Moreover, for many reasons noted in the book, the settlement does not exist archaeologically in the last two centuries. In short, Abydos constitutes a very interesting case of a virtually lost city during the modern times.

For various reasons, also described in the book, the importance of Abydos had declined during the 13th c. AD and the city was finally abandoned by its population in the early 14th c. AD., mainly because of the Turkish threat in the area. From mid. 15th c. AD the new city of Çanakkale was established gradually (initially named as Kale-i Sultaniye) 5-6 km to the south of Abydos. The ruins of the abandoned urban area of ​​the latter have been systematically pillaged -mainly for construction and other purposes- between the 14th - early 19th c. AD.

For the reconstruction of  the long historical life of Abydos (mid. 7th c. BC - early 14th c. AD) and an in-depth analysis of its numerous and largely unknown institutions, the study relies though on the information providing by the written (ancient and medieval) texts but also on the scarce and dispersed epigraphic and the much richer numismatic (the city minted coins between 6th c. BC - 3rd c. AD) and sigillographic data and other archaeological findings regarding (or deriving from) the city. It also takes into account all the contemporary related publications.

[VANIAS publications,  Thessaloniki 2017,  752 pages,  ISBN: 978-960-288-342-6,  text in Greek language with an English summary]

The article provides an overview of the available linguistic, numismatic and archaeological evidence pertaining to the expansion of the La Tene culture into the area of modern Ukraine and the North Pontic region from the 3rd century BC onwards. A distinction is observed between the situation in western Ukraine where the process of Celtic migration — colonization is reflected in the archaeological evidence, and further east where the presence of Celtic “warrior bands” — mercenary groups have been identified. The testimony in ancient sources to the emergence of mixed Celto-Scythian populations in this area is also considered.

This paper aims to challenge our knowledge on the coinage of the enigmatic Mostis, king of south-eastern Thrace in the late second to early first century BC. Important questions about the identity, chronology and localisation of his kingdom will be targeted. An updated die study of the available silver tetradrachms of Mostis (only 20 specimens are known) will be presented together with a particular focus on his bronze coinage. Issues on the provenance and distribution of bronzes with a review of the main types, whose countermarking was hitherto unrecorded, from known collections and new finds will be touched on also. In my view a thorough study on the monograms applied on the coins of Mostis set against the distribution record from Aegean Thrace and the western Black Sea area might allow suggesting a new localisation of the mint for his coinage.

The cavalry formed a large part of the Odrysian army and this article describes their tactics, weapons, apparel, armour, and equipment, based on the latest archaeological discoveries.  It is fully illustrated, including (for the first time) colour reconstructions of the Kazanluk tomb paintings.  The article illustrates the transition from classical to hellenistic equipment, tactics, and appearance.

This is the outcome of an urban analysis and planning workshop, realised between February - September 2016 in Kıyıköy // Midye // Medea // Μήδεια in KIRKLARELI / TURKEY. Around 80, 1st year undergraduate students of the Urban and Regional Planning Department of the Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul and 9 of its staff have participated at the field work and the consecutive production of the outputs. It contains both 1/100.000, 1/2500 and 1/2000 territorial analysis and the geographical-social analysis of the municipality (belde), along with a nearly-exhaustive bibliography Kıyıköy // Midye // Medea // Μήδεια.

MSGSÜ Mim. Fak. Şehir ve Bölge Planlama Bölümü’nün 2015-2016 öğretim yılı bahar yarıyılı ders programında yer alan PLN201 planlama atölyesi için bu yıl çalışma alanı olarak; Istıranca / Yıldız Dağları ekosistemi içerisindeki, Kırklareli'nin Vize ilçesine bağlı “Kıyıköy” beldesi seçildi. Trakya Bölgesi içinde geçen yıl yine aynı ders kapsamında ele alınan Demirköy ve köylerinin ardından bu defa daha küçük bir yerleşme alanı olan Kıyıköy’de daha derinlemesine bir çalışma yapma olanağı doğdu. Çalışmamız sırasında derinlemesine analizde Kıyıköy Beldesi İmar Planı kapsamındaki alana yoğunlaşarak, farklı, bir analiz süreci gerektiren Belde'ye bağlı Aksicim, Balkaya ve Hamidiye Köyleri kapsam dışında bırakılmıştır. Atölyenin temel öğretim hedefleri doğrultusunda; yerleşmenin “doğa-insan-kültür” ilişkileri bütününde incelenmesi, yerleşmeye parçası olduğu bütünden farklı ölçeklerde bakılabilmesi, yerleşmenin mekânsal örgütlenme biçimini oluşturan katmanların ve mekân olgusunun anlaşılabilmesi, yerleşmeye özgü niteliklerin ve farklılıkların ortaya konulabilmesi, yerleşmenin potansiyellerinin ve sorunlarının anlaşılabilmesi çalışma programımızı şekillendirdi. Çalışma grupları bu doğrultuda üst ve alt olmak üzere birbirini bütünleyen iki farklı ölçekte çalıştılar. Dönem başında bir hafta boyunca Kıyıköy’e gidilerek yerinde alan araştırması yapıldı. Istrancalar sistemi içinde yerleşmeleri anlayabilmek için üst ölçekte farklı temalarda çalışma konuları belirlendi. Bölgesel ve çevresel ilişkileri anlayabilmek için üst ölçekte; akışlar ve erişilebilirlik, tarihsel katmanlar ve kültür mirası, doğal nitelikler ve miras konuları ele alınırken, alt ölçek olarak belirlenen Kıyıköy Belde ölçeğinde de yerleşmenin sosyoekonomik özellikleri, planlama araç ve süreçleri, fiziki çevre analizleri ile yerleşmenin mekânsal belleği ve algı rotalarını oluşturmaya yönelik çalışma konuları belirlendi.

In this paper is analyzed one record in epigraphic monument, found in the temple of Athena Lindia at the island of Rhodes. It is about a dedication by Philip V of Macedon (221 – 179 BC), which is read as follows: “King Philip: ten skirmisher shields, ten sarissas, ten helmets. On which has been inscribed: ‘King of the Macedonians, Philip, son of King Demetrius, having been victorious over the Dardanians and [the Maedians?], to Athena Lindia’, as the public records of the Lindians testify”. Commented are the different readings and the issues raised by the content of the inscription. It is accepted in historiography that there were two defeated ethnic groups: with some degree of probability the name of the Dardanians is restored, while from the second ethnonym not a single letter is legible. Methodological shortcomings of modern solutions for placing the information in a historical context are pointed out. It is assumed – according to the information from the Lindos Chronicle about a dedication of Alexander III the Great (336 – 323 BC) after a significant military victory – that Philip's successes must have been commensurate with these of Alexander. Thus, the dating of the battles conditionally to 204 BC is justified. Then, according to Diodorus, Philip V achieved a great victory over the Dardanians, that ended with 10,000 casualties. This victory is connected with an epigram of Antipater of Sidon, in which the Macedonian king is called “destroyer of the Dardanians”. At the same time, as it is suggested on the basis of fragments of Polybius, Philip V campaigned in Thrace. In one of these fragments the Thracians Digerri were mentioned; they inhabited near the Strymon (Struma) River. Unfortunately, the context of the information is unknown, but if it is really about military actions, as is suggested in the historiography, then it is unlikely that the Maedians have been remained unaffected. It is noted that a possible victory over the Maedians in 204 BC may explain their disappearance of ancient texts in the following decades.

This article presents an attempt for identifying the relations between Philip V of Macedon (221 – 179 B.C.) and the Thracians in the course of the Social war (220 – 217 B.C.). The limited ancient sources – in the form of several short sentences in the works of Polybius, Pompeius Trogus/Justin and Titus Livy – are analyzed. Arguments in suggestion of military actions of the Macedonian king against the Thracians in 220 B.C. are proposed; it is specified that they probably were military clashes along the borders. The available sources about Thracians in the Macedonian army during the war in question are also considered; they formed a contingent different from those of the mercenaries. All the evidence presented are interpreted as reflections of the significance of Thrace and the Thracians in the politics of Philip V from the very beginning of his reign.

The author argues the need for this study with the ascertainment that there is not even a general idea of the role of the Thracians and the importance of Thrace in the Second Macedonian War (200 – 197 B.C.). Therefore, in the following lines is collected and commented all of the available information on the issue; its analysis not only raises new questions, but also allows formulation of some important observations. First, the assignment of the Thracians to the foreign auxiliary troops in the Macedonian army is directly indicated; it is very probable that there were also Thracians among the mercenaries. In both cases, they were apparently lightly armed infantry. Incomplete data do not allow specifying whether their number changed during the war. An important characteristic of the Thracians in the Macedonian army was their mobility – they were mentioned in operations throughout the Balkan Peninsula and even in Asia Minor, more specifically at Euboea, Eleusis, Erigon River, Argos, Cynoscephalae, Corinth and Stratonicea. Before the Battle near Cynoscephalae Thracians represented at least about 8% of the total Macedonian army and 26,6% of the light infantry. There is no evidence of Thracian reinforcements to the Romans. The only battle in which Thracians fought on both sides of the conflict took place near Corinth – there a Thracian contingent in the army of the Achaean League was reported. It is suggested that the good awareness of the Romans about the geopolitical situation in the Balkans, demonstrated by T. Quinctius Flamininus, it also implies the acquisition by them (probably for the first time) of information about Thrace and the Thracians. It is finished with a short note on the sources of our sources (Polybius and Livy) and the need for more research on this issue.

Thrace and the Roman Allies on the Balkans through the First Macedonian war (215 – 205 B.C.): This paper examines all available information about the place of Thrace and the Thracians in the first military collision between Rome and Macedonia. The fragmentary and incomplete nature of the sources is emphasized. This is due to the fact that the Balkan theater of operations remained in the shadow of those against Hannibal in Italy; by that reason only fragmentary informationrelated mostly to the Maedianshad survived. Upon careful reading of the ancient texts an incoordination between the Maedians and the Roman allies is observed, which rejects the assumption for their participation in the Anti-Macedonian coalition. Their clashes with Philip V are explained as traditional contradictions along the borders of the Macedonian kingdom.

In the recent years two bronze coins of king Sadalas II wеre offered at the coin market in Europe. These were the following:
1. AE 13 mm, 2.55 g - Savoca Coins, 19th Blue Auction (20 April 2019), no. 185; Fig. 1.
2. AE 16 mm, 2.97 g - Roma Numismatics E-sale 74 (20 August 2020), no. 26, ex W. M. Stancomb collection; Fig. 2.
Both coins are of the single royal type known for Sadalas II (see Youroukova 1976, 40-41, nos. 149-152; Юрукова 1992, 178-180, nos. 144-146; Peykov 2011, 104, no. C6300). Coins listed above are countermarked on obverse behind the royal head with a small triangular stamp. The countermark itself is a monogram of 3 Greek letters - O, Δ and H. The letter H is inscribed in the larger Δ, and the lowercase O is attached to the top left of the triangle. The second countermark has been earlier interpreted as the letters О and Λ (see W. Stancomb, “Some Countermarked and Overstruck Hellenistic Coins from the Region of the Thracian Bosporos”, Numismatic Chronicle 167, 2007, p. 32), being more unclear and filled with soil and patina.
No doubt, both countermarks applied on Sadalas bronzes (Fig. 3) reveal the abbreviated name of the city of Odessos (today Varna), as it is known from earlier civic issues – the Alexander type tetradrachms struck at Odessos in the 3rd-1st century BC.