Oldest necropolis of ancient Apollonia found in Bulgaria’s Sozopol

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http://sofiaglobe.com/2012/09/03/archaeology-oldest-necropolis-of-ancient-apollonia-found-in-bulgarias-sozopol/

Archaeologists have found the long sought-after oldest necropolis of ancient Apollonia, the Black Sea town that was the predecessor to today's Sozopol in Bulgaria.

The discovery was made in the area of the fortress gate and southern wall of the old town. It is a long-awaited sequel to the discovery of part of the necropolis in 1972 by Mihail Lazarov.

The newly-discovered four gravesites were found two metres below the foundations of the church found by archaeologists at the start of this year's archaeological season near the southern entrance to the stone wall in Sozopol.

There is evidence that the core of the ancient necropolis may be dated to the second half of the sixth century BCE, according to a report on September 3 2012 by public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television.

At the gravesites of children, amphorae were found with pottery and balm as burial gifts. According to the report, it was believed that the ceramics had been imported fromCorinthand had been made about 540 BCE.

Dimitar Nedev, director of the Historical Museum in Sozopol, said that the ceramics had been very popular items, widely found on the territory of ancient Greece, but were a rare find in this area.

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And ... Incense vessel in shape of bull's head found on island off Bulgaria's Sozopol

http://sofiaglobe.com/2012/08/31/archaeology-incense-vessel-in-shape-of-bulls-head-found-on-island-off-bulgarias-sozopol/

An ancient incense vessel in the shape of a bull's head, estimated to date from the sixth century BCE, has been found by archaeologists on St Kirik island off the Bulgarian Black Sea town of Sozopol.

The discovery was made on the last hour of the last day of the 2012 summer archaeological season.

Public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television quoted John Stevenson, a Harvard student volunteer working on the dig, as saying that the find was a great surprise and one of the most interesting made this season.

Archaeologist Dragomir Garbov said that the vessel probably was used by the earliest settlers in Apollonia Pontica, an ancient name for Sozopol.

The head of archaeological excavations, Kristina Panayotova, said that the find was "very rare", the only such incense vessel  in the shape of a bull's head that had been found in Bulgaria.

"This really is the crown of our work on St. Kirik even just for this season," Panayotova said.

Thirty-five volunteers, including archaeological students from the United States, Canada and the UK, joined in the work on St Kirik island this archaeological season.