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Work Time 9:30 AM - 6 PM
Razgrad, 70 "Aprilsko vastanie" Blvd.
Work Time 9:30 AM - 6 PM
Razgrad, 70 "Aprilsko vastanie" Blvd.

The necropoles of Abritus

East of the Early Roman Abritus, on the right bank of the Beli Lom river in the Mezarata Area stands a tumulus necropolis, 14 tumuli of which were preserved in early 20th century. Judging by the manner of burying – under a tumulus and with cremation – this must have been the burial site for representatives of Thracian aristocracy. A cremation grave (burning the dead body), strongly fragmented iron and bronze items and a coin of Emperor Hadrian (117 – 138) were found in the only explored tumulus of this necropolis. A necropolis of flat graves of a population of Italic and Greek origin also functioned here. In late 19th – early 20th century some graves of it were accidentally found – they were made of processed stone blocks and brick masonry. Among the discoveries of the grave were pottery wares and glass wares, jewels and single coins of late 1st – early 2nd century. The coins were placed in the graves to pay Charon for a passage to the world of the dead. In 2004 in the same area was discovered and explored a plundered family stone tomb with semicircular vault and 6 Christian graves and next to it – 2 re-used stone sarcophaguses: one with a Christian temple without a grave inventory, and in the second one – the buried bones of 16 people.

There is a tumulus necropolis of 16 tumuli north of Abritus in the Mladezhki Park Area. Two tumuli with burial ceremony of cremation have been explored here. A bronze container was found in one of the graves – balsamarium dating back to the 2nd century shaped as the head of a young black woman. A few pottery wares and a silver ring with a gem dating back to the late 2nd century – 1st half of the 3rd century were found in the other tumulus. Four secondary graves from the 4th – 5th century were explored in the mound of the same tumulus.

The southern tumulus necropolis was located to the west of the walls of the Late Antiquity city and consisted of 8 low small tumuli that were seriously dispersed during the treatment of the terrain. A destroyed tomb once constructed of limestone tiles was discovered in one of them during an archeological excavation.

Christian necropoles of 4th – 6th century were located to the southwest, to the south and to the north of the fortress walls of the Late Antoquity castle. The earliest of them was the southwestern necropolis that was used only in the 4th century. Only a few graves of it have been explored – there the bodies were laid with an inventory of pottery wares. Currently only the position of the northern necropolis is known – it was placed along the two sides of the road that started from the northern gate and ran along the fortress wall. The northern necropolis has not been explored. The necropolis that has been studied the most is the southern one of 4th – 6th century, more than 300 graves of it have been studied. Burials were performed by laying the bodies in pits dug in the ground in the direction west – east with poor but varied grave inventory: pottery and glass wares, bronze and iron fibulae and belt buckles for men and pectoral medallions, bronze bracelets, necklaces of glass and amber beads for women.