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Jordan Iliev

RHODOPE MOUNTAINS IN ANTIQUITY, BOOK II:

ANCIENT SOCIETIES IN RHODOPE MOUNTAINS

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2014 PLEVEN

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ISBN 978-619-162-352-5 , , , , , , . , !

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RHODOPE MOUNTAINS IN ANTIQUITY, BOOK II: ANCIENT SOCIETIES IN RHODOPE MOUNTAINS

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ARCHAEOLOGIA RHODOPICA .

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SUMMARY .

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. 1:

Ancient Societies in Rhodope Mountains / Summary

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SUMMARY

The book is a natural extension of the authors considerations on Rhodope Mountains in Antiquity, Book I, published a year ago. Its also part of his PhD research, worked in the period 2009 2012 under the advisorship of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Delev (to the Department of Ancient History, Thracology and Mediaeval History, Faculty of His tory, St. Clement of Ohrid Sofia University). While the first book was centered on Rh odope as a reality in the ancient world, this book is focused on the information about mountains inhabitants in antiquity. It consists of three interrelated parts: Preliminary Note The first part of the book states the still limited studies on the different geographical regions of ancient Thrace, including Rhodope Mountains. It is assessed the need for this book. A special attention is paid over some archaeological monuments, which cannot be certainly interpreted the dolmens and the so-called rock-cut monuments. The latter is due to their unclear fundamental characteristics as date and interpretation, which are still under discussion. In conclusion is summarized that currently they all cant be placed in a certain historical context. Data about the ancient societies The second part is the main contribution of the book. Here are summarized the most important aspects of the history of the ancient inhabitants of Rhodope Mountains. The Thracian tribes in Rhodope Mountains according to the ancient writers. The emphasis is placed on the Thracian tribes connected with Rhodope Mountains explicitly. It is noted that a clear picture on the
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ancient societies in the mountain area is unable to obtain without a detailed knowledge of the political, socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the region, but the recent studies on the latter are still insufficient. The main observation, resulting from a general overview of the available data, is that the ancient inhabitants of Rhodope Mountains are not named more than once with a specific ethnonym. The most detailed information is dated to the 5th century BC. During the next centuries the information is not as detailed. The funerary practices. It cannot be seen any difference between the mountain inhabitants during the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and the Early Iron Age (EIA). For these ages principal funerary monuments were the burial mounds. In some places were excavated remains of burials in dolmens and rock tombs, dated to the EIA, but they seem to be exceptions. In the Late Iron Age (LIA) some new burial practices were introduced and used in parallel with the older ones. A large number of burials were made in monumental tombs, flat cemeteries and more rarely in clay sarcophagi. So far we have information of 19 monumental tombs in Rhodope Mountains. They are found in or near traditional agricultural areas (the valleys of the rivers Maritsa, Arda and the Aegean coast) and the mountain fields. In the southwestern parts of the mountains similar tombs are not yet discovered, but in these areas after the middle of the 4 th century BC were introduced flat cemeteries, of which 20 were excavated. They are attested only in regions, in which the monumental tombs are missing. During the Roman Age (RA) are attested burials only in mound necropolises. Some significant differences in the practiced rituals, compared with the LIA, are not detected. The monumental tombs, the flat cemeteries and the clay sarcophagi disappeared. In the Late Antiquity (LA) were used two types of cemeteries: flat and mound. The rituals in them were identical. In the funerary practices are not detected traces that can be connected with the advent of Christianity. At the same time are known a few Christian tombstones, which indicate for such a funerals.

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Characteristics of the settlements. The settlements are known mostly through terrain observations; more rarely through archaeological excavations. Registered are 17 settlements from the LBA. Only one of them was fortified. In this age the Yagodina cave had been sporadically visited. It is not specified whether the materials were associated with populating or with practicing of religious deeds. Among the archaeological objects from the EIA are currently known 36 (permanent or seasonal) settlements and 25 fortresses. They all have approximately the same area: between 3-4 up to 10 dec for settlements and between 0.3 up to 5-6 dec for the fortresses. To the LIA are dated 32 settlements and 15 fortresses. The area of the settlements reaches up to 20 dec. The clearly visible imbalance in the territorial distribution of these objects obviously is due to insufficient studies. Throughout the RA are attested some changes in the settlement system of Rhodope Mountains. Currently are known 33 settlements. Their area became significantly wider than the previous ages up to 50 dec. There are at least two villae rusticae and a Roman city Nicopolis near Mesta. In that time were used 14 fortresses. So far are known 24 settlements, which are dated to the LA. During that period significantly increased the building of fortresses, which number until now is 35. Economy. During the Antiquity in Rhodope Mountains were practiced a lot of economical activities. There is information on gathering, hunting, fishing, pastoralism, agriculture, mining of ore and nonmetallic mineral resources, spinning, production of ceramics, stoneworking, metalworking etc. The participation of Rhodope inhabitants in trade relations is evidenced by the road network, the coin circulation and some goods, which are interpreted as imported. Archaeological and epigraphical data on the religious life. The religious life in Rhodope Mountains has not been studied in full detail. Some common elements of the Thracian sanctuaries are summarized by several contemporary authors, but they are presented static, which is not

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conducive to the acquisition of an idea to any evolution of the cult facilities and practices through the ages. Currently are known 17 sanctuaries from the LBA. The published information about them is scarce. The infrastructure is presented by walls, clay plasters, traces of burns, pise. The burial gifts were predominantly ceramics, spindle weights, millstones, foundry molds etc. The main characteristics of the 21 sanctuaries from the EIA are the same. During the LIA some sanctuaries were surrounded by walls. Little is known about the infrastructure in this period. On a peak is suggested the existence of a temple with wooden frame. More often are found clay altars and negative structures with both natural (rock crevices) and artificial (pits with various forms) origin, which are interpreted as gifts depots. There is information about 27 sanctuaries from the RA. In some places are found votive tables, statues, statuettes and inscriptions, which demonstrate a new way to communication with gods. The epigraphic monuments shows that in Rhodope Mountains were worshiped mainly the health-gods, especially Asclepius. Less common are dedication to the widely prevent in the Roman Empire Graeco-Roman gods. There are also some Eastern and local gods. In the LA along with the activity of pagan sanctuaries began to build and Christian religious centers. All of them ceased operations in the second half of the 6th century. Archaeologia Rhodopica The third part of the book is a catalogue of the ancient archaeological objects in Rhodope Mountains, for which the author was able to find any information. They are differentiated in 7 chronological groups, as follows: (1) Rock-cut and megalithic monuments; (2) Objects from the Late Bronze Age; (3) Early Iron Age; (4) Later Iron Age; (5) Roman Age; (6) Late Antiquity and (7) Undated objects. Each of these groups, except the first, lists the objects in several thematically connected groups as: necropolises, settlements, sanctuaries, fortresses (if any) and individual materials.

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List of figures 1. Rhodope Mountains in Thrace 2. Dolmens in Bulgaria (after Lyubomir Tsonev) 3. A dolmen near the village of Plevun, municipality of Ivaylovgrad 4. A schema of the cromlech near Dolni Glavanak 5. Rock-cut niches in Rhodope Mountains 6. Rock-cut niches near Ardino 7. Rock-cut niches in the so-called Perperikon 8. Rock-cut tombs in Rhodope Mountains 9. The so-called Rock-tomb near the village of Tatul 10. Bes/bessis a Roman bronze coin from 126 BC 11. Archaeological objects from the LBA in Rhodope Mountains 12. Archaeological objects from the EIA in Rhodope Mountains 13. Archaeological objects from the LIA in Rhodope Mountains 14. Monumental tombs and flat cemeteries in Rhodope Mountains 15. Clay sarcophagi from the vicinity of Peshtera 16. Archaeological objects from the RA in Rhodope Mountains 17. Necropolises, settlements and fortresses from the LA 18. Reconstruction of the mound near the village of Svirachi 19. Reconstruction of the so-called villa Armira near Ivaylovgrad 20. Stone molds from the village of Mogilitsa near Smolyan 21. Coin hoards in Thrace (5th first half of the 4th century BC) 22. Coin hoards in Rhodope Mount. (5th first half of the 4th century BC) 23. Coin hoards from the Hellenic Age in Rhodope Mountains 24. Early Republican coin hoards in Rhodope Mountains 25. Roman Imperial coin hoards in Rhodope Mountains 26. Coin hoards from the LA in Rhodope Mountains 27. Relief of Mithras near the village of Termes 28. Inscription from the village of Gorni Voden 29. Votive tablet of an unknown goddess found near Asenovgrad 30. Bronze tablet with an image of Dionysos from Haskovo 31. Bronze tablet with an image of Dionysos from Smolyan 32. Pagan and Christian sanctuaries in Rhodope Mountains from the LA

 - , 2014 , II: : A5 ISBN 978-619-162-352-5