Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Archeologists say knights and vampires lived in medieval fortress near the village of Hrastovo

4
Photo: BTA

Remains of two churches, a skeleton covered with stones thrown against vampirism, numerous metal plates from the knightly armour of a Byzantine aristocrat, a lead ampoule - these are just some of the objects that recently surprised archaeologists who are studying the fortress near the village of Hrastovo in Krumovgrad. 

There, at the beginning of November, the third archaeological expedition took place under the leadership of Prof. Deyan Rabovyanov. 


Two churches, built at different times, were discovered within the necropolis. It is an interesting fact that, even after the abandonment and destruction of the temple, dead bodies were laid there, which shows that people considered the place sacred even after its destruction. 

The necropolis itself, in which 23 burial pits were discovered, is connected to the later church of the Middle Ages. 


"One of the most interesting graves in the necropolis is grave number 12, in which the legs of the dead are buried with a large amount of stones up to the knees. According to scientists, it is an ancient belief that the dead can come back to life in certain situations, to come out of the grave and start causing mischief even to their relatives," explains archaeologist Milen Kamarev


Among the interesting finds are clasps for liturgical books, jewelry, household items, many and varied arrowheads.‎


Photos: BTA


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

Gallery

More from category

The Church of St. Haralambos in Bulgaria's Shabla keeps the faith of generations alive

Every year on February 10, the feast of St. Haralambos   , Bishop of Magnesia, is celebrated with special solemnity in a small Bulgarian town in the northernmost part of the country's Black Sea coast . For Shabla and its residents, this is the..

published on 2/10/25 6:05 AM

Metropolitan Anthony on Orthodoxy as a Spiritual Bridge Between Cultures

Almost 40 years ago, Bulgarian Orthodox Church communities were established in Western and Central Europe in several cities - Budapest, Munich, Vienna, Stockholm, Malmö, Oslo and Paris. With Bulgaria's accession to the European Union and the expansion..

published on 2/5/25 4:23 PM

Bulgaria pays tribute to Gotse Delchev - the apostle of freedom for Bulgarians in Macedonia and Adriatic Thrace

On February 4, Blagoevgrad will commemorate the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Bulgarian revolutionary Gotse Delchev with a wreath-laying ceremony. The ceremony will take place at 11am in front of the hero's monument on Macedonia Square. Voivode..

published on 2/4/25 7:10 AM