The Valley of the Thracian Rulers

There is less than one hundred Thracian stone-built under-tumular constructions in Bulgaria that are usually called tombs. Most of them were found half-demolished or were demolished subsequently. Thirteen such buildings were constructed in the Kazanlak valley (fig. 1). Their number rises to fifteen, it we add another two constructions, which are not so impressive but possess a high scientific value. They are concentrated within a limited geographic region and in terms of statistics they are considerably more than any other area of Bulgaria. Taking this into consideration and knowing that some fifty years ago the only Thracian town Seuthopolis was found and excavated approximately a dozen of kilometers away from Kazanlak gave enough grounds the Kazanlak valley to be given the name "the Valley of the Thracian Rulers". The tombs (under-tumular temples as per our team"s findings) vary extremely as far as their plan and space designs are concerned. There are only three couples, which are similar but not identical. Instead of giving solutions of some issues of the Thracian cult architecture, this fact brings many other questions. In terms of archaeology the constructions are spread over an insignificant chronological period - only some centuries between the end of 6th and the beginning of 2nd c. BC - and their variety can not be attributed only to the Thracian architectures" extraordinary imagination or to independent conceptions of each ruler or family for the appearance of their after-death home.

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