Archaeology: Roman wall unearthed in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
A Roman wall, estimated to date from the third to the fifth century CE, has been unearthed in the centre of Bulgaria’s second city Plovdiv by workers from electricity distribution firm EVN.
The wall was found beneath Nayden Guerov Street, close to the regional broadcasting centre of Bulgarian National Radio and Bulgarian National Television, at the entrance to the pedestrian area that features the municipal hall.
It is a short walk from, respectively, the Odeon archaeological dig site in the city and, in the opposite direction, the Roman stadium.
The wall, made of bricks, mortar and stone, is to the southwest of the Ancient Stadium and the northwest of the Forum.
The find has been inspected by a team of archaeologists from the Archaeological Museum in Plovdiv, who said that it had not been found previously because the site was an open space where no houses had been built.
Experts from Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture were scheduled to examine the find and give a formal opinion on its value, following which a decision will be made about the fate of the wall.
The continuing series of rich discoveries from Plovdiv’s ancient days in the eras of Thrace, Rome, Byzantium and the Ottoman era are being cited by the municipality in support of its bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2019.
(Photo: Sascha Hoffman)
