Archaeology: Coin from time of Bulgaria’s 13th century Tsar found at Perperikon
A coin from the time of Tsar Ivan Assen II, ruler of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241, has been found at the ancient sacred site of Perperikon, archaeologist Professor Nikolai Ovcharov announced.
The coin was made in Thessaloniki, of copper and silver, and Ovcharov described it as one of the best-preserved such finds.
The coin depicts Dimitar, patron saint of Thessaloniki.
Already in 2019, about 150 finds have been made at Perperikon. Finds along with the Tsar Ivan Assen II coin include three bronze crosses, a bronze key and a small jewellery container.
Ovcharov said that the coin, together with another found earlier, showed that at that time in the 13th century, Thessaloniki was entirely under Bulgarian influence.
Archaeological work is currently proceeding in the southern section of the site, near the remnants of a church, the largest of its kind uncovered in the Rhodope Mountains, and estimated to date from the fourth or fifth to the 14th century. The latest round of archaeological finds date from the 10th to the 13 centuries.
Perperikon, in Bulgaria’s eastern Rhodopes region, about 15km from the town of Kurdjali, has been the site of various forms of religious activity from about 7000 years ago, having first been used by the Thracians. The site is a popular tourist attraction and long-term archaeological work continues to unveil new discoveries.
(Screenshots: BNT)
