How the fabulous treasures of Panagyurishte changed the history of Bulgaria

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In Bulgaria they like to say that just touch the ground with a shovel - you will find a treasure! You can be skeptical about these words, but in 1949, in Panagyurishte, this is exactly what happened. In a small provincial town, three brothers, digging clay, accidentally stumbled upon not just a treasure, but fabulous treasures! A huge number of priceless gold artifacts of wondrous work just lay underfoot!

It was a normal working day, brothers Pavel, Petko and Mikhail Deikovs were preparing clay for bricks in the courtyard of a ceramic factory in Panagyurishte. Suddenly, Petko's shovel came across something solid, he dug deeper and saw a yellow metallic reflection. He began to rake the ground and again the yellow metal flashed. Deikov decided that it was some kind of copper object and invited the brothers to look at the find.

Regarding what followed next, there is some disagreement in the versions. Due to the fact that the treasure was located quite deep - as much as two meters underground, and there were no monumental ruins or historical settlements in the vicinity, they decided that these were not particularly valuable items. The brothers thought that these items were nothing more than a set of brass instruments hidden by the gypsies. The news of the discovery of the treasure spread quickly and the factory yard was filled with curious townspeople who wanted to look at these strange "gypsy brass instruments." Unlike the others, he very much doubted that these were copper gypsy instruments.

According to another version of events, the brothers immediately realized what a valuable treasure they had discovered. They showed the items to factory workers, one of whom even tried to steal the vessel, but was caught by the hand. The Deikovs decided that all this should be sent to the museum immediately. They cleared the dirt off the artifacts and took them home. There they showed them to their wives and children. Here for the first time I saw the treasures of the Gorbanov. In the evening of the same day, the treasures were placed for storage in the bank. The world was supposed to see the Bulgarian treasures! The next day, telegrams were sent to Sofia and Plovdiv to announce the sensational discovery. The director of the Plovdiv Archaeological Museum went to Panagyurishte immediately, ahead of the head of the Sofia Archaeological Institute and Museum. He collected the artifacts and took them to the museum. That is why Plovdiv, and not the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has become the permanent home of the Panagyurishte treasure.

This fabulous treasure is a collection of gold vessels dating back to the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BC and therefore belongs to the Thracian civilization. In addition to the fact that this is a huge amount of pure gold, artifacts still amaze with the finest craftsmanship.

Today there are three official replicas of the treasures: one for the National History Museum in Sofia, another for the Archaeological Museum in Plovdiv, and the third for the Historical Museum in Panagyurishte. Originals, due to their pricelessness and rarity, are usually kept in a bank vault. However, these works of art were often loaned to museums around the world for their display. The first city outside Bulgaria to receive the treasure was Rome.

After the treasure was shown in Paris, Munich, Leningrad (today St. Petersburg), Budapest, Warsaw and Montreal. In the late sixties, the Panagyurishte treasure returned to Plovdiv, where it remained for the next three years. In 1972, the treasure was chosen as the centerpiece of an exhibition entitled "Thracian Art", which debuted in Sofia on the occasion of the First International Congress of Frakology. In the following decades, the exhibition was organized by many museums around the world. For example, from 1994 to 2000, the exhibition was held in seven cities in Japan and the United States. In addition, the treasure has visited Finland, Sweden, Italy and Belgium. As a result of this exhibition, the least known part of the history of Bulgaria, that is, its Thracian past, was presented to the world.

There are two different hypotheses about how the artifacts ended up in Panagyurishte. According to the first, the precious items were hidden by their owner when the Macedonians or Celts invaded the area. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the treasure was part of the loot. It goes without saying that the identity of the original owner of the treasure is completely unknown.

The Panagyurishte treasure consists of nine separate items - four rhytons, three ritonized jugs, a ritonized amphora, and a large platter. All items were made of gold and weigh just over six kilograms. In addition to such a huge amount of gold, all these objects amaze with their exquisite small details. This indicates a very high level of skill. Among other things, these works of art give us an idea of how the Thracians viewed the world.

The Thracians lived in what is now Bulgaria. The earliest mention of Thrace that we know of comes from Homer in his Iliad. The Thracians also appear in the Achaemenid sources, where they are depicted in relief. The Thracians were captured by the Achaemenids at the end of the 6th century BC and their territory became a satrapy called "Skudra". In the 4th century BC, Thrace was conquered by Philip II of Macedon and gradually became a Hellenistic state after the death of his son Alexander the Great in 323 BC.

There are many dark spots in the history of the Panagyurishte treasures. Some scholars claim that the vessels were made by local Thracian craftsmen, while others that they were brought from the ancient Greek city of Lampsaka, which is located on the territory of modern Turkey. Plovdiv is the center of the ancient Thracian state; it has long attracted the attention of historians and archaeologists.

In the period 3-4 centuries BC, Thrace experienced very difficult times. After the death of Alexander the Great, the military leader Lysimachus became king of Thrace. He was extremely ambitious and dreamed of rebuilding the great empire of Alexander. The war with the Macedonians drained and bled Thrace in the end. Later, the country was invaded by the Celts. Maybe this is the origin of the treasures, the owner hid them from the invaders? These treasures have lain in the ground for a little less than two and a half thousand years. The priceless utensils most likely belonged to a very rich and noble person. Maybe it was a comrade-in-arms of the commander Lysimachus?

If you look at the details of the exquisite workmanship, you will notice that these were items from the Hellenistic period. For example, the gold platter is the largest artifact found, and arguably the most exciting. It depicts seven male figures. Scientists interpret this scene in different ways. Some believe that this is an ordinary incident from the everyday life of the Thracians: they, drunk, rush into the night in search of women. Others argue that this historical event is the capture of the Persian Gate by Alexander the Great. Still others insist that this scene is taken from Greek mythology, specifically from the story "Seven against Thebes." The final version says that the scenes depict the funeral of a certain Thracian ruler. Five warriors dance ritual dances, and two inside the temple are preparing for the burial of the body.

One of the amphorae, the largest and the heaviest, is so skillfully made that it deserves a separate description. The handles of the artifact are made in the form of two centaurs. At the bottom of the amphora, another plot from ancient Greek mythology is depicted. Researchers note that the decoration here is more casual and unprofessional than outside, and therefore suggests that it was done by different craftsmen. Four figures are visible. One of them is little Hercules, who strangles two snakes sent to him by the insidious stepmother Hero. Another figure is a satyr. The symbolism is evident here: the reputation of these creatures as drunkards makes them suitable for decorating a wine vessel. The crafty Africans at the bottom of the amphora perform a practical function - wine is poured from their mouths. Historians speculate that this strange arrangement indicates the use of this vessel for a "friendship ritual." There is another version that the amphora was used to honor warriors.

Herodotus mentions in his "History" the Scythian tradition, according to which every year a special solemn ceremony was held in honor of the soldiers. Wine was poured into a bowl by the ruler and all the soldiers who showed heroism on the battlefield were allowed to drink from an amphora. Those who did not prove themselves in the war were deprived of this honor. Especially singled out those who killed a lot of enemies - they were allowed to drink from the vessel together. These were similar vessels with two holes.

The rhytons that were on the platter were all made in the form of various zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures. Several of them are shaped like animal heads, and the necks of these vessels are decorated with mythological scenes. Ritonized jugs are made in the shape of women's heads. These are the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. The dish itself is framed by four concentric circles. The first one with reliefs of acorns, and the other three with the heads of smiling Africans.

Without a doubt, the treasures of Panagyurishte are priceless artifacts from Bulgaria's Thracian past. In terms of its wealth, beauty and grace, this treasure is one of the rarest evidence of art from the Hellenistic era. These values have had a very significant impact on the country's image in the international arena. Through its journey around the world, the Panagyurishte treasure helped to rid Bulgaria of the stigma of a “communist drug and arms trafficking country” and transform it into one of the richest antiquities with high artistic value in Europe.

Read the story of two successful treasure hunters of our days who have found priceless treasures in our article two lucky ones have found the greatest treasure of the Iron Age.