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In 2021, almost BGN 5 million will be provided for archaeological excavations along the main road projects under construction in Bulgaria, as much as it did last year, the Road Infrastructure Agency announced.
To preserve the cultural and historical heritage, the study will continue on the Hemus highway, as well as the I-1 Vidin – Ruzhintsi – Montana highway. Archaeological observation is also planned during the construction of the northern Burgas ring road.
Last year, 15 sites were surveyed along the route of the Hemus highway between kilometers 122 and 189. Some of them are prehistoric, Roman and Middle Ages settlements, as well as tombs. Archaeological rescue excavations have been carried out at two sites on the territory of the Lovech district: near Brestnitsa and at the connection of the highway with the I-4 highway near the “Boaza” area.
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One of the sites studied was established in late 2019. It is believed to date back to Roman times, from the mid-2nd to the mid-3rd century. The second site is registered as an early medieval metallurgical center.
Along the route of the road from the “Boaza” road junction to the “Kalenik” road junction, 11 archaeological sites have been studied. The predominant part of them are mounds, as well as multi-layered settlements from different historical periods. Observations were also made on section 1 – from the “Boaza” junction to the junction with the III-307 Lukovit – Ugarchin highway, including the “Dermantsi” junction, and section 2 – from the end of the “Dermantsi” junction to the Junction with road III- 3005 Radyuvene – Katunets at the “Kalenik” road junction.
Archaeological sites have been recorded in sections 4, 5 and 6. This is the route from the end of the “Pleven” road junction at the junction with the II-35 Pleven – Lovech road to the junction with the I-5 Ruse road – Veliko Tarnovo, including the road junction on the Hemus highway in the Veliko Tarnovo district. Studies have also been conducted at three archaeological sites along the Hemus route in the territory of the Shumen district.
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Structures from the Late Bronze Age and Chalcolithic Age have been discovered, as well as two other sites, one from the Roman period of the 3rd-4th century AD, and the second, from the early Middle Ages of the 9th-10th century. In the direction of the Vidin – Dimovo – Bela – Ruzhintsi – Montana highway there are 8 archaeological sites registered. According to initial data, some of them are settlements from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BC.
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There are also materials from the Roman and Ottoman times. The study of four of them has begun, and is expected to continue in 2021, as well as the study of the rest of the materials. A late antiquity object has been studied along the I-8 Kalotina – Sofia Ring Road route. Archaeologists have also studied a site at kilometer 36 of the Sofia ring road, on the stretch from the Tsarigradsko Shosse road junction to the Mladost road junction. It was recorded during archaeological observation carried out during construction and installation works on the site. Coals, plasters and domestic pottery from the Early Iron Age were found.
