Balgartchevo 2004 Overview

The Prehistoric Site of Balgartchevo, Bulgaria
Liliana Pernitcheva-Perec

This grant will be for publication of the monograph entitled: The Prehistorical Site of Bulgaria Excavated Over the Period of 1978-1987 by a team headed by Dr. Pernitcheva-Perec and including Ilia Kulov and Dr. Grebska-Kulov.

The prehistorical site of Balgartchevo is located in southwestern Bulgaria, 42°O1' North and East, close to Greece. It is situated on the right bank of the Struma (Strimon) river.

Balgartchevo is an extensive settlement, covering the surface area of six to seven hectares. It is the only site in Central Balkans with an uninterrupted chronological sequence spanning over 1000 years, from the first half of the 6°' millennium BC till the first half of the 5'1' millennium BC_ The thickness of archaeological layers is up to 2.3 m.
The excavations were conducted on an area of 1200 sq. meters. They revealed rich and diverse archaeological material. The pottery finds are the most numerous. but more than 4000 special finds such as anthropomorphic clay figurines, stamp seals, altars. stone and bone tools are also collected.

So far, research has resulted in 70 pages single-spaced manuscript. 40 pages describe pottery, ?0 pages deal :vith the stratigraphy and chronology of the site and 10 pages presented the Early Neolithic house discovered in the first layer, its architecture and all implements found inside the house. Additionally, 20 figures (illustrations) are also ready.

Further efforts are necessary to complete the technological and typological study of pottery and special finds. Chapters on architecture, economy and religion need to be fully developed. Results from paleobotanic, paleozoologic and anthropologic studies prepared by the specialists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, will be included. The camera-ready copy and the digital form of the monograph will be ready for the publisher two years from the time the grant begins.

Aguto Yublishing will print the monograph in both English and Bulgarian.

Enclosed are the excavation permit (in Bulgarian and English), one map, pictures of the Early Neolithic house and vessels. a budget and curriculum vitae of L. Pernitcheva-Perec, I. Kulov and M. Grebska-Kulovy