AKP Phnom Penh, December 02, 2025 —

Archaeologists discovered more than 1,500 artifacts during this season’s excavations at the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica, Southwestern Bulgaria, Prof. Lyudmil Vagalinski, head of the project announced on Friday.

Among them are clay lamps, finely crafted glass jugs, images of deities such as Aphrodite, Athena, and Heracles, gold earrings, as well as nearly 800 coins found during the excavations of the forum and necropolis. They provide valuable information about the economic and cultural life of the ancient city. The uncovered artifacts were presented to the media after their restoration. The Mayor of Petrich Municipality, Dimitar Brachkov also saw the valuable archaeological finds. Conservator-restorers from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the National History Museum worked on the preservation of the artifacts, which have been returned to Petrich.

"I am very pleased with the glass jug with a lion's head. It is beautiful and rare. The lamps are also extremely interesting, with many curious images of deities and animals. There is also a very nice and curious family funeral scene," Vagalinski said. A rooster and a horse are among the interesting children's toys discovered. One of the most impressive exhibits is a glass lamp with an image of a lion on it. In addition to exhibits from the Roman imperial period, mainly from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd centuries, there are also earlier ones from the Hellenistic period, mainly between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. Archaeologists also discovered a rare bronze lamp. According Vagalinski, amazing tombstones and inscriptions have been uncovered, which have also been cleaned and are very beautiful.

"Our work is not only on the field. It involves the restoration and conservation of the artifacts we discover. There is a lot of information to share with the public, which we will publish. A week ago, we published information about the two sculptures we found, the dating, stylistic analysis, and the origin of the marble they are made of," Vagalinski explained. The hands of the statue of Heracles, which were also found during the excavations, have been cleaned and restored. The right hand is resting on the famous club. The piece was found near the two previously discovered pieces. In 2018, archaeologists uncovered part of a club and a well-modelled, sculpted leg of a muscular man made of high-quality marble. The other hand is holding the three apples from the garden of the Hesperides. This summer, the hero's torso was also found.

"Our joint work is yielding increasingly better results, and this can be seen all over the world," Petrich History Museum Director Katya Stoyanova said. She added that the new artifacts will find their place in the museum’s exhibition in 2026, which will be accessible to visitors on the Night of Museums 2026.

AKP-BTA