Fri, Feb 10 2012
The online version of The Independent reports on the 5000-year-old golden dagger found in a Thracian tomb in Bulgaria.
According to the head of the Bulgarian National Museum of History Bozhidar Dimitrov the dagger is believed to have been made of gold and platinum. Probably it belonged to a ruler or a priest, The Independent reports.
Archaeologists suppose that the dagger was used for sacrifices because of the engravings found on the hilt.
The artefact sheds light on the civilization of Thrace and shows that the Thracians were sophisticated metal-workers, The Independent says.
Together with the dagger, more than 500 pieces of delicate golden jewellery were found in the tomb.
‘I am delighted we managed to identify and attract some of the brightest and best people from Bulgaria and Romania to come and work at the European Commission,’ EC Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said.
The current ‘negative Arctic Oscillation’ – a weather phenomenon which leads to cold conditions in Europe and relatively warmer conditions in the Arctic – should shift into a more neutral pattern within the next two to three weeks.
The extreme cold has been blamed for almost 400 deaths across Europe. In Ukraine, where temperatures have fallen below minus 30 degrees Celsius, the cold is blamed for at least 122 deaths. Many of the victims were homeless.
At the end of Q3 2011, the highest government debt to GDP ratio was in Greece, at 159.1 per cent.
Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov says that Bulgaria supports the draft Security Council resolution presented by Morocco because it outlines a peaceful transition process that is the only way to stop the killings of civilians in Syria.