Bulgaria's Thracian Treasures exhibition recently returned from Spain and will be on display on home soil this summer. The National Museum of History's head of conservation and restoration laboratory provides you with a guide to this unique collection.

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For many years, the riches of the Thracian rulers have been admired by the public not only in Bulgaria but in France, England, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Japan, USA, Finland, Belgium, Germany.

This year, the directors of several Bulgarian museums have decided to present nine of the most famous treasures from our lands to the public in Varna.

The core of the Thracian ethno-cultural community was situated in the lands between the Carpathian Mountains and the Aegean Sea. The archaeological finds from this region present vivid evidence that these lands were a living contact zone that functioned throughout Antiquity by means of mutual exchange of ideas, artefacts, skills and experience.

According to the late Prof. Alexander Fol, the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis presents  "a brilliantly recorded meeting place of the autochthonous inhabitants and immigrant-settlers".

The archaeological situation proves categorically the existence of a hierarchic-nomadic centralised kingly-priestly power at such an early date. Over 300 burial sites have been excavated since 1972, yielding thousands of intricate gold objects with a total weight of more than 6 kg. The Varna necropolis gold - the first treasure to be shown in the Varna Exhibition - is recognised as the oldest "man made gold", i.e. intentionally processed gold and not simply hammered native gold, in the world. Also unique are the gilt ceramic vessels and the large variety of materials used: flint, obsidian, ultrabasite, shells from Mediterranean molluscs (Dentallium and Spondylus), copper, gold, ceramics, etc. Most of the objects show a high level of technology and craftsmanship. The long flint "swords", the large convex bangles (that were probably cast in a multipartite mould), the finely cast and polished ax-scepters of copper alloy and gold plating are amazing.

Grave no. 36 will be displayed in Hall 1 of the National Museum of History, while the rest will be shown in Varna.  

The Bronze Age that followed (3rd - 2nd millennia BCE) shows the forming of certain distinctions in Thracian society. The tradition of burying rulers with rich funeral offerings was still practiced when the presence of the Thracians was recorded in written sources by the ancient authors of neighbouring Greece (8th century BCE). The gold treasure of Dubene (central Bulgaria, the second treasure in the Varna Exhibition), excavated in 2005, is a perfect example of such offerings. It comprises over 15 000 small gold items, showing very high manufacturing skill, and is still in the process of being studied by experts.

Although the Thracian dynasties remained anonymous in the mid 2nd millennium, the popular image of the Thracian ruler will always be connected with the beautiful gold set of the Vulchitrun Treasure (northern Bulgaria, the third treasure in the Varna Exhibition). It is composed of 13 gold vessels with a total weight of 12.425kg. It was discovered by two brothers in 1924 while digging their vineyard in the village of Vulchitrun. Some of the vessels are decorated with niello and the patterns on the lids were silver plated in order to fix the black niello composition onto the gold, which shows the high level of knowledge and understanding of the ancient Thracian goldsmiths. Pieces of amber had been embedded in the large lids, the IR (infrared) spectra of which proved to be corresponding to Baltic amber.

During the epoch of written history, the Thracians were noted and discussed by ancient Greek observers - primarily on account of their qualities as warriors and as participants in campaigns and battles.

The fourth Thracian treasure to be presented in Varna shows the finds from various tumuli (graves) of the necropolis of Duvanlii (southern Bulgaria) and date from the 5th century BCE. It is a striking collection of beautiful gold adornments, silver-gilt and silver vessels, armament, signet-rings, etc. 

However, the Greek authors wrote not only about Thracian kings that took part in battles, but also about the Thracian priests, founders of Mysteries, singers-poets and teachers. For a long time - at least to the middle of the 4th century BCE  - the priests of the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary in Delphi bore the name of their king, Trakides.

The various Thracian kingdoms of the 4th century BCE are presented with the next four treasures to be shown in Varna, those of Panagurishte, Borovo, Zlatinitsa-Malovirovo and Rogozen. These treasures are so interesting and exclusive that they cannot be described in just a few words.

The Panagurishte Treasure is absolutely unique and very famous. It consists of nine massive vessels cast in gold and exquisitely decorated with mythological scenes in high relief. Its total weight is 6.164kg.

The Borovo treasure consists of five silver-gilt vessels - a bowl, three rhitoi (ritual vessels) and a jug - all beautifully decorated. It is most interesting that the rhitoi are represented in the Dionysiac scene depicted in relief on the jug.

The treasure of Zlatinitsa-Malomirovo was excavated in 2005 by a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Daniela Agre. It comprises the funeral offerings of certain Thracian nobility (a king or a prince?) and is the first one in the last 100 years of excavations that had not been robbed in the past. Most interesting and beautiful are the gold wreath, appliqu?s and signet-ring, silver-gilt greave (shin armour) and rhitoi with scenes, which are currently  in the National Museum in Copenhagen. The appliqu?s provide evidence of the application of a manufacturing technology that had previously been considered an achievement of the 1st century AD.

The last of these three treasures from the 4th century BCE  is the Rogozen Treasure. It is the largest Thracian hoard and was discovered by chance in the village of Rogozen, in the Vratsa District. The treasure consists of 165 silver and silver-gilt vessels, weighing over 20kg. The majority of the vessels - a goblet, cups (two pcs.), phialae (108 pcs.) and jugs (54 pcs.) - are beautifully decorated. Some of the deities represented  from the Thracian pantheon show the very ancient roots of the Thracian beliefs.

The ninth treasure represents Tracia Romana and comprises beautiful pieces of gold jewellery. 

Bulgaria's Thracian Treasures Exhibition will be on display at the National Museum of History until May 5 only. After that, it will be displayed from May 15 until September 15 in Varna. The treasures will then be displayed in museums around the world, including in France, Switzerland, Japan.

For more information go to: www.historymuseum.org