Draft:Thracian chariot

Thracian Chariot

In November 2021, a remarkable archaeological discovery was made in Karanovo, Bulgaria when a 2,000-year-old Thracian chariot, along with horse skeletons, was unearthed in a burial site.

The Thracian chariot and horse skeletons discovered in Karanovo date back to around the 1st century CE, a period when the Thracian civilization was at its peak. This significant archaeological find provides a rare and valuable glimpse into the ceremonial practices and transportation methods of this enigmatic people.

The Thracian chariot and horse skeletons discovered in Karanovo provide a wealth of information about the ceremonial and practical aspects of life in ancient Thrace. The intricate design of the chariot, along with the well-preserved condition of the horse remains, offer valuable clues about the craftsmanship and social practices of the Thracian people.

One of the most striking features of the chariot is its elaborate decoration, which suggests that it may have been used in ceremonial or religious processions. The chariot’s ornate metalwork and the presence of the horse skeletons indicate that it was likely a status symbol, reserved for the elite members of Thracian society.

Furthermore, the condition of the horse remains offers insights into the Thracians’ reverence for these animals. Horses were not only essential for transportation and warfare, but they also held deep symbolic significance within Thracian culture. The careful placement and preservation of the horse skeletons suggest that they were treated with great respect and care.

A team of archaeologists led by Veselin Ignatov, of the Istoricheski muzej Nova Zagora, a museum in Bulgaria, discovered the 2,000-year-old wooden chariot in 2008.

It was covered in bronze and would have been decorated with scenes from Thracian mythology that are now difficult to see. Its exact age is uncertain and may be closer to 1,800 years old.

The chariot has four big wheels with a diameter of 1.2 meters, embellished richly with silver coated small figures of Eros and riding mythical creatures with bodies of panthers. The skeletons of 2 horses and a dog were discovered next to the chariot.

In 2009, Ignatov and his team also found a brick tomb, containing the remains of a man dressed in what appears to be armor, near the chariot. The man was buried with several items, including gold coins, gold rings and a silver cup showing a depiction of the Greek god Eros (the Roman equivalent was Cupid). He would have been a nobleman or possibly even a ruler who lived in ancient Thrace, in what is now Bulgaria.

Chariot burials like this are commonly found in Bulgaria. The practice of noblemen being buried near chariots seems to have started in Bulgaria about 2,500 years ago, Ignatov wrote in a paper published in 2007 in the journal Archaeologia Bulgarica. He noted that the practice was especially popular during the time of the Roman Empire, which lasted from roughly 2,100 to 1,500 years ago.

Though the people of some other regions of the Roman Empire also sometimes buried their noblemen near chariots, this practice was "by far most popular and long-standing in Thrace," Ignatov wrote in the journal article. "In all cases, the chariots represent prestige, power and authority," Ignatov wrote, noting that the chariots were probably intended to be used by the deceased in the afterlife.

At the time of the burial, the horses that pulled the chariot likely would have been killed. Animal offerings such as pigs, dogs, sheep and deer would have been made to the gods, along with libations (such as wine), Ignatov wrote. Sometimes, the chariots themselves were dismantled or smashed apart before being buried, Ignatov wrote.

Because chariot burials are common in Bulgaria, and sometimes have rich burial goods, looters try to find them and sell the artifacts on the black market, Ignatov noted. This means that archaeologists in Bulgaria are often racing to discover and excavate chariot burials before looters find and pillage them.

In March, police were called after treasure hunters dug up and stole at least one more unknown chariot near Karanovo.

Veselin Ignatov, who was the head archaeologist for the team that excavated the Karanovo mound in 2008, told RFE/RL’s Bulgarian Service that when he arrived in late March “I found that treasure hunters had made excavations 50 meters east of the mound…. I found several fragments of chariots. That's how I discovered that parts of the chariots were unfortunately destroyed by the treasure hunters."

The brazen theft was possible because security measures set up at the Karanovo mound had lapsed by early 2021. There was no security staff on site and cameras had reportedly stopped working.

The failure stems from a long-running dispute between Bulgaria’s Culture Ministry and the city government that oversees the region around Karanovo. Since the local government took over management of the site, the temporary shelter for the chariot has slowly fallen into disrepair and security for the site petered out completely by early 2021.

Since the March theft, the Karanovo mound has come back under the control of Bulgaria’s Culture Ministry and security measures were reinstated. A ministry spokeswoman told RFE/RL that plans are also under way to replace the cover that is currently allowing rain to dribble onto the Karanovo chariot.

The theft near Karanovo is only the latest of hundreds in Bulgaria, where a black market in looted Thracian treasures is said to thrive.

Ignatov told RFE/RL his research suggests that some 150 chariots and their associated treasures have been stolen by criminals armed with metal detectors throughout Bulgaria in recent years.

"And so," Ignatov says, "information disappeared that could have opened and filled new pages in the history of ancient personal transport."

One of the largest archaeological discoveries worldwide is the Karanovo Tell, situated outside the village of Karanovo near Nova Zagora. It is located to the north-west of the village, around 10 km away from the town of Nova Zagora. The tell has the shape of an ellipse—250 meters long, 150 meters wide and 13 meters high—making it one of the largest tells in the country. It was studied in the first half of the 20th century, but the more significant discoveries took place in the 80s, when Austrian scientists also took part in its exploration.

Only about 1,700 sq.m. of the tell have been explored. However, the so-called stratigraphic profile of the tell or the settlement reveals layers of history, literally lying on top of each other. The place was inhabited for a period of over 3,000 years, from the middle of the 6th millennium BC to the 2nd millennium BC, and each civilization and each settlement has left a layer on top of that of their predecessors, leaving a total of 7 archaeological layers. So, a new scientific chronological system was created. It was called the Karanovska system and it covered all the eras of human civilization development—Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age. The explorations of the tell revealed many valuable findings that can now be seen in the museums in Nova Zagora and Sofia.

There is another tell nearby that has revealed its secrets. This is the East Tell, a part of a large necropolis, in which a brick tomb of a noble member of the Thracian tribe of Odrysians, as well as a buried chariot have been discovered during archaeological excavations. Interesting objects of scientific significance were found inside the tomb—glass utensils, jewelry, gold rings, etc., which date back to the 1st century AD and prove the historians’ hypothesis that a king or a member of the Edirne royal family was buried there. Now, the chariot, buried together with two horses and a dog, is displayed just the way it was found. Judging by the four large wheels, the decorations and rituals, this was a ritual Thracian burial of a chariot, typical of that period.

The entire excavation site is part of a new archaeological complex called “The Eastern Mound – Chariot and Tomb of a Thracian Aristocrat from 1st Century AD.”

The four-wheeled wooden chariot, its intricately carved bronze plating and fittings, plus the skeletal remains of two horses and a dog have been preserved in situ instead of being removed to a museum. Thracian chariots were often buried with up to eight horses and their elaborately decorated bridles. The bronze plating features scenes from Thracian mythology, like the god Eros, a jumping panther and a mythological animal with the body of a panther and the tail of a dolphin.

Four wheeled chariots are a very rare find, and this one is particularly notable because of the large diameter of the wheels: 1.2 meters, almost 4 feet. The Thracian nobleman himself was also found buried with his chariot, the animals and some wooden and leather goods thought to be horse harnesses. It’s not clear from the article whether he’s still on site along with the non-human remains, but I doubt it.

The new complex was ceremonially opened by Deputy Culture Minister Todor Chobanov on Saturday, but it seems to have been sponsored by private corporations. I’m not surprised, given that the original dig was granted a total budget of $12,500 from the Bulgarian Culture Ministry.

the team noticed the wooden chariot was decorated with muddied scenes from Thracian mythology. Near the chariot was a man dressed in armor, with gold coins, gold rings, a silver cup with a design of the Greek god Eros (like Rome's Cupid), as well as wooden and leather objects, which resembled horse harnesses and tools.

And of course, with the horseback riding-related tools, were two horses and a dog. Thracians were an Indo-European nomadic people who lived around 5,000 years ago, and were later taken over by the Romans before being assimilated with the Slavs. Before that, they had a rich history, and even richer burial traditions. Chariot burials were common in the region that is now known as Bulgaria, and they were usually reserved for nobility and royalty.

At the time of the burial, the departed's horses were often slaughtered in mourning, and in sacrifice to the Gods. Other animals were commonly sacrificed as well, like dogs, sheep, pigs and deer, bringing sense to why dog remains were found at the excavation site. Other items, like the jewelry noted above and libations like wine, were also often sent with the deceased to the afterlife.

While the Thracians may have been defeated and absorbed by later societies, who stole their traditions (like Romans taking to chariot burials themselves), discoveries like these can preserve the culture for centuries to come... as long as grave robbers don't get to them first.

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Archeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said yesterday.

"The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century AD," Veselin Ignatov said by telephone from the site, near the village of Karanovo. But he said archeologists were struggling to keep up with looters, who often ransack ancient sites.

The bronze-plated wooden chariot is decorated with scenes from Thracian mythology. It has wheels four feet in diameter.

The chariot was found during excavations in a funerary mound. Archeologists believe it was the grave of a wealthy Thracian aristocrat because he was buried along with his belongings.

The team also unearthed well-preserved wooden and leather objects, some of which may have been horse harnesses.

In August, excavations at another ancient Thracian tomb in the same region revealed another four-wheel chariot. Previous excavations had unearthed only single parts of chariots - often because ancient sites had been looted.

The Thracians were an Indo-European nomadic people who settled in the central Balkans about 5,000 years ago. They were conquered by Rome in the 1st century, and assimilated by Slav peoples in the 6th century.

SVESTARI, BULGARIA

SVESTARI, BULGARIA—A 2,500-year-old chariot and two horses that appear to have been buried in an upright position have been found in a Thracian tomb. Diana Gergova of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences thinks that the pit was dug with a sloping side so that the horses, wearing elaborate harnesses, would have been able to pull the chariot into place before they were killed. A dog had also been chained to the chariot. The vehicle may have been owned by the occupant of a nearby grave, which also contained armor, spears, swords, medication, and an inkwell. The discovery of the intact tomb was a surprise, since many of the tombs in the area have been plundered.