Archaeologists discover relics of medieval saint in Bulgarian fortress

September 6th, 2009 Police: Skipper detained in Macedonia boat sinkingSKOPJE, Macedonia — The skipper of an overloaded sightseeing boat that sank in a western Macedonian lake was detained on suspicion of causing the deaths of 15 Bulgarian tourists, police said Sunday. The Ilinden sank rapidly in just six meters (20 feet) of water, about 200 meters (650 feet) from the shore on Saturday in the worst boat accident ever to happen on Ohrid Lake, on Macedonia's western border with Albania.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - A team of archaeologists has unearthed rare 15th century Valencian tiles during excavations at the ruins of a Surrey palace, once owned by Henry VIII. According to a report by BBC News, the items, which were made in Valencia, Spain, between 1450 and 1490, were discovered at Woking Palace.

August 24th, 2009 SOFIA - Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a unique medieval Byzantine seal at the site of the Princely Monastery near the Eastern city of Varna, dating back to the 10th century. According to a report by the Sofia News Agency, the seal is dated back to the 10th century and belonged to the Byzantine dignitary Antonius, who was an imperial protospatario in Constantinople.

August 21st, 2009 LONDON - A team of archaeologists has uncovered what they believe could be remains of the only medieval stone castle in South Northamptonshire, UK. According to a report in the Northampton Chron and Echo newspaper, archaeologists from Northamptonshire made the discovery at The Mount in Alderton, near Towcester, after they picked up where Time Team's archaeologists left off eight years ago.

August 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of archaeologists in Bulgaria has found two golden rings, along with other priceless finds. The discovery was made by the TEMP expedition led by archeologist Diana Dimitrova, wife of the late Georgi Kitov, one of the most prominent Bulgarian archeologists.

August 14th, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has discovered over 7,500 fragments of frescos during excavations in the church of the monastery complex in the Karaach Tepe area near the town of Varna in north-western Bulgaria. According to a report in Balkan Travellers, in addition to the fresco fragments, the archaeologists discovered parts of saints' clothes and letters with their names, national media reported today.

August 4th, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has discovered the tomb of a Bulgarian princess in the northern Bulgarian town of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria's medieval capital. According to a report in The Sofia Echo, archaeologists Nikolai Ovcharov and Hitko Vachev have excavated on August 2 what has been described as the grave of a Bulgarian princess, buried in the courtyard of the St St Peter and Pavel church in Veliko Tarnovo.

August 3rd, 2009 SOFIA - The second archaeological expedition to excavate the Bulgarian medieval fortress Krakra near the western city of Pernik has begun. According to a report by the Sofia News Agency, the expedition is part of the initiative "Preserve the Bulgarian (Heritage)" of President Georgi Parvanov, who is himself a native of Pernik.

July 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of archaeologists in Bulgaria has discovered a 13th century monastery, as well as a 30-gram silver ring from medieval France. According to a report by Sofia News Agency, the team of archaeologists, led by Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, discovered the part of a wall and medieval coins within it that are dated from 1210 to 1240, in the yard of the St Peter and St.

July 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Egyptian archaeologists digging near the Suez Canal have discovered the remains of what is believed to be the largest fortress in the eastern Delta. According to a report in Discovery News, the remains, located at the site of Tell Dafna, between El-Manzala Lake and the Suez Canal, remains reveal the foundation of a military town about 15 kilometers northeast of the city of western Qantara.

July 14th, 2009 BUDAPEST - An international team of archaeologists has started excavations near Szigetvar, South Hungary, to find the tomb of Suleiman I, the Lawgiver. Suleiman (1494-1566), also called as the Magnificent, was the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire, one of the most prominent monarchs of 16th-century Europe, presiding over the golden age of the empire.

July 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - New findings from a Field Museum (Chicago) excavation team has confirmed that pre-Hispanic Zapotec rulers carried around human femurs, or thigh bones, as a symbol of power and legitimacy. Scientists had earlier found evidence of this theory from a carved lintel at the site of Lambityeco, where a ruler is depicted with a femur in his hand.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The relics said to be from the body of Buddha, have been returned to the Beijing Yunju Temple in China, from the Capital Museum. The relics were welcomed by 108 monks and more than 400 Buddhists, as they returned from a underground storage room at the Capital Museum.

June 16th, 2009 SOFIA - Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown settlement from the Roman Era in the Mentesheto area near the town of Varna on Bulgaria's northern Black Sea coast. According to a report in BalkanTravellers.com, the discovery was made by archaeologists Aleksadar Michev and Teodor Rokov, who were exploring a stone structure reminiscent of a 'dolmen' - a typical Thracian tomb from the Early Iron Age.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Archaeologists have unearthed more than two tonnes of ancient coins dating back to as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) on a playground of a primary school in Shaanxi Province, northwest China. According to Zhao Aiguo, director of the cultural relics protection and tourism bureau in Liquan County, Shaanxi, the coins were found when workers were excavating the grounds for construction of another building.