Archaeologists start excavation of medieval fortress in Bulgaria

September 27th, 2009 ANKARA - A team of archaeologists has found a 5,000-year-old Venus figure as part of an excavation being carried out in Canakkale's Ezine district in Turkey. According to a report in Today's Zaman, the excavation began in the field three weeks ago in cooperation with Germany's University of Tubingen.

September 14th, 2009 EDINBURGH - A 500 year old ancient drain in Scotland, which lay undisturbed until its discovery in 1990, is turning out to be a goldmine for archaeologists from the Glasgow University. According to a report in Herald Scotland, the team of archaeologists, backed by volunteers from Renfrewshire Local History Forum, is carrying out a 12-day excavation of the drain.

September 3rd, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has discovered the relics of a medieval saint at the fortress of Perperikon in the Rhodoppe Mountains in Bulgaria. According to Sofia News Agency, the remains of human bones were found inside one of two bronze crosses as the archaeologists were excavating two churches.

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 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 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of archaeologists has come across evidence which proves that the "Peking Man" was able to use fire roughly 200-000 to 500,000 years ago. "Peking Man" is referred to a group of fossil specimens, hundreds of thousands of years old, discovered in 1923-27 during excavations at Zhoukoudian near Beijing (at that time known as Peking), in China.

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.

July 27th, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has found a sanctuary in Central Bulgaria where the nymph cult used to be celebrated in ancient times. According to a report in the Balkan Travellers, the sanctuary was found by archaeologists in the vicinity of the Nicopolis ad Istrum ancient site, located near the town of Veliko Tarnovo in central Bulgaria.

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 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.

July 6th, 2009 Israeli archaeologists discover ancient quarryJERUSALEM — Israeli archaeologists have uncovered an ancient quarry where they believe King Herod extracted stones for the construction of the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday. The archaeologists believe the 1,000-square-foot (100-square-meter) quarry was part of a much larger network of quarries used by Herod in the city.

June 24th, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has uncovered an intact Thracian settlement close to the southeast town of Nova Zagora in Bulgaria. According to a report in novinite.com, the team comprised of Konstantin Gospodinov and Veselin Ignatov from the city of Burgas, who hope that their finding would be the first Thracian settlement to be uncovered in its entirety.

June 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Archaeologists are all set to begin a third phase of excavation at the famous terracotta army site in China, hoping to find more clay figures and unravel some of the mysteries left behind by the "First Emperor". The army of terracotta warriors and horses was one of the greatest archeological finds of modern times.