A trip back in time to Starosel
There has been a buzz of excitement in recent years as archaeologists discover more and more ancient treasures on Bulgarian lands. Many of the discoveries are so new that they do not yet feature in any guidebooks, although the significance and wealth of the finds is quite staggering.
Caught up in this excitement, we decided to stop off at the Thracian Tomb near Starosel on our way to the Black Sea this summer. Approximately 170 km from Sofia (or 20km from Hissar) it is a perfect day trip destination: why not combine it with a picnic on a nice autumn day? Follow the road to Karlovo off the main motorway before you get to Plovdiv. The road to the site is signposted off the main road and occasionally along the way villagers will happily point you in the right direction should you have any doubts as to whether you are on the right track. The condition of the road varies several times along the way from new tarmac to seriously potholed. Arriving at the site there is a visitor’s car park and toilet facilities. From there it is a ten minute climb up the hill. Some cars drive up to the top but this probably depends on how many visitors there are, and the walk up helps the visitor to better appreciate the setting of the tomb.

Unearthed in 2000, the stone tomb dates back to the 4th century BC. Known as the Chetinyova Mogila it is believed to be the final resting place of Sitalkes. The site currently consists of a circular inner chamber, which is approached by a central staircase and hallway, surrounded by a stone block wall. The large granite stone blocks are believed to have been brought by horse and cart from some distance away. There are also a couple of other graves and a wine store on the site. Archaeological work has temporarily halted as the archaeologists have gone to work on the Kazanluk tombs. Visitors can view the central chamber with its ten Doric columns and original wall paintings, the colour of which is immaculately preserved higher up, since sun light only enters the chamber at a low level during the winter solstice.
Among the treasures found at Starosel is a gold wreath, other bits of gold jewellery, bronze shield, helmets and swords and two sets of silver horse decorations. These finds can be seen at the Archaeological Museum in Sofia. Sadly missing are the two lion sculptures which sat either side at the foot of the staircase. Despite intensive searching, they have never been found.

Open from approximately 9.00 to 16.00 hours daily, admission for adults is 2 BGN, for children 1 BGN. Unfortunately the very knowledgeable and helpful guides only speak Bulgarian and at the moment there is very little information available in other languages. Still, the visitor feels part of this exciting discovery and that in itself makes it worth a visit.

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The Thracians lived in the area now covered by Rumania, Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and northwestern Turkey. They were primarily warriorsrenowned for their love of song, music, dance, colourful clothing and wine.
Sitalkes was the sonof Teres I (450-431BC), of the Odrysian tribe, the first Thracian king to forge a powerful kingdom, which was based in the central Thracian plain. Sitalkes (431 - 424 BC) expanded this into a huge empire, uniting for the first time all Thrace south of the Danube. This great kingdom of the Odrysians covered the area from the Strymon River to the Black Sea and from the Aegean to the Danube.

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