Monday, November 05, 2007

Rare state seals from first Bulgarian Empire unearthed

Archaeologists have made a sensational finding on Saturday, dated back to the first Bulgarian Empire (years 681-1018) in the ancient Bulgarian capital of Pliska.

The team of archaeologists found state seals, which belonged to the rulers Simeon and Petar.

The interesting thing is that the seals were found in the base of one of the wooden fortified walls, quite far from the Tzar palace.

The archaeologists unearthed the findings, while they were having excavations at a chain of living and public buildings. The scientists were very surprised when, among the tools, the bone and medal jewelry and pots they found also archbishop and ruler's insignia.

"Our most precious findings are the two lead seals of the two Bulgarian Rulers. One of them has no inscription on it, which by that time was identified with Tzar Simeon at the time when he was not officially proclaimed a tzar. The other seal belonged to his son Petar I and his wife Maria-Irina," archaeologist Pavel Georgiev said.

Archaeologists also unearthed a trench behind the wooden fortified walls, which shows that the Bulgarian military strategists were very well acquainted with the fortification techniques used by the emperors of the Roman Empire.