Bulgarian Archaeologist Finds Unique Golden Chariot from Ancient Thrace

An exhibition displaying an absolutely unique golden decoration of a chariot from Ancient Thrace was opened Wednesday in the Mall of Sofia, in the downtown of the Bulgarian capital.

The Thracian chariot in question was technically in fact found in 1976 near the village of Karanovo but no one had realized its existence.

Only at the beginning of 2009, archaeologist Veselin Ignatov, who is the head of the history museum in the town of Nova Zagora, Southeast Bulgaria, and a specialist on Thracian chariots, actually discovered it as he was inspecting earlier finds stored in the museum basement.

X-ray test showed that a corroded metal plate actually contains remains of a chariot - including an absolutely unique decorative plaque made of gold alloy which decorated a Thracian chariot dated back to the 2 century AD.

It is both the decoration and the gold-copper alloy that make the chariot on display in downtown Sofia without any analogy among similar finds from ancient times.

The decorative plaque is 52 cm long and 12 cm wide, and 0,3 cm thick. It was placed on the lower back part of the chariot, which was actually a luxury passenger car rather than a war chariot. It pictures what appears to be an ancient building, most likely a temple.

Other decorations on the chariot include a bust of Heracles (Hercules), and two heads of Medusa, the mythical gorgon monster.

via Bulgarian Archaeologist Finds Unique Golden Chariot from Ancient Thrace.