Galabovo in Southeast Europe and Beyond

Proceedings in the International Conference 24 - 27 October 2018 in the Town of Galabovo.

"The archeological site Asara or Galabovo, as it is known in the literature, is a prehistoric settlement mound - one of the largest in the Upper Thrace. Whether there were later settlements and whether there was a fortress on the top of the tell in the Middle Ages, we may suggest relying on indirect archaeological evidence. Only the old name Asara (meaning fortress) and separate archeological materials without a certain context indicate habitation during the Roman era and the Middle Ages. Modern construction activities have destroyed the upper part of the cultural layer and any reconstruction of the original silhouette will be in the realm of conjecture. Until the middle of the last century, the settlement mound was over 10 m high and dominated the surrounding terrain in the valley of the rivers Sokolitsa and Sazliyka, but nowadays the mound does not exceed 7 m. Today, the archeological site is well hidden among piles of coal, industrial buildings, and chimneys! The Bronze Age layer, however, is fairly well preserved. Thus, the conference reports, published here, were dedicated to the its research. The data obtained from the rescue excavations are rich, and our ambition is to place them in the background of what we know about Southeastern Europe and the northern part of the Eastern Mediterranean.

We are grateful to all authors that contributed to the success of the international conference and submitted their reports, that we are now able to present you in this volume. The organisation of the conference event was managed by Dr Vanya Petrova, Denitsa Ilieva and Nikolina Nikolova. They were supported by volunteer Archaeology students from Sofia University who were wildly enthusiastic about the project. The cleaning of the old excavated surface and the preparation of the site for visiting of the participants in the Conference was carried out by students in the bachelor's and master's degree in Archeology at Sofia University. This initiative received invaluable logistical assistance and support from the AES Galabovo management and the Municipality of the town of Galabovo. The Conference was accompanied by an exhibition, showing the most interesting artefacts from the tell, which remained for several months in the exhibition hall of the Municipality. It was initiated by the mayor of Galabovo Mr. Nikolay Tonev and his associates. The exhibition was widely covered by the social media, which contributed to its popularisation. It attracted hundreds of visitors from the cities of Galabovo, Radnevo and Stara Zagora, stimulating the growing interest in cultural monuments in Southeastern Bulgaria, and especially in the area of the energy complex Maritsa-East."

From the Editors