Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (Bulgarian: Свещарска гробница, Sveshtarska grobnitsa) is situated 2.5 km southwest of the village of Sveshtari, Razgrad Province, which is located 42 km northeast of Razgrad, in the northeast of Bulgaria.

Discovered in 1982 in a mound, this 3rd century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb's architectural decor is considered to be unique, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. The ten female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decorations of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getae, a Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers.

It has been suggested that it is part of the site of the Getan city of Helis.^[1]

References

1. ^ Delev, P. (2000). "Lysimachus, the Getae, and Archaeology". The Classical Quarterly, New Series 50 (Vol. 50, No. 2): 384–401. doi:10.1093/cq/50.2.384. 

Bibliography

• Alexander Fol, M. Čičikova, T. Ivanov, T. Teofilov: The Thracian Tomb near the Village of Sveshtari, Sofia 1986.
• Alexander Fol: "Die thrakische Orphik oder Zwei Wege zur Unsterblichkeit", in: Die Thraker. Das goldene Reich des Orpheus, Ausstellung 23. Juli bis 28. November 2004, Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 2004, p. 177-186.

External links

• Official site of the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari