An exhibition will open on Friday at the National History Museum on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, showcasing a treasure trove of gold artefacts created by the Thracians south of the Danube more than 2,200 years ago. The treasure from Sveshtari (Bulgaria) was discovered in November 2012 and contains, among other things, tiaras, bracelets, rings, as well as jewelry worn by the nobles of the time on their horses.

The exhibition will last until June 25, 2023, and can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday at the Historical Treasury of the National History Museum of Romania.

Sveshtari is an important place for Thracians more than 22 centuries ago

In the north-east of Bulgaria, approx. 40 km south of the Danube, in the region (region) of Razgrad, near the town of Isperih and in the vicinity of the village of Sveshtari, there is a land rich in archaeological remains from various historical periods.

The treasure from Sveshtari was discovered in the area in November 2012 during systematic archaeological excavations led by the National Institute of Archeology in Sofia in the burial mound necropolis of the fortified city built in the 4th century BC. on the banks of the Krapynets River. It originates from the largest mound in the area, over 15 meters high and 60 meters in diameter.

The mound was filled in two stages: first over a stone vault with a semi-cylindrical vault, and later it was extended to an old oak tree near the structure, with the treasure placed in a small wooden chest among the branches of the tree, four meters above the ground.

What does the treasure contain?

Probably preserved in the second quarter of the 3rd century BC, the hoard consists only of gold artefacts, ornaments specific to women’s clothing and harness accessories for a riding horse, all of which appear to be wrapped in brocade, a richly ornamented fabric of which several golden threads were preserved.

The impressive discoveries at Sboryanovo belong to the most important Thracian political and religious center north of the Balkans from the 4th to the 3rd century BC, which some researchers believe was the seat of the Geta king Dromichaetes.

All these remains illuminate the space that was occupied not only by vassilis and warriors, but also by ladies, refined aristocrats or priestesses, individuals who were lavishly honored in royal dynasties. The power of this kingdom probably also extended to the northern banks of the Danube, and historical echoes of its claim can be found even in ancient sources, in the conflicts between the Dromichaites and the Macedonian king of Thrace, Lysimachus, explains the National History. Museum of Romania.

The construction of barrows and tombs with complex architecture in Sboryanovo is proof of the existence of a powerful local aristocracy, very well interconnected and integrated into the conglomerate of relations of the Hellenistic world. The influx of gold and wealth that poured into the Greek world and Europe as a result of Alexander the Great’s Asian expedition can also be seen in the spectacular opulence of the Thracian world, the Sveshtari treasure dating to the first half of the 3rd century BC. . perfectly fits into this cultural space.

The set of jewelry in the Sveshtari casket consists of a very elaborate diadem decorated with felines and centaurs, two pairs of bracelets, a ring depicting Eros, and more than 550 pearls, rings or pendants, elements that were probably originally assembled into several necklaces. or sewn into luxurious clothing woven with gold threads, MNIR explains.

Various forms of ornament were deposited among the accessories of the richly decorated golden harness: a forehead with a protome of a horse, two discs with the image of the goddess Athena, another disc with a female figure, probably maenads, two smaller rosettes, four elements. with floral decoration, two four-lobed parts, link, 44 appliqués depicting a female bust and 121 smaller appliqués, hemispherical.

Along with all these artifacts, many gold threads were also discovered. Made of highly refined gold, assembled from many small elements or skillfully cast using the lost-wax method, the jewelry in the Sveshtarian treasure was created by experienced craftsmen who mastered all the technological approaches typical of goldsmithing in the Hellenistic period.

The community more than 2,300 years ago was highly hierarchical and had the ability to mobilize enormous forces to glorify its chosen ones and erect monumental structures. It was a world that honored its ancestors and gods, sometimes offering them rich offerings of gold.