/ world today news/ It was located in a mound next to the Stara Zagora mineral baths and is the oldest in Europe
Archaeologists from the Regional History Museum in Stara Zagora promise a new sensational discovery.
After the oldest existing copper mines in Europe in the area of Mechi Kladenets, near the resort of Starozagorski Mineralni Bani, a new find is now on the horizon. “In the investigations of the prehistoric settlement mound in the center of the resort village this summer, we came across many interesting artifacts that suggest that it is most likely a unique facility for flotation of copper ore,” reported Ch. assistant Petar Kalchev, head of the excavations. Archaeologists have found accumulations of grey-green sediment, including pottery, as well as a large quantity of river mussel shells. The pottery had obviously been rolled in water for a long time and had worn off. The sediment and part of the found melts have been given for research in a scientific laboratory in our country, and if it turns out that they contain copper oxides, we can announce the sensational discovery. “There will be no doubt that this is the oldest factory for the production of copper on the Old Continent – from the time of the Thracians, 5th millennium BC,” Kalchev points out. He recalls that the studied ancient settlement mound in the Staro Zagora mineral baths is only 3 km from the oldest Chalcolithic mines on the Old Continent in the area of Mechi Kladenets. The audacious hypothesis of the scientists is also confirmed by various objects related to the extraction of copper – a stone adze, a shovel made of deer horn and other ancient tools made of bone and flint. Archaeologists recall that exactly such earthmoving tools, which were used to dig the Chalcolithic copper layers, were also found during the excavations in Mechi Kladenets. According to them, for at least 1000 years around IV-V centuries BC, this Thracian region was associated with the mining and production of copper ore and copper. Some finds in the vicinity, such as the first ritual temple in Southeast Europe from the end of the Chalcolithic, studied as early as the 70s of the last century, and the so-called deer antler skitters, a symbol of power, show that the population devoted to this lucrative livelihood did indeed have a high social status. Curiously, this entire copper facility rests on ritual platforms of stone boulders cemented together with sand, clay and limestone pebbles. This suggests that most likely after 4800 BC. it no longer existed. Its exact dating would be determined by examining samples of the bones found.
English scientists from the Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies (IAMS) at University College London, with whose financial support, will provide expert assistance to their colleagues from Stara Zagora in proving the promising hypothesis about the oldest copper factory the new excavations of the Thracian mound have been made.
“At the end of September, we are expecting the director of the institute, Prof. Tilo Raren, who will familiarize himself with all the artifacts discovered in the settlement mound from the first studies in 2003 until now, related to the production of copper,” said the head of the regional history museum, Angel Dinev.
Part of these findings, at the discretion of the English scientist, would be studied in detail in the modern laboratories of the institute in London. After the completion of the research, the scientists from Albion and the archeologists from Stara Zagora would prepare a joint publication in English. “This is a unique chance to make known all our discoveries related to the extraction and production of copper in the world of archaeometallurgy and historical science in general,” the head of the regional history museum, Angel Dinev, is pleased.
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