I'll post the article first and comment later:
Amazing Archaeological Discovery in the South of Sakar Mountain
Updated on: 20.10.2008, 18:27
Published on: 20.10.2008, 12:17
Author: Diana Stoykova
A sensational golden discovery was made in the South of Sakar Mountain by a team of archaeologists under the governance of Ph.D. Borislav Borislavov from Sofia University "Climent Ohridski" and Nadezhda Ivanova - vice-chief (National Institute Of Archaeology And Museum - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
The excavations were sponsored by the Ministry of Culture through the National History Museum, the sum amounting of 22 000 leva, announced NHM director Bozhidar Dimitrov.
The expedition explored a mound in the surroundings of Izvorovo village, Harmanli Municipality.
The mound is 31 m in diameter, 2, 9 m in height. Two stages of heaping were determined.
The first dates back to the second half of the 2nd millennium B.C. (middle bronze age) and the second - to the 2nd century A.C. (Romanian period)
During the Bronze Age a rubble and stamped clay platform was shaped, over which a funeral device was built. It is in fact a mould of quartz with a clay foundation, 8 m in diameter and 2 m in height.
At its foundation a crematory funeral was performed. The remains were put in a richly decorated clay pot and dispersed around the stones.
At the same level treasures which of extreme importance were found having in mind the period - a golden jewel, consisting of 320 beads: small spherical (2 mm) taking turns with big barley-shaped beads (7 mm), 1, 5 m all, two golden spindle-shaped objects, with a solar decoration, a golden and a silver tile, tied together with a sliver knit, a silver ring and a bronze knife with a stone hone.
Golden finds of the same kind have been found only on Crete - these finds, however, outnumber them almost 15 times.
Ph.D. Borislavov suspects that it is the mould of a man of utmost importance - a ruler or a high priest.
The number and the master's workmanship can be explained by the fact that this region was a major trading road, connecting Asia Minor,the Balkans and Central Europe.
These treasures, however, can be the work of a local culture. It is know that Sakar mountain is the home of a mysterious stone culture -the dolmens.
The mound was preserved as a cult place, when during the 2nd century A.C. a village was built around it.
It is surrounded by a circle of big stone blocks, 22 m in diameter, and heaped by red soil and three levels of stones, which helped its perseverance through the centuries.
This discovery is unique not only for Bulgaria and it will shed light on long kept secrets about far forgotten ages.
Tomorrow- Tuesday at a press-conference in NHM minister Danailov will personally present the finds to the public.
After that they will be exhibited in hall 1 of the National History Museum.
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Okay, first of all, the article (and archaeologists) totally slighted the discovery of TWO SPINDLE-LIKE OBJECTS in this tomb. Now darlings, everyone knows that spindles do not appear in men's tombs; they only appear in women's tombs because they were used - say it all together now - in spinning wool and flax for the weaving of cloth! Duh! Compare the previous posted article about the portion of a stone spindle discovered in Iceland.
Second, it is premature, without more to go on, to just assume that the mound was the burial spot of a MAN of "utmost importance" - a ruler or a priest. Why not the tome of a female ruler - or a priestess? The TWO GOLDEN SPINDLE-LIKE OBJECTS would seem to point more toward a female burial than a male burial. In the absence of remains that could be analyzed anatomically - only ashes from a cremation - it is totally presumptive, and unfortunately typical - to assume that the burial was male. Can the ashes be analyzed for male or female DNA?
Third, I don't know about you, darlings, but the style of that gold bead necklace found in the mound certainly reminds me of necklaces worn by women and not those worn by men, even in the bad old days! In fact, it has a very modern ambiance to it, doesn't it!
I think the archaeologist dudes made a big mistake...
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