Roman Mirror Frames Unearthed in Bulgaria

News March 12, 2018

(Kalin Chakarov)
SHARE:
Bulgaria Roman mirrors
(Kalin Chakarov)

PAVLIKENI, BULGARIA—According to an Archaeology in Bulgaria report, five small lead frames that once held glass mirrors have been discovered in a building at a Roman villa and ceramic factory in northern Bulgaria. Archaeologist Kalin Chakarov of the Pavlikeni Museum of History said three of the mirrors had been decorated with an image of a krater, or large wine vessel, and leafy vines. They also were inscribed with the words “a good soul” in Greek. Mirrors are usually found in temples, but this building is thought to have been residential quarters for people who worked in the villa on the estate, thought to have been owned by a military veteran between the second and third centuries A.D. The site was abandoned after A.D. 235, perhaps due to barbarian invasion. For more on archaeology in Bulgaria, go to “Thracian Treasure Chest.”

  • Features January/February 2018

    Where the Ice Age Caribou Ranged

    Searching for prehistoric hunting grounds in an unlikely place

    Read Article
    (Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Creative)
  • Letter From Albania January/February 2018

    A Road Trip Through Time

    As a new pipeline cuts its way through the Balkans, archaeologists in Albania are grabbing every opportunity to expose the country’s history—from the Neolithic to the present

    Read Article
    (TAP/G. Shkullaku)
  • Artifacts January/February 2018

    Roman Dog Statue

    Read Article
    (Eve Andreski/Courtesy Gloucester County Council)
  • Digs & Discoveries January/February 2018

    The Secrets of Sabotage

    Read Article
    (Bjørn Harry Schønhaug)