Luxurious Buildings Uncovered in Bulgaria’s Philipopolis

PLOVDIV, BULGARIA—Archaeology in Bulgaria reports that luxurious residential and public buildings dating to the Roman era have been discovered on the southern slope of three hills in the heart of the ancient city of Philipopolis, which was also known as Trimontium. The six structures include a temple dedicated to multiple deities, an inn with a tavern, residential buildings, and a brothel, according to Zheni Tankova of the Plovdiv Museum of Archaeology. The temple is noted for its marble, clay, and terracotta figurines of deities worshipped by the Thracians, Romans, Greeks, Phrygians, and Persians. “In addition to the over 600 terracotta fragments, we’ve found some 300 clay lamps,” Tankova said. “It was odd that they had barely been in use but all of them had had their handles broken off.” Big ceramic storage vessels known as pithoi and vessels for cooking, eating, and storing olive oil and wine were recovered from the inn, which had been outfitted with hearths. One of the inn's rooms may have been reserved for use by women, since bone hair needles and a bronze female bust were found there. A structure near the inn resembles a brothel unearthed in Pompeii, although the one found in Pompeii is about 200 years older. To read about another recent discovery in Bulgaria dating to the Roman era, go to “Mirror, Mirror.”