Excavation of Emporion Pistiros, Thrace 2018

Interactions between Ancient Greek and Thracian civilizations (with emphasis on trade and religion); Excavations of the Ancient Greek emporion Pistiros in Thrace (5th – 3rd century BCE); History and archaeology of ancient Thrace; Reflectance Transformation Imaging in collaboration with University of Exeter, UK; Archaeological field techniques and methods for excavation and documentation; Processing of finds and samples; Documentation of Classical and Hellenistic Finds; Excursions to significant heritage sites in Thrace, Bulgaria. Season Dates: 23 July – 20 August, 2018

The ruins of an ancient Greek trade center (emporion) in the heart of Thrace – on the left bank of Maritsa River (ancient Hebros), between the towns of Vetren and Septemvri, were discovered by Prof. M. Domaradzki in 1988. He started regular excavations and in 1990 his team found a stone inscription (known as "Vetren inscription") that helped the scholars to identify the site as the Ancient Greek emporion named Pistiros. Merchants from Greek coastal cities of Maroneia, Thassos and Apollonia lived and traded there with their Thracian neighbors under the supreme protection of the Thracian Odrysian kings (the biggest and mightiest Thracian Kingdom at that time).