Gods and Sanctuaries in Roman Thrace (1st-4th C. AD) / Богове и светилища в Римска Тракия (I-IVв.) - на английски/ - каталог

Dear readers,

The book that you hold in your hands is the current issue from the series National Archaeological Museum Catalogues. It is related to an extremely interesting and exciting project, a joint initiative of the specialists from NAIM - BAS and the Regional Museum of History - Pernik. During the autumn of 2025, the visitors of the museum in the town of Permk had the possibility to participate in the opening of the temporary exhibition “Gods and sanctuaries in Roman Thrace (1st - 4th c. AD)”. The subject of the interrelations between the people and the deities during the different historical periods has always stirred up the imagination of everyone with an interest in the past.

With common efforts, the teams of both institutions succeeded, in relatively short terms, m creating an intriguing contemporary interpretation of our knowledge about the most popular cults and the venerated deities on the territory of ancient Thrace from the moment when it became a part of the Roman Empire that had spread on three continents till the establishment of Christianity as the official state religion and the abolishment of the old faith. It is a dynamic period combining the old traditions, reflected in the beliefs of the Thracian population and related to various personages from some point the universal for the South Europe 2nd the Mediterranean Graeco-Italic pantheon, as well as the introduction of cults connected to the central power, the globalization processes and the movement of considerable groups of population within the Roman Empire transferring in the reached lands its own rites and beliefs.

In the present book you can find interesting information about the history of the research, for some of its main problems, and for the recent discoveries made in the past several years.

The work on creating the temporary exhibition “Gods and sanctuaries in Roman Thrace : - 4' c. AD)” is a natural continuation of the NAIM - BAS’ active policy for the creation of important museum projects for exhibitions aimed at its natural partners - the regional and the municipal museums. A method that helps the institution to make its depositories available to the broad public and puts an accent on the importance of the local cultural-historical heritage. During the past several years, temporary exhibitions with various content, but always with special insight into the finds and the materials for a given region, were presented in Ruse. Varna, Vratsa, Lovech, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Kazanlak, Panagyurishte, etc.

The finds related to the theme of cults and beliefs in Thrace during the Roman period have always been among the most attractive and recognizable in the Bulgarian museums' exhibitions. I believe that the present temporary exhibition, whose first steps were taken in the Regional Museum of History - Pernik in the autumn of 2025, will have a long life and in the future will reach more people across the country.

Good luck!

Hristo Popov

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CONTENTS

Hristo Popov. Foreword

Veselka Katsarova. Introduction

Kaloyan Pramatarov. History of research

Petya Andreeva. Thracia Sacra: cult spaces beyond the cities

Kaloyan Pramatarov. The votives - offerings for the deities

Vasilka Paunova. Votive reliefs

Ivan Voykov. Votive inscriptions

Marina Kalpachka. Conservation and Restoration Challenges Presented by the Organisation of Temporary Archaeological Exhibitions

References