The Thracian Rock Tombs around the village of Pchelari
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Location
village of Pchelari, Stambolovo municipality
Chronology
11-1 centuries BC
History and description
The outskirts of the village Pchelari are abound in and are richly dotted with cultural monuments from the ancient times and the Middle Ages.The tombs cut in the eroded rocks in the areas of Hambar-Kaya, Ak-Kaya, Kara-in, Mal-said, Hodzhas, etc are among these monuments. Only in the Hambar-Kaya area one can see the traces of 6 tombs carved vertically on top of the mould array and further covered with large stone slabs.
There are two tombs preserved in the Ak-Kaya and Kara-In areas carved into the sheer cliffs, one of which is particularly impressive. It is located in the Kara-in area and is the most picturesque of all similar monuments. The tomb was cut is in the sheer steep rock at 2.5 kilometers southeast of the village. The plan of the tomb is trapezoidal. The entrance oriented to the southeast has the same shape. As a result of the weathering of the rocks an interesting rocky shelter overhanging the entrance was formed, which makes the rock to resemble a dolmen.
All the tombs in the vicinity of the village of Pchelari date back to the early Iron Age (II-I century B.C.) and have been declared to be cultural monuments.
Interesting facts
Do you know …
Thracian chieftains were buried mostly in burial mounds. In 1966 the land of Stambolovo, in the Dvete Chuki area, where trenching of vineyards a few meters from one mound was discovered Thracian chariot of II century.
Statute of the cultural site
Tombs around the village Pchelari are declared archaeological monuments of national importance.
Other sites nearby
The Thracian Cult complex,village of Dolno Cherkovishte;
The Thracian sanctuary “Aul kaya”;
Cromlech, village of Dolni Glavanak.
Accessibility
Objects are easily accessible because the road passes close to them.
Rock niches and tombs can be photographed from a distance.
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