18 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 Early Periods XXX! XXX THE GOLD OF THRACE AND ROME THE ARCHAEOLOGy OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL bULGARIA Bulgaria is, in archaeological terms, one of the richest countries in Europe possessing awealthofsitesofnotjustregionalbutalso international importance, the finds from whichhavehadmadeadramaticimpacton our understanding of pre-historic, classical and medieval history. In the company of archaeologist Professor Andrew Poulter, a Roman scholar and veteran of Bulgarian archaeology, we navigate the finest of this country’s incredible inventory of historical sites. We will see the world-famous Chalcolithic gold, the earliest gold finds in the world, predating the development of Babylonia and Egypt, explore an 8000 year old Neolithic settlement, enter royal and aristocratic Thracian tombs, view Roman walls, theatres and bathhouses casually exposed amidst modern towns and cities. We will walk past Roman town fortifications and visit a legionary fortress and late Roman town, stand amidst working archaeologists and become privy to the latest finds and interpretations. We will be able to admire the art and treasures of working monasteries stunningly situated atop the green mountains, walk ancient and medieval cobblestone streets, traverse the verdant breathtaking Balkan Mountains and visit the restored ‘museum’ villages and battlefields which commemorate the modern Bulgarian struggle for independence. 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 12 – 20 August 2019 9 days with Prof Andrew Poulter with Prof Andrew Poulter with Prof Andrew Poulter with Prof Andrew Poulter with Prof Andrew Poulter Activity Level 2 Activity Level 2 ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, 3 and 4 star hotels, buffet breakfast, light lunches, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour price: £2295 Single supplement: £210 Deposit: £225 Price without flights: £2145 The Ancient Greeks referred to everywhere north of Thessaly as Thrace, an area that they recognised as being inhabited by skilled horsemen and craftsmen in precious metals andthusworthyofserioustrade.Beingatribal people, it was inevitable that Thracian culture, and the country itself, would be absorbed by the economic prosperity and territorial ambitions of their southern neighbours. Early Thracian architecture was heavily influenced by the Greeks, followed by the martial expansion of the Roman and Byzantine Empires as they utilised the region as a buffer ffer ff against the nomadic threat from north of the Danube. By early medieval times, the Bulgars had engineered a period of independence but, yet again, their southern neighbours, this time in the form of the Ottomans, conquered the area and it struggled under Turkish rule until the late 19th century. For the next hundred years turbulence ensued: independence, monarchy, major regional and world wars, republicanism and communism. It wasn’t until 1991 that democracy was established and the country became open to western influence. Day 1 – Outward Journey. Fly London to Sofia. Arrive early afternoon and drive to Plovdiv where we check in to our hotel for 4 nights. Day 2 – Plovdiv. A full day exploring Roman Trimontium, known in the high empire as Philippopolis, with structures dating from the 2nd Century, in particular the agora and municipal buildings, a spectacular theatre still standing, a circus (horse racing) and 4th Century city walls. At its highest point there are traces of the Thracian defences. Day 3 – Valley of the Thracians and Hisarya. Around Kazanluk we find a myriad of tumuli, some yielding rich treasure. They house impressive granite or brick lined burial chambers, often exquisitely decorated and individual in nature, some of which are open