12-14 November 2023, Varna
Lider Apartment 40lev [R400]

We came to Varna on Friday for the gold found in Grave 43, but the Archeological Museum that houses (some of) it is closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, so we are still here! Having gained access today, we are back on the bikes tomorrow, headed south towards Turkey and South Africa (from Istanbul on December 3 we fly home for a few months).
--
"The Varna burial site is internationally considered one of the key archaeological sites in world prehistory.
The oldest gold treasure in the world, dating from 4,600 BC to 4,200 BC, was discovered at the site.
Inside grave 43, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a high-status male who appears to have been a ruler/leader of some kind – more gold was found within this burial than in the entire rest of the world in that period.
The burial is incredibly significant as it is the first known elite male burial in Europe."
--
Grave 43 is recreated in the museum, which houses artifacts from the stone age through copper, bronze, iron, classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and later eras.
--
For a more detailed story, read the article linked above: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/varna-bulgaria-gold-graves-social-hierarchy-prehistoric-archaelogy-smithsonian-journeys-travel-quarterly-180958733/