Up until today, no general overview of the Late Bronze Age (LBA) in Bulgaria exists. What is more, the ceramic typology and archaeological stratigraphy is less well developed for the LBA when compared to earlier or later stages. Also, the transition between LBA and the Early Iron Age (EIA) remains unclear in Bulgaria and Thrace as many features and pottery shapes continued well into the 1st millennium BC.
It is obvious that both, western Anatolia and southeastern Thrace, participated in the LBA East Aegean trade and cultural network. While Aegean affinities have been acknowledged in the past few decades, Balkan-Anatolian interactions remain understudied. Anatolian-inspired pottery shapes were found in a few sites in southeastern Bulgaria: Dragoyna (in the Rhodope Mountains), Drama near Yambol and Vratitsa near Burgas. These finds resemble wares known from Troy VI and VII. Reciprocally, greyware of Balkan origin was found in Troy VIIb1. Both, Thrace and Anatolia (e. g. at Daskyleion and Gordion), saw a revival of this type of pottery during the 1st millennium BC.
Metallurgy was crucial for the prosperity of LBA societies - and exploitation of gold, silver and copper mines has recently been recorded from the Balkan. Temporary LBA settlements and sanctuaries appeared in the vicinity of these mines. Ada tepe near Krumovgrad in southeastern Bulgaria is one of the best studied sites of this type.
This paper will present two artefact types as case studies to improve our understanding of the metal trade network: the distribution of LBA stone scepters and copper ingots. The southeastern Balkan benefitted increasingly from exchange with other regions in the Eastern Mediterranean from the 15th century BC onwards. Archaeological findings may indeed help improving our understanding of the ethnic and cultural situation in southeastern Thrace and northwestern Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age.
Author(s): Vassileva, Maya (New Bulgarian University, Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies)