The silver treasure from the village of Bukyovtsi (today the town of Mizia) represents some of the most valuable artifacts inherited from the Thracian civilization, which flourished in the area of the Lower Danube and present-day Northwestern Bulgaria.
Along with the largest Thracian treasure discovered in Bulgaria – the one near the village of Rogozhen in the Vratsa region – the find from Bukyovtsi takes us back in time, following the footsteps of one of the major Thracian tribal communities, the Triballi, who inhabited lands between the Balkan Mountains and the rivers Velika Morava, Danube, and Iskar.
Map showing the distribution of the Triballi, source: Wikipedia.
The people whom even Alexander the Great could not conquer have left us, their descendants, a strong and indomitable warrior spirit, as well as a rich culture, evidenced by the exquisite treasures that have reached us.
The Bukyovtsi Treasure was discovered by chance. In 1925, while cultivating his land for agricultural purposes in the Gladno Pole area, Aleksandar Kr. Vitanov unexpectedly came across ancient silver objects buried in a shallow pit—just 40 cm beneath the surface.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, fragment with rosettes and human faces.
The exact number of objects unearthed by Vitanov at that moment has never been definitively established, as the records of the discovered treasures are conflicting. Moreover, the topic of the treasure resurfaces 10 years later, when the resident of Bukyovtsi finds an additional quantity of vessels – according to the prevailing version – this time while digging the foundations of a hut on his property.
Published accounts by historians indicate that only some of the discovered items were handed over to the Archaeological Museum, while others were sold by their discoverer and likely melted down, and some, which he had kept, were stolen from his home. Although the traces of part of the treasure have been lost over time, the preserved objects, with their distinctive shapes and craftsmanship, tell the story of their origin.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, fibulae.
The Bukyovtsi Silver Treasure has been dated by scholars to the second half of the 4th century BC. The preserved artifacts are splendid examples of Thracian jewelry art. Made of the purest silver, they testify to highly trained Thracian craftsmen who possessed excellent knowledge of the traditional vessel forms, iconographic motifs, and stylistic techniques of Thracian toreutics (a form of artistic metalworking – editor’s note).
The first part of the treasure contains a jug, a cup, and a magnificent ornament, while the second consists of a cup, a small jug, two other vessels, and horse harness appliqués (straps used for harnessing).
Bukyovtsi Treasure, silver cup
The silver cup is one of the most beautiful precious cups from Thrace. Its body is covered with recessed horizontal stripes, which indicate Persian influence, while the delicate lines of the vegetal and geometric ornaments engraved below the rim reveal the hand of a great Greek master.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, silver jug
The small jug is decorated with vertical stripes, which, at their most prominent part, are interrupted by a wide smooth band bordered on both sides by a narrow strip of incisions. This type of ornament separates the short cylindrical neck from the body, and the rim is wide and unadorned.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, silver jug
The small jug and the appliqués for the horse harness belong to the Thracian “animal style,” adopted from Anatolian art and significantly developed by Thracian craftsmen during the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, silver cup
The most impressive item from the treasure is undoubtedly the silver ornament, consisting of a chain made of interwoven silver threads attached to five richly decorated fibulae. Below them, there is one large and six smaller rosettes, each topped with a decorative human head, while spherical and oval-shaped pendants hang below the smaller ones.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, ornament with braids, rosettes, fibulae, and stylized human faces
This ornament was likely worn on the chest of a member of a royal or other noble family and was a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. The beautiful rosette at the center of the ornament was used as an image on a postage stamp after the beginning of the 20th century.
Bukyovtsi Treasure, fragment with a rosette.
The original artifacts from the Bukyovtsi Silver Treasure are kept at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in the “Vault” hall, dedicated to exhibiting treasures of exceptional historical and artistic significance. Currently, the treasure is part of a traveling exhibition in some of the most prestigious museums around the world, but it will return to the “Vault” hall at the beginning of May 2024, as confirmed by NAIM representatives.
Meanwhile, visitors can experience the treasure’s significance in the “Vratsa Treasures” hall at the Regional Historical Museum in Vratsa, where a replica of the treasure is on display. Since 2023, the hall has been renovated, featuring the treasures in an interactive format that also offers sensory experiences. Visitors can access comprehensive information about the artifacts, including details about their craftsmanship and function.
The precious artifacts from the Bukyovtsi Treasure exhibited in museums are part of the thread connecting us to our distant Thracian ancestors. As their descendants, we carry the genes of incredible creators, whose works are unparalleled examples in global jewelry art of that period and direct witnesses to the events that laid the foundations of European civilization.
Author: Yoana Dimitrova
The Bukyovtsi Treasure is part of the representative selection “100 Dunav Ultra Highlights,” showcasing the identity of the route.