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Archaeology Artefacts from Ancient State of Odris Displayed in Sofia

An exhibition, titled “The Treasures of the Odris Warriors,” containing over 200 unique artefacts from the ancient Odris state, will open at the National History Museum of Sofia on Tuesday.

Gold crown from Odris The exhibition presents the treasures of the ruling class of the Odris (Thracian) state (between fifth and first century BC), including aristocrats, military commanders, the ruler’s associates and relatives, as well as his personal guard.

Visitors will have the chance to see for the first time collected in one place many treasures, including: gold and silver vessels; sparkling appliquéd ornaments, decorated with filigree and enamel; luxurious tableware; golden breastplates; silver knee-guards, helmets and spears; as well as other objects used by the Odris aristocrats and warriors in their life on earth and in their afterlife, according to the Museum’s official press release.

The displayed artefacts also include personal belongings and armaments of the Thracian ruler Sevt III; a Thracian prince’s lamellar chain armour, put together from over 1,600 separate pieces; a golden breastplate from the village of Saloyanovo; golden cups from the villages of Topolchane and Daskal Atanasovo; a golden necklace from Kabile and a silver phalera from stara Zagora.

The artefacts, according to the press release, will give visitors a chance to get a glimpse of the Odris rulers who created Southeast Europe’s most powerful state between the fifth and the middle of the fourth century BC.

The exhibition, which will be on display until the end of October, has put together artefacts discovered during archaeological excavations over the past several years, which belong to different museums, including Sofia’s National History Museum and National Archaeological Museum, the Regional Archaeological Museum in Plovdiv, the Regional History Museums in Stara Zagora, Yambol and Sliven and the History Museums in Kazanlak and Nova Zagora.

Source: Balkan Travellers [June 28, 2010]