The Vulchitrun Gold Treasure

The Vulchitrun treasure was discovered by chance on 18 December 1924 near the village of Vulchitrun, Pleven district. It is the earliest valuable set for ritual drinking on the Balkan Peninsula. It dates back to the end of the Bronze Age, 15th – 13th Cent. BC. The Vulchitrun treasure is the biggest gold treasure from the ancient world. It has been made about 32 centuries before from pure native gold, weighs 12,5 kilograms and has been used both for ritual and everyday necessities. The biggest vessel was used for mixing of the wine, it weighs 4,5 kilograms and contains more than 10 liters. This vessel consists of three leaf-shaped small basins connected with narrow pipes that turn them into interconnected vessels. Probably each of them was filled in with a certain liquid, which mixed with the others and through the main pipe the big vessel was filled with that liquid. There is no doubt what the main liquid was – that was the heavy and hard Thracian wine. We can only guess if the other two were water and some improvements with certain aroma. They ladled out from the big vessel and filled three little cups each with a handle. There are two other features connected with the treasure. One of it is the material – the gold is the most conductive material. It takes away heat at the moment of pouring and the liquid becomes icy cold. The priests and even the common household women amazed their guests with the miraculous effect of the yellow metal. The guests or the participants in these ceremonies were amazed with something else also. The cup-bearers always knew when the glasses were empty and filled them up – the oddly located handles moved the centre of weight and the vessels without liquid lay on the tables and it became clear for them that they should fill them up.
The Vulchitrun Gold Treasure is currently kept in the National Archeological Museum in Sofia.