Karanovo Settlement Mound

There are over 400 settlement mounds (tells) in Bulgaria, which bespeak brilliant prehistoric civilization. The Karanovo settlement mound is situated in the northwestern part of today’s village of Karanovo. The mound is 10 km northwest of the town of Nova Zagora. It is one of the most significant historical sites in the Balkans and Europe. The mound is 13 m high and has accumulated over 12 m of cultural deposits. The prehistoric museum spreads over 25 decares and has 7 cultural layers. All the prehistory periods are presented here – from the Stone Age to the Bronze one. The mound was inhabited for some 3000 years. Archeologists have been making excavations here since 1936. Since 1984 the excavations have been carried out together with the Salzburg University. Archeologists say the stamp seal found here was inscribed with the first script ever. Given the date, the signs of the Karanovo seal turn out to be the oldest script in Europe. The stamp seal is 6 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick. It was inscribed in ancient European script and for this reason is supposed to have been a token of prestige, rendered for special merits and probably used in religious ceremonies. According to some archeologists the characters incised on the Karanovo seal bear a remarkable resemblance to the constellations that make the western zodiac.

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