November 1, 2012 12:22 pm
Newly Uncovered, 6,500-Year-Old Fortified Stone City the Oldest in Europe
The stone age city lies just under this hill. Photo: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Institute of History
A few weeks ago, we brought you the story of the massive 5,000-year old stone temple complex at the Ness of Brodgar in Scotland. That find, said researchers working on the excavation to The Guardian, was “a Neolithic treasure that utterly eclipses all others on Orkney – and in the rest of Europe.”
Not to be outdone, archaeologists working in Bulgaria have found “the oldest prehistoric town found to date in Europe,” says the BBC, a fortified stone settlement known as Provadia-Solnitsata that harks back a whopping 6,500 years, plus or minus a few centuries. This new find pre-dates the Ness of Brodgar, the pyramids, Stonehenge and the ancient Greeks by more than a millenium. It’s not the oldest stone construction in existence, not by a long shot, but the stone-walled city, thought to have been able to house around 350 people, is unique to the region.
The BBC:
Excavations at the site, beginning in 2005, have also uncovered the remains of two-storey houses, a series of pits used for rituals, as well as parts of a gate and bastion structures.
A small necropolis, or burial ground, was discovered at the site earlier this year and is still being studied by archaeologists.
The BBC says that the presence of the ancient city “almost certainly explains the treasure found exactly 40 years ago at a cemetery on the outskirts of Varna, 35km (21 miles) away, the oldest hoard of gold objects found anywhere in the world.” That collection is partially on display at the Varna Museum of Archaeology, if you’re ever in the area.
More from Smithsonian.com:
Pirate Vampire Dug Up in Bulgaria
Archaeologists Uncover Massive Stone Age Complex in Scotland
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It must have been the salt mines, that made this into such an important urban center. Even in historic times, salt is what created the Stroganoff Family fortune. People needed salt, and some source provided it.
Comment by Tim Upham — November 1, 2012 @ 6:00 pm
Isn’t Sesklo in Greece a lot older, more than 8000 years old? There are many other, almost as ancient settlements, in Greece, like Dimini.
According to Britannica Encyclopedia, Sesklo was an ancient town in Greece, an important site several acres in extent, with nearly 30 houses, a sophisticated gate, and striking red-and-white pottery etc.
Though, I have to admit 30 houses doesn’t sound modern town sized.
I think there were towns in Cyprus of up to about 1000 people, even earlier, dating from about 9000 years ago.
It just sounds a bit incredible and very unlikely that urbanisation began in Bulgaria independently, especially considering that Bulgaria is right next door to Greece and Turkey where towns date back 10,000 years, is not far away.
Comment by B. Tyred — November 1, 2012 @ 11:58 pm
I repeat, all mounds worldwide were built by Africans.
You took down my first comment. Smith is censoring??? don’t want this info in the public domain??? whites weren’t on the planet until 6,000 years ago. Why are you people so scared of the truth? Oh, I know why, inherent liars have to protect themselves, right, huh, what was that? I’ll make sure all my contacts aware of what you’re doing.
Comment by elaine clemons — November 2, 2012 @ 5:40 pm
wow i didn’t know africans were in america 6000 years ago.
Comment by ed liscombe — November 8, 2012 @ 3:06 am
There were NO Africans 6000 years ago. They must have used a word to describe themselves, but I doubt it was Africans.
Comment by Wm Bergmann — December 6, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
bergman=idiot.
Comment by elaine clemons — December 10, 2012 @ 11:15 am