A chance discovery in the Copper Age
In October 1972, excavator operator Raycho Marinov was digging a trench in the industrial zone of Varna when he unearthed several shiny objects. He had accidentally discovered the Varna Necropolis, a Chalcolithic (Copper Age) burial site dated to 4569–4340 BCE. Subsequent archaeological work led by Mihail Lazarov and Ivan Ivanov revealed a total of 294 graves spread over an area of about 7,500 square meters.
The graves belong to the Varna culture, a prehistoric society that flourished in what is now northeastern Bulgaria. Analysis of the artifacts indicates the Varna people had trade relationships with distant regions, possibly including the lower Volga and the Cyclades. Materials found in the graves, such as Mediterranean Spondylus shells and obsidian blades, suggest an extensive trade network. The copper ore used for their tools originated from a mine near Stara Zagora.
Grave goods and social status
The Varna Necropolis contains the oldest known processed gold artifacts in the world. Over 3,000 individual gold objects with a combined weight of more than 6 kilograms have been recovered from the site. The finds include beads, rings, and bracelets ceremonial axes.
The distribution of these items is uneven, pointing to a socially stratified society. One grave in particular, designated Grave 43, contained more gold than has been found in the entire rest of the world for that period. This burial belonged to a high-status male, possibly a ruler or chieftain. His remains were adorned with about 1.5 kilograms of gold, including a scepter (a symbol of authority), a gold penis sheath, and numerous other ornaments.
The burial rites of the Varna culture were complex. Three main types of graves exist: some with skeletons in a crouched (fetal) position, others with skeletons laid out straight on their backs, and symbolic graves (cenotaphs) with no human remains. These cenotaphs often contain the most grave goods. Several symbolic graves contained life-sized masks made of unbaked clay, with gold ornaments placed where the eyes, mouth, and ears would be.