Archaeologists Uncover Magnificent Town of Emperor Diocletian in Bulgaria

Good thermal springs are always likely to draw increasing numbers of people who have the means to tap their benefits. More often than not, they become popular resort destinations for the rich and famous. So it was with this location in the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mountain range near the present-day town of Hisarya of central southern Bulgaria.

Archaeological research indicates that this place was inhabited as long ago as 6,000 years BCE, then later by the Thracians. In the 1st century CE it was conquered by the Roman Empire, eventually becoming an affluent 4th century Roman resort, a place that emperor Septimius Severus himself, among others, was recorded to have visited. Today, the archaeological remains bear the unmistakable evidence of palaces, wide stone streets, marble baths, an amphitheater in circus style, and monumental fortification walls. The walls have been preserved in some places up to 14 m in height.  

Now, a team of archaeologists and students have returned to the ancient site to uncover more of the remains, hoping to shed additional light on a major Roman settlement that was likely a popular attraction for the wealthy Roman citizenry during the height of the Roma Empire in Late Antiquity.

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