Borovo Treasure

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Borovo Treasure
Sofia - King Kotys I's Borovo Treasure.jpg
Materialsilver
Created383 BC – 359 BC
Discovered1974 at Borovo
Present locationRousse Regional Historical Museum

The Borovo Treasure, also known as the Borovo Silver Treasure, is a Thracian[1][2] hoard of five matching silver-gilt items discovered in late 1974 while ploughing a field in Borovo, Bulgaria.[3][4]

The treasure is kept in the history museum at Ruse.[1]

Items[]

The treasure consists of a table set of five silver-gilt items:[1][2]

  • Three rhyta, each a different size, and with a different base. The largest has a figure of a sphinx and bears the inscription: "[Belongs to] Cotys from [the town of] Beos.", as well as the name of the craftsman, Etbeos.[5] The second has a figure of a horse, and the third, the smallest, has a bull. Each are half figures.
  • A large, two-handled bowl: This item is decorated with a relief of a deer being attacked by a griffin.[6]
  • A rhyta jug with images gods at a feast, scenes showing the mythological cycles, with images of Dionysus and Heracles, satyrs, griffons, and sphinxes.[4]

Discovery[]

The discovery was made while ploughing a field approximately 2 km from the village of Borovo, Ruse, in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, the plow severely damaged objects, but after extensive restoration work, the damage is nearly invisible.[1][2][6]

It is unknown why the treasure was buried at that particular site, since no tumulus was found at the location.[6]

Origins[]

The inscription on the sphinx rhyta indicates that the treasure may have been a gift to a local Getic ruler from the king Cotys I (382-359 BC),[4] who reigned in the Odrysian Kingdom from 383 to 359 BC.[6] It is for this reason that the treasure is considered to be from the early to mid fourth century BC.[1][2][4][6]

Gallery[]

  • NHMB-Borovo-treasure-of-CotysI--copy.jpg
  • Thracian treasure Borovo Sphynx 2.jpg
  • Thracian treasure Borovo Jug.JPG
  • Thracian treasure Borovo Sphynx 1.JPG
  • Thracian treasure Borovo 2.jpg

See also[]

Other Thracian treasures:

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Borovo Treasure - Landmarks/Treasures - BulgariaInside.com". Bulgariainside.eu. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Borovo silver treasure | Ancient Treasures, Ancient Thracians". Ancient-treasure.info. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  3. ^ Ovcharov, Dimiter (2005). "The Borovo Treasure: A Feast Eating or Sacrificial Set". Fifteen Treasures from Bulgarian Lands. Translated by Pencheva, Maya. Sofia: Bulgarian Bestseller, National Museum of Books and Polygraphy. p. 49.
  4. ^ a b c d "Bulgaria's Thracian Heritage - The Borovo Treasure". Omda.bg. Archived from the original on 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  5. ^ Marazov, Ivan; Fol, Alexander (1977). Thrace and the Thracians. New York: St. Martin’s Press. pp. 79, 81. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Borovo Treasure". Heritage Key. Archived from the original on 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2011-08-31.

Further reading[]

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