IN THE REGION which today is southern Bulgaria, there lived in ancient times numerous rich and prosperous Thracian tribes. Traces of their settle­ments are still to be seen, and even more prominent in the landscape are their funeral mounds, or tumuli. Excavation of some of these mounds, dating from the fourth to the first centuries [ BCE ], has revealed the close contact which ex­isted between these tribes and their Greek neighbors to the south.

Up to now the most important objects of the Classical Greek period have been those discovered at Trebenishte in Yugoslavia and at Duvanli, near Plovdiv (the ancient Philippopolis). Now there has been added to these the extraordinary gold treasure which is illustrated here. The whole group of vessels was found by chance late in 1949 on the site of an old Thracian settlment near the small town of Panagurishte which lies in the valley of the same name on the southern slopes of the Central Sredna Gora mountain range. Three brothers, who were digging clay for making bricks, found the vessels buried in the ground about twenty-eight yards west of the Meroul Brick Factory, at a depth of more than seven feet (over two meters), without a trace of a container of any sort. The treasure is now in the National Museum at Plovdiv.

It is known that in ancient times Panagurishte lay within the territory of the Thracian tribe known as the Bessi. During the fifth and the first half of the fourth century [ BCE ] the region belonged to the Thracian state of Odrysae. In 342 [ BCE ] it was conquered by Macedonia. It is to the Macedonian period that the treasure belongs.

The treasure consists of nine vessels of pure gold weighing a total of 6,164 grams (16 lbs. 5 oz.). In the group are four rhytons or drinking vessels, three oinochoai or jugs, a phiale or bowl, and an amphora.

The gold rhyton shown in Figure 1 weighs 674.60 grams and has a capacity of about 350 grams. Its lower end is shaped like a stag’s head (cervus dama). There is a small opening in the stag’s lower lip for the liquid to flow out. The neck of the rhyton is decorated with a relief representing a scene from Greek mythology: Paris (or Alexander as the name is inscribed beside the figure) is pronouncing his famous judgment as to which of the three goddesses, Hera, Athena or Aphrodite, is most beautiful and is to be awarded the apple of dis­cord. Paris, who is seated on a rock, wears Phrygian dress. Hera is seated on a throne, Aphrodite (Figure 2) is standing, Athena is seated on the rock hold­ing her helmet in her right arm. The mouth of the rhyton is decorated with a band of beading and a Lesbian cyma. The handle, which is hollow, has a woman’s head at the base and ends in the figure of a lion at the top.

The gold rhyton shown in Figure 3 weighs a little more than the first one (689 grams) but has the same capacity. This also ends in a stag’s head and has a small orifice in the animal’s lower lip. The neck of the rhyton is dec­ orated with a relief showing two subjects: Theseus bringing down the Mara­thon bull…and [Hercules], clad in the skin of the Nemean lion, slaying the Corinthian stag. The mouth and the handle are similar to those of the first rhyton.

In Figure 4 is shown a gold rhyton (weight 505.05 grams, capacity about 350 grams) whose lower end is in the form of a young ram’s head, with a small opening in the lower lip. The neck of the vessel bears a relief showing Dionysos seated on a throne with the maenad Eriope (her name inscribed beside her) on his left. Eriope has been identified as the maenad Alkimache of Lemnos^[1], who accompanied Dionysos to India. At the left and right of these figures are two dancing maenads. The mouth and the handle, which is hollow, are decorated like those of the first two rhytons.

The lower end of the gold rhyton in Figure 5 (439.05 grams, capacity about 350 grams) represents the head and foreparts of a male goat. There is a spout between the goat’s front legs. The neck of the vessel is ornamented with a composition in relief showing four Olympian deities: Hera, seated on a throne and raising her veil to display her beauty, holds a phiale in her right hand. To her left and right stand Apollo and his sister Artemis armed with bow and arrows. At Artemis’ left is the goddess Nike (Victory)^[2].

Figure 6 illustrates a gold oinochoe in the shape of a woman’s head (weight 460.75 grams). Her hair is drawn away from her face and partially concealed under a cap or kerchief. The face is notable for its expression of calm and dig­nity. Around her neck is a necklace with a lion’s head in the center, and this has a small opening in the lower lip for the liquid to flow out. The mouth of the vessel is decorated like the others mentioned above. The handle (hollow like the others) ends at the top in the figure of a sphinx whose human qualities are emphasized.

The gold oinochoe shown in Figure 7 is almost identical with that in Fig­ure 6, though some differences exist in details. The height is the same but the weight is slightly greater (466.75 grams).

Figure 8 shows an oinochoe (weight 387.30 grams) in the shape of a fe­male head, but of a different kind. The hair is waved in front and frames the forehead, on which is worn a diadem with engraved designs, tied at the back with two ribbons. On the sides of the head are two griffins whose wings cover the upper part of the back of the head. The mouth and handle of the vessel are like those of the other two oinochoai.

The…phiale (bowl with central boss) shown in Figure 9 weighs 845.70 grams. Its ancient weight of 196 drachmai and ¼ obol is engraved on the outside of the vessel near the rim, on the smooth surface. In the Attic metric system this weight equaled 846.90 grams, or just 1.40 grams more than the vessel’s present weight. The bowl has five concentric rows of decoration in relief on the outside: around the center are twelve rosettes, out­ side of these are twenty-four acorns, and around these are three rows, each containing twenty-four heads of [African] types, between which are palmettes and lotuses. The variety of expressions and features of the faces can be seen in Figure 10.

The most elaborately decorated vessel of the collection is the gold amphora shown in Figures 11-16. Its size and weight (1,695.25 grams) are also much greater than those of the other vessels. The amphora has a rounded bottom with a five-petaled rosette in relief; hence it has no base on which to stand. On the lower part of the body are two [African] heads placed opposite each other, their open mouths serving as orifices for the liquid to flow out. They remind one of the Chertomlik amphora found in South Russia. Above them on one side a kneeling satyr with a double flute points a kantharos (drinking cup) at one of the [African] heads as if intending to fill it with wine. On the other side the infant [Hercules], also kneeling, is shown in the act of throttling the snakes sent by Hera.

The main scene on the amphora shows an elaborately decorated palace gate with a guard and seven armed figures (Figure 12). Two of the latter are con­ versing and the other five are attacking the gate. The presence of the bugler blowing his war bugle is the clue to the interpretation of the scene. In Greek antiquity we have only one legend in which such a bugle is mentioned, that in which Achilles is discovered by Odysseus and Diomedes hiding on the island of Skyros, and is summoned by them to take part in the Trojan War. Also to be considered is the resemblance to the scene in wrought gold on the Chertomlik quiver, which is accepted as a version of this story. The similarity between this and the Panagurishte amphora is particularly notable in the elaboration of the scene and in the presence of other figures armed not ac­cording to the usual scheme but with knotty clubs like the one usually carried by [Hercules]. Here, as on the Chertomlik quiver, both the theme and its mean­ing remain purely Greek, and the deviation from the usual version is that the discovery is achieved by violence combined with cunning and not by cunning alone. The elderly male figure must be identified as Odysseus and the one next to him as Diomedes. The rest of the figures are those who accompanied them to Skyros. The gate is that of Lycomedes’ palace. The scene is bordered with rows of alternate palmettes and lotuses and a band of Lesbian cyma. Around the mouth is a strand of beads with a row of tongues below. Two letters­– ψω– are engraved on the inside, probably the initials of the owner or of the workshop. A large amphora such as this would have been used for cooling drinks at big feasts.

These elaborate gold vessels were made in three stages. First, the separate parts were hammered out; then they were welded together and, finally, chiseled. Bearing in mind the shapes of the vessels and their detailed orna­ments, the types of headdresses, the lack of beards in most of the male figures, the great detail and precision (with a few small exceptions) in depicting facial features, the types of letters in the two inscriptions and the general technique and workmanship, we come to the conclusion that these highly developed examples of the Greek goldsmith’s art were produced during the second half of the fourth century [ BCE ] We suppose that they were made in Greece, probably in Attica.

A set of gold vessels such as this could have belonged only to an individual of importance in political and economic life, either a Thracian prince or one of the Macedonian princes. Precious objects such as these were purchased for their palaces or were sometimes given as bribes in the form of gifts.

This unique gold treasure, painstakingly created by skilled craftsmen, is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the goldsmith’s art during the Hellenistic period, as well as of economic relations between Greece and the northern regions. The fact that it was buried in the earth without any cover­ing shows that it must have been hidden in a hurry when, owing to some political upheaval, the people had to flee from the Thracian plain to the mountains.