In brief
Burgas‑based excavators uncovered a 7.6‑metre wide, 1.1‑metre thick building near the inner southern fortress wall of Rusokastro. Interior walls coated with hydrophobic mortar suggest a reservoir or storage function, while artefacts—including silver coins of Tsar Ivan Alexander and Venetian grosso coins—point to commerce during the 14th century. The find, funded by the Council of Ministers and Kameno Municipality, expands knowledge of Rusokastro’s role in medieval Bulgarian‑Byzantine conflicts. Remaining questions include the building’s exact purpose, the number of floors, and the full extent of its interior use.
A team of archaeologists working under the Regional History Museum of Burgas has unveiled a monumental, 7‑metre‑wide stone building at the medieval town of Rusokastro, located on the Black Sea coast. The structure, uncovered in the final phase of this year’s excavations, lies adjacent to the inner southern fortress wall and measures 1.1 metres thick in its walls. Researchers interpret the thick pink, hydrophobic coating on the interior faces as an indication that the space may have functioned either as a water reservoir or as a storage facility for food supplies.
Preliminary analyses suggest that the discovered section represents the ground floor of a larger building complex. Specialists believe a second, residential level was situated above it, a hypothesis that future work may confirm. The presence of a living space atop a storage or reservoir floor could provide insight into how medieval towns organized practical and domestic functions within the same structure.
Amid the stonework, excavators recovered a remarkable assemblage of artefacts. Among the items were silver coins issued during the reign of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Alexander, Venetian silver grosso coins known as matapans, copper coins, and a variety of other objects. These finds are presently undergoing cleaning and conservation at the restoration laboratory of the Burgas Museum, a process that will aid in publishing detailed reports on the numismatic evidence.
The entire excavation program is financed by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria and the municipality of Kameno. It is carried out by the Regional History Museum of Burgas, which has been coordinating digs across the province for several years. The project’s funding underscores a national priority to enhance cultural tourism through the preservation of major archaeological sites.
Historical records trace the first use of the name Rusokastro to the Arab geographer El Idrisi, whose work "Geography of the world" describes the settlement as a sizeable and bustling town. Subsequent Byzantine chroniclers have linked Rusokastro to key 14th‑century events, most notably the battle of 18 July 1332, when Tsar Ivan Alexander secured a victory over the Byzantine army of Emperor Andronicus. The fortress, a significant bulwark guarding the Bulgarian border ridge of Erkesiya during the 10th–11th centuries, was ultimately abandoned and destroyed during Ottoman campaigns in 1443.
Because the fortress and its surrounding town embody a critical chapter in the medieval Bulgarian‑Byzantine conflicts, the new building adds depth to scholarly understanding of the region’s defensive architecture and daily life. The discovery also raises the prospect of turning the area into a cultural‑tourism hub, as it stood among the government’s list of priority archaeological sites aimed at developing cultural tourism across Bulgaria.
While the excavation has provided remarkable clues, several aspects remain unresolved. The length of the building is presently undetermined, and its precise function—reservoir versus storage—has yet to be conclusively established. Likewise, the existence, layout, and extent of the upper residential floor are questions that future investigations may answer. The full implications of the coin hoard and other artefacts for the town’s economic ties also await further analysis.
