Varna Necropolis
Exposition of the skeleton and the objects found in grave No. 43, which can be seen at the Varna Archaeological Museum | |
Interactive map of Varna Necropolis | |
| Location | Varna, Varna Province, Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°12′47″N 27°51′52″E / 43.21306°N 27.86444°E |
| Type | Cemetery |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 4569 BC |
| Abandoned | c. 4340 BC |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | October 1972 by Raycho Marinov |
The Varna Necropolis (Bulgarian: Варненски некропол), or Varna Cemetery, is a burial site in the western industrial zone of Varna (approximately half a kilometre from Lake Varna and 4 km from the city centre), internationally considered one of the key archaeological sites in world prehistory. The oldest gold treasure and jewelry in the world, dating from 4600 BC to 4200 BC, was discovered at the site. Several prehistoric Bulgarian finds are considered no less old – the golden treasures of Hotnitsa, Durankulak, artifacts from the Kurgan settlement of Yunatsite near Pazardzhik, the golden treasure Sakar, as well as beads and gold jewelry found in the Kurgan settlement of Provadia – Solnitsata (“salt pit”). However, Varna gold is most often called the oldest since this treasure is the largest and most diverse.