1 800-year-old Thracian chariot found in the village of Karanovo, Bulgaria

In November 2008 archaeologists unearthed an intricately decorated 1 800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria. The richly ornamented 4-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century AD.

This is one of the very few cases where archaeologists can trace the entire pattern of ritual practices accompanying burials of prominent Thracian people who believed in a better after-life. The deceased were to be laid with all the objects they needed during their lifetime. The richer and nobler the dead person, the more exuberant the burial gifts.

The bronze-plated wooden chariot is decorated with scenes from Thracian mythology - the god Eros, a jumping panther and a mythological animal with the body of a panther and the tail of a dolphin. It has wheels 4 feet in diameter. Four wheeled chariots are an extremely rare find, and this one is particularly notable because of the large diameter of its wheels.

The presence of wood in an archaeological site is usually connected with its usage in different activities: construction, instruments of production, etc. Well preserved wooden parts of chariots were found for the first time in the territory of Bulgaria.

Table pottery, glass vessels, well-preserved wooden and leather objects, some of which may have been horse harnesses, and other gifts were also discovered at the funerary mound. All artifacts were used for the funeral of a wealthy Thracian aristocrat.

The Eastern Mound - Chariot and Tomb of a Thracian Aristocrat from 1st Century AD

The unique 4-wheeled ancient chariot found at Karanovo is displayed in its original place at an archaeological complex entitled ‘The Eastern Mound’ and located near the town of Nova Zagora, right off the Trakiya highway.