Adriana Sarbova
2025
SITUATION, EXCAVATION AND DATE
The Thracian cult building under Chetinyova Mogila tumulus is situated around 3km Southwestern from Starosel village. The edifice has been excavated and researched by the archaeologist Georgi Kitov and his team in 2000 (see Kitov 2003). He dates it in the 5th – 4th Century BC (Kitov 2003: 5). Later studies of the building specifics refer it to the last decades of the 4th Century BC (Stoyanov, Stoyanova 2016: 324).
The mound itself has been raised over a natural hill, and in its Northern part traces from earlier sanctuary (rock-cut stairs) have been found (Фол В. 2007:162; Христов 2010: 66). In the Thracian cult architecture, the mound is associated with the “the sacred mountain or hill” (Русева 1995:28; Христов 2010: 71). The structure of the Thracian cult building is very often interpreted as an expression of the cosmogonic ideas of the Thracians (Фол А.1990: 170; Русева 2000: 68).
The building is situated in the Southeastern part of the mound. The only stairway for the Thracian cult architecture (attested by now) leads to the high located entrance (also facing Southeast). (fig. 2). The central flight has 9 stairs (H25cm х W47cm) and reaches a broad platform. Another two flights start to the right (fig. 3) (with 5 preserved stairs H26cm х W50cm) and to the left (with 4 preserved stairs H26cm х W50cm) (fig. 4). There are two main hypotheses about the two side flights. According to the first one, they are parts of an alley, surrounding the mound. According to the other one, the stairs have provided seats for visitors of rituals, performed in front of the entrance of the building. A combination of both is not excluded either. (Kitov 2003: 8).
COMPOSITION
Most Thracian cult buildings have similar compositions. Usually, they consist of different number of chambers, varying in the plan shape, which are aligned on a horizontal axis (enfilade), leading to the center of the main one (fig. 5). From this point the second compositional axis – a vertical one goes up and down. There are exceptions as well, like the cult building under Zhaba Mogila mound (See Китов 1979), or the one in Ginina Mogila mound (See Чичикова, Стоянов, Стоянова 2012).
The cult building under Chetinyova Mogila mound comprises an outdoor staircase, platform and corridor, and two indoor chambers – a rectangular one and a circular in plan (main) one, all aligned on a horizontal axis. The diameter of the central chamber at the ground is 5.40m (Русева 2013: 98).
In the Northern part of the mound, an intriguing facility has been found (fig.6), defined by Kitov as a wine repository (fig.7) (Китов 2003: 12). According to another theory, it was used for collecting water (Христов 2010: 73).
MATERIALS
The crepis of the mound is built of giant granite blocks, reinforced at some places by iron braces, poured with lead (Христов 2010:69).
Two kinds of stone can be distinguished in the structure of the building – granite (the crepis, the corridor and the stairs), and limestone (façade and the two chambers) (Фол, Манова, Пенкова 2021: 68).
FACADES
Just like in the other Thracian tumulus buildings, this one has only one visible façade (fig. 8) – the one with the entry. Here, it is flanked by two retaining stone walls, which form the corridor. The main accent of the façades in the Thracian cult buildings is the entry door. It symbolizes the boundary of the sacred space (Русева 2013: 73; Сърбова 2019). It is usually decorated. In the building in Chetinyova Mogila mound the middle part of the façade with the entry door steps in front of the rest of the wall and ends with two pilasters. The doorway, framed in Ionian cyma, is achieved by another three steps, the last one of which is the threshold.
The crepis of Chetionyova Mogila mound, made of granite blocks, is really impressive (fig. 9). Its length is 241m, and the height of the perceived parts reaches 3.5m (Русева 2013: 98).
INTERIOR
The culmination in the architecture of the building is the round central chamber (fig. 10). Most impressive is the beehive (false) dome, representing concentric circles, formed by every line of the stone masonry (fig. 11). A frieze of triglyphs and metopes, colored in blue, black and red follows. The walls beneath are rasterized by 10 semi-columns. The number 10 is interpreted as a symbol of the Cosmos in the context of the Pythagorean doctrine (Русева 2013: 117-118).
On the thresholds at the entrances of this buildings one can see tracks from the movement of stone doors (fig. 14) – double-winged at the antechamber and a single-winged at the central chamber. Traces from the known as a “sacred color” – cinnabar have been proved in the decoration of the single-winged door (Фол, Манова, Пенкова 2021: 20, 70).
FUNCTION
Although, the Thracian cult buildings have been called tombs for a long time (Филов 2019; Stoyanov, Stoyanova 2016), recently more and more scholars presume that they might have had also other functions (Фол, А. 2014: 280–281; Фол, В. 2021: 162–170; Русева 2000:77; Китов 2005; Христов 2010: 68).
This is also the case with the cult building in Chetinyova Mogila mound. Totko Stoyanov and Daniela Stoyanova use the term “tomb” and “sepulchral” (Stoyanov, Stoyanova 2016), whereas Kostadin Kisyov shares that the worn out thresholds and steps prove “multiple rituals for a long period of times” (after Христов 2010: 92), adding that this building differs a lot from the traditional funeral places of the Thracian nobility” (Христов 2010: 92). Also in other researchers’ publications the building is defined as a “temple” (Фол В., Манова, Пенкова 2021: 62-73; Христов 2010; Китов 2005: 93). In another article Kitov calls it “heroon” (Kitov 2003: 12). Malvina Ruseva uses the term “cult building”, “whose function has not been defined yet” (Русева 2013: 98-100).
REFERENCES
Елиаде, М. 2012: Трактат по история на религиите. София.
Кашъмов, Ал., Панчовски, Ил. 1994: Питагор и питагорейците. София.
Китов, Г. 1979: Тракийските могили край Стрелча. София.
Китов, Г. 2005: Могилна архитектура. – В: Китов Г., Димитрова Д. (ред.) Земите на България люлка на тракийската култура, том 2, София, 90-99.
Русева, М. 1995: Опит за тълкуване на погребалните паметници в Тракия като модел на света. – Анали 1-2/1995. София, 28-38.
Русева, М. 2000: Тракийска култова архитектура в българските земи през V-IIIв.пр.н.е. Ямбол.
Русева, М. 2006: Тракийската култова сграда край град Поморие – шедьовър на тракийската архитектурна школа през римската епоха, – В: Сантова М., Станоева И., Иванова М. (съст. и ред.) Сборник с материали от международната научна конференция БРЕГЪТ – МОРЕТО – ЕВРОПА. Модели на интеркултурна комуникация. София, 22-36.
Русева, М. 2013: Методика за научното изследване на тракийската архитектура. Анализи, тълкуване, символика. София.
Сърбова, А. 2019: Границите в тракийската култова архитектура. – В: Лозанова-Станчева В., Фол, В. Thracia 24, София, 345-356.
Фол, Ал. 1990: Политика и култура в Древна Тракия. София.
Фол, В. 2007: Скални топоси на вяра в Югоизточна Европа и Мала Азия през древността. (=Studia Thracica, 10). София.
Фол, В., Попова, Р., Манова, Р. 2021: Царският цвят цинобър в тракийската и римската култура по българските земи. София.
Фол, В., Манова, Р., Пенкова П. 2021: Храм в „Четиньова могила“– В: Фол, В., Попова, Р., Манова, Р. (съст.) Царският цвят цинобър в тракийската и римската култура по българските земи. София.
Христов, И. 2010: Храмът на безсмъртните Проучвания на монументални паметници в северозападната периферия на Одриското царство – края на V-средата на IV в. пр. Хр. София.
Чичикова М., Стоянов Т., Стоянова Д. 2012: Царската гробница с кариатидите край село Свещари, Исперих.
Kitov G. 2003: Starosel – centre culturel thrace, – In: Rikov, G. (ed.), Orpheus 11-12 (2001-2002), Sofia, 5-60.
Stoyanov, T., Stoyanova, D. 2016: Early Tombs of Thrace. Questions of Chronology and Cultural Context (Plates 129–141) – In: Henry O., Ute Kelp, U. (Ed.) Tumulus as Sema. Space, Politics, Culture and Religion in the First Millennium BC. Berlin/Boston, 313-337.