Archaeologists Confirm Temple of Hercules in Ancient Bulgarian City

Jerusalem, 15 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Petrich (BTA) – A newly discovered inscription with a dedication to Hercules confirms the existence of a temple to the deity in the ancient southwest Bulgarian city of Heraclea Sintica. This was announced to BTA by the head of the archaeological research there, Prof. Dr. Lyudmil Vagalinski, summarizing the results of the 2026 season, more than a month after the start of the excavations.

The inscription was found in the temple itself and contains a dedication to Heracles the Hunter, which provides key information about the specific aspect of the cult of the deity worshipped at the site, the researcher noted. According to the archaeologist, this is a categorical confirmation of the hypothesis that the building was a temple to Heracles.

According to preliminary data, the inscription dates back to the pre-Roman era – probably from the 3rd or early 2nd century BC, before the conquest of the Macedonian Kingdom by the Roman Republic in 168 BC. The reading of the text was carried out by epigrapher Dr. Nikolay Sharankov from Sofia University, and the final dating is yet to be specified.

“We have almost completed the plan of the Temple of Hercules. It was extremely important for us to specify it in detail. We are currently checking its dating – we have a preliminary one from last year, but now, after the cultural layers have been exhausted, we can confirm or correct it,” said Prof. Vagalinski.

He stressed that a significant part of the archaeological work remains “invisible” to the general public. “The coins are to be processed – cleaned and identified, as well as the analysis of the ceramics, which must be washed, described and dated. These are results related to stratigraphy, chronology and planning, which are of key importance for science,” he added.

The team is also actively working in the northern zone of the temple, where a building with mosaics is being studied. Last year, an unfinished building was discovered there, and in 2024, another building, next to which a tablet of the Thracian Horseman was discovered. “Now we have completed the study there as well, achieving good results in terms of chronology,” the archaeologist added.

Among the more attractive finds of the season are parts of marble sculptures – a torso with fragments of an arm and leg, probably of a deity such as Dionysus or Apollo, as well as parts of a statue of a goddess, found in the vestibule of the temple. According to Prof. Vagalinsky, dating such finds requires both stylistic analysis and careful study of the archaeological context.

The archaeologist noted that the cult of Heracles the Hunter was widespread in Ancient Macedonia. Similar dedications are known from other centers, including Beroea (present-day Veria, Greece), where there is a sanctuary to the same aspect of the deity with early evidence from the 4th century BC.

“This discovery allows us to better understand the cultural environment and religious practices of the population. The Temple of Hercules is the main one in the complex, but around it there were probably other dedications to various deities,” said Prof. Vagalinski. The site is about to be photographed with a laser scanner, after which a 3D reconstruction of the temple will be prepared. The final results of the archaeological season will be presented in the annual scientific reports in early 2027.