Archaeologists Resume Excavation of Medieval Fortress at Rusokastro
Jerusalem, 7 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Rusokastro (BTA) – Burgas has begun this year’s research of the medieval town of Rusokastro in southeastern Bulgaria. During the current archaeological season, a comprehensive study of the western fortress wall of the medieval town is planned, the cultural institute announced. The wall is about 300 meters long. So far, archaeologists have studied most of it, as well as five of the towers.
It is planned, after it is fully revealed, to proceed with the design of conservation and restoration activities and exhibition, added in a press release from the Kameno municipality. The financing of the research this year has been provided by the municipal administration, the Ministry of Culture and the Council of Ministers. The total amount is about 200,000 leva ($120,000), the municipality told BTA, emphasizing that Rusokastro has been designated a priority archaeological site, which is being studied for the needs of national tourism.
This season, volunteers will be on site to assist the archaeologists in their work. During the last excavations of the fortress city in mid-September last year, two graves of young children from the late 14th century were found. One of the graves is not of a Christian rite. The graves were made in a hurry, which makes archaeologists think that this is a question of extraordinary circumstances during the burial, possibly an epidemic.
The medieval fortress of Rusokastro is the largest fortress in Southern Bulgaria. It covers an area of 52 acres, located on the top of a volcanic rocky hill with an altitude of 108 meters. There are two large quarters with a castle on an area of nearly two acres, the director of the Regional History Museum in Burgas, Milen Nikolov, told BTA. In the summer of 2022, the study of one of the major sites in the medieval city – the castle reservoir – was completed.
