Post by kroraina on Apr 11, 2008 12:26:14 GMT -5
a few weeks ago I mentioned here about one Australian guy, Chris Webber, an author of a book on Thracian warfare, who wanted to visit the Balkans this spring.
Here are his impressions so far, posted to the Thracian yahoo group, after visiting Romania and Bulgaria:
*****************
groups.yahoo.com/group/thracians/message/46
Thracian tour update
Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:21 pm
Hi, I've nearly finished the Bulgarian leg of my tour and it's been
the usual mixture of ups and downs but I have made some major
discoveries already that have really made it worthwhie.
Romania was initially a disaster as everything was closed due to the
NATO
summit but I hired a car with driver and got to see the Roman victory
monument at Adamclissi - this had several metopes showing
rhomphaias/falxes
that I didn't know about. I had planned to visit all the sites of
the old
Greek cities along the Romanian coast but either the museum was
closed or
I could not get there due to the NATO summit. I got to the Histria
museum just before it closed, it had a full sized stone aspis.
The next part of my tour involved an eight hour train ride to Cluj
Napoca
in north-western Romania. Here I met three guys from the Roman Army
Talk list and from then until I left we never stopped and I had a
fantastic time with them. I got to the top of the old Dacian
capital, Sarmizgetusa, where there was still snow on the ground, and
they also took me to several other interesting sites.
From Cluj I took a 12 hour train ride to Russe on the Bulgarian
border, where my Bulgarian tour started - with driver, car, and
guide. Things have improved enormously since I was last in Bulgaria
and not only where they there on time but they were very helpful and
friendly - since I had paid the cost of the tour in advance I was
afraid they would not turn up at all!
So now I have visited the Sveshtari tomb, found out about the ancient
Getic capital of Hellis (some important information on fortifications
and other details obtained for the book) and visited many other
sites. The Varna museum was closed which was a great disappointment
as it is the second best museum in the country. I got them to take
me to a coastal fortress instead.
At Nessebur I found some reliefs of Greek leaders I wasn't aware of,
wearing the Macedonian kausia (same as the Afgan hat), and some
inscriptions regarding Thracian leaders. At Sozopol the museum was
closed but the director let us in anyway, and went so far as to take
out the vase I wanted to photograph and let me handle it, then take
us to the latest excavation.
The next day I really hit the Jackpot. At Jambol, in eastern
Bulgaria, the guy had helped the History Channel with their programme
on the Thracians (as I did also) and had made a rhomphaia replica.
He let me play around with that and also showed me the original,
which had been found in Kabyle, the old Thracian capital - the only
one found that far north or east.
In Kazanluk museum I 'discovered' a suit of armour which is unknown
in the Greek or Hellenistic world - it is part bronze and part iron
and will be a major plus for the book. I talked to an archaeologist
there about the figures on the Kazanluk paintings wearing what
appears to be the kausia and she was adamant that it was some sort of
native Thracian hat. There was also a magnificent sword with a
handle in the shape of an eagle's head.
I've seen many spear heads in museums said to be from the Republican
Roman period that are enormous - about 40cm long - and evidently not
Roman- perhaps they are the spear heads from the extra-long Thracian
spears or are in fact pike heads - I look forward to comparing them
with the pike blades in Macedonia. If anybody can help me with the
equipment of Roman auxiliaries and if this has any bearing on this
matter, please let me know.
I went to the Starosel tomb and Perperikon today. I'm now in
Kurdjali, near the Turkish border, and go to Sofia tomorrow,
which is the last day of my paid tour. I'll spend a few days in
Sofia before going to Turkey by train. I've been promised some
Thracian leather suits of armour in the Sofia museums, as well as the
vase from Karnobat, which has Thracians painted on it.
The Bulgarians want me to write a book about medieval Bulgarian
history/warfare and also produce a Bulgarian language version of my
first book. It's been the usual struggle to get them to let me take
photos (my guide is from the Institute of Archaeology and although
very helpful she keeps saying that photographs are impossible or
absolutely forbidden) and if I have to do that again it will be a
while before I can take on a medieval book.
Cheers,
Chris
*******************************
groups.yahoo.com/group/thracians/message/48
Re: Thracian tour update
Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:12 pm
Other interesting things I have learnt are, for instance, that in Helis
(or Helios), the Getic capital near the Sveshtari tomb, there have been
found 11 spurs, a lance head for a cavalry sarissa, and Hellenistic
catapault ammunition (plus the walls to mount catapaults of various
types).
Regarding the spurs, the archaeologists say that this is proof of a non-
Celtic origin for Thracian spurs. They say that there have been
discoveries in Macedonia, Illyria, and Greek Thrace that back up this
theory. Does anybody know anything about these other non-Celtic
discoveries? I think this theory is suspect as they do not give a date
for the spurs they discovered, and Helis/Helios came under attack
sometime between 270-280 BC, which is the date of most of the other
new finds.
Cheers,
Chris
Here are his impressions so far, posted to the Thracian yahoo group, after visiting Romania and Bulgaria:
*****************
groups.yahoo.com/group/thracians/message/46
Thracian tour update
Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:21 pm
Hi, I've nearly finished the Bulgarian leg of my tour and it's been
the usual mixture of ups and downs but I have made some major
discoveries already that have really made it worthwhie.
Romania was initially a disaster as everything was closed due to the
NATO
summit but I hired a car with driver and got to see the Roman victory
monument at Adamclissi - this had several metopes showing
rhomphaias/falxes
that I didn't know about. I had planned to visit all the sites of
the old
Greek cities along the Romanian coast but either the museum was
closed or
I could not get there due to the NATO summit. I got to the Histria
museum just before it closed, it had a full sized stone aspis.
The next part of my tour involved an eight hour train ride to Cluj
Napoca
in north-western Romania. Here I met three guys from the Roman Army
Talk list and from then until I left we never stopped and I had a
fantastic time with them. I got to the top of the old Dacian
capital, Sarmizgetusa, where there was still snow on the ground, and
they also took me to several other interesting sites.
From Cluj I took a 12 hour train ride to Russe on the Bulgarian
border, where my Bulgarian tour started - with driver, car, and
guide. Things have improved enormously since I was last in Bulgaria
and not only where they there on time but they were very helpful and
friendly - since I had paid the cost of the tour in advance I was
afraid they would not turn up at all!
So now I have visited the Sveshtari tomb, found out about the ancient
Getic capital of Hellis (some important information on fortifications
and other details obtained for the book) and visited many other
sites. The Varna museum was closed which was a great disappointment
as it is the second best museum in the country. I got them to take
me to a coastal fortress instead.
At Nessebur I found some reliefs of Greek leaders I wasn't aware of,
wearing the Macedonian kausia (same as the Afgan hat), and some
inscriptions regarding Thracian leaders. At Sozopol the museum was
closed but the director let us in anyway, and went so far as to take
out the vase I wanted to photograph and let me handle it, then take
us to the latest excavation.
The next day I really hit the Jackpot. At Jambol, in eastern
Bulgaria, the guy had helped the History Channel with their programme
on the Thracians (as I did also) and had made a rhomphaia replica.
He let me play around with that and also showed me the original,
which had been found in Kabyle, the old Thracian capital - the only
one found that far north or east.
In Kazanluk museum I 'discovered' a suit of armour which is unknown
in the Greek or Hellenistic world - it is part bronze and part iron
and will be a major plus for the book. I talked to an archaeologist
there about the figures on the Kazanluk paintings wearing what
appears to be the kausia and she was adamant that it was some sort of
native Thracian hat. There was also a magnificent sword with a
handle in the shape of an eagle's head.
I've seen many spear heads in museums said to be from the Republican
Roman period that are enormous - about 40cm long - and evidently not
Roman- perhaps they are the spear heads from the extra-long Thracian
spears or are in fact pike heads - I look forward to comparing them
with the pike blades in Macedonia. If anybody can help me with the
equipment of Roman auxiliaries and if this has any bearing on this
matter, please let me know.
I went to the Starosel tomb and Perperikon today. I'm now in
Kurdjali, near the Turkish border, and go to Sofia tomorrow,
which is the last day of my paid tour. I'll spend a few days in
Sofia before going to Turkey by train. I've been promised some
Thracian leather suits of armour in the Sofia museums, as well as the
vase from Karnobat, which has Thracians painted on it.
The Bulgarians want me to write a book about medieval Bulgarian
history/warfare and also produce a Bulgarian language version of my
first book. It's been the usual struggle to get them to let me take
photos (my guide is from the Institute of Archaeology and although
very helpful she keeps saying that photographs are impossible or
absolutely forbidden) and if I have to do that again it will be a
while before I can take on a medieval book.
Cheers,
Chris
*******************************
groups.yahoo.com/group/thracians/message/48
Re: Thracian tour update
Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:12 pm
Other interesting things I have learnt are, for instance, that in Helis
(or Helios), the Getic capital near the Sveshtari tomb, there have been
found 11 spurs, a lance head for a cavalry sarissa, and Hellenistic
catapault ammunition (plus the walls to mount catapaults of various
types).
Regarding the spurs, the archaeologists say that this is proof of a non-
Celtic origin for Thracian spurs. They say that there have been
discoveries in Macedonia, Illyria, and Greek Thrace that back up this
theory. Does anybody know anything about these other non-Celtic
discoveries? I think this theory is suspect as they do not give a date
for the spurs they discovered, and Helis/Helios came under attack
sometime between 270-280 BC, which is the date of most of the other
new finds.
Cheers,
Chris