{"version":2,"locale":"en","id":"story.starosel-sanctuary","hasFind":true,"slug":"starosel-sanctuary","url":"/en/stories/starosel-sanctuary/","topic":"Starosel","title":"Who was the hall beneath the mound for?","summary":"A stone door imitates wood. Colour survives on walls, while broken jars lay outside the entrance. Archaeologists connect these clues with the power and rites of Odrysian kings, but debate how the building was used.","cover":{"title":"Who was the hall beneath the mound for?","subtitle":"Rulers, rites and the debate over Starosel","hook":"Why build a hall under a mound?","summary":"A stone door imitates wood. Colour survives on walls, while broken jars lay outside the entrance. Archaeologists connect these clues with the power and rites of Odrysian kings, but debate how the building was used.","takeaway":"Stonework and finds offer clues to royal veneration; the exact rites and the ruler’s name remain questions."},"sortYear":-340,"firstActivity":5,"epoch":{"id":"epoch.antiquity","styleId":"antiquity","sortOrder":6,"title":"Antiquity: Thracians, Greeks, Romans","dateLabel":"1st millennium BC – 6th century AD","eraShort":"Antiquity","slug":"antiquity","fill":"#D4CBBE","ink":"#221616","raised":"#DAD3C8","dark":"#6B6862"},"epochId":"epoch.antiquity","placeShort":"Starosel","date":"c. 350–330 BCE","image":{"alpha":true,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-cutout-480.227cdbfd.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-cutout-960.227cdbfd.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-cutout-1600.227cdbfd.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#a69a95","h":1800,"w":2391,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-cutout-960.227cdbfd.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-cutout-960.227cdbfd.webp","id":"asset.sta.door-fragment-cutout","alt":"Cut-out detail; background removed. Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position.","objectCaption":"Stone door","caption":"Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"kery_one · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: kery_one, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position. Cut-out detail; background removed.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"kery_one, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position. Cut-out detail; background removed.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chetinyova_Mogila_-_GatePart.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},"scenes":[{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.s1-hill-with-doors","number":1,"kind":"narrative","title":"Stairs beneath the earth","body":"Beneath Chetinyova mound near Starosel stands a stone building. Nine steps lead to a platform. Beyond it lie a corridor and a rectangular antechamber. This is a room before the main round hall. Why build such an elaborate entrance beneath a mound?\n\nArchaeologists excavated the building in 2000. It had already been robbed. Many objects that could help explain what happened inside were missing. Yet doors, walls and broken pots remained.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-480.ce6b05eb.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-1600.ce6b05eb.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#654f40","h":1067,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.webp","id":"asset.sta.side-stair","alt":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","objectCaption":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","caption":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_05.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":27.460916666666666,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.s1-hill-with-doors","duration":27.563,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/s1-hill-with-doors.3c81c377.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"},{"id":"src.sta.kitov-web"},{"id":"src.sta.photo.side-stair"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.s2-kings-and-mounds","number":2,"kind":"map","title":"A great mound among rival kings","body":"The Odrysian kingdom was a state in ancient Thrace. It split, and its rulers competed for power. In 341 BC, the Macedonian king Philip the Second struck a decisive blow against the Odrysians.\n\nOne interpretation suggests the great mound could have shown power and ties with earlier kings.","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[{"note":"The building beneath the mound with the round hall. Excavations began in 2000.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.sta.chetinyova","name":"Chetinyova mound","latitude":42.511978,"longitude":24.547068,"radiusMeters":100,"sourceIds":["src.sta.vici-chetinyova","src.sta.tzochev2022"],"accuracy":"approximate","guideUrl":null,"slug":"sta.chetinyova","url":"/en/map/#sta.chetinyova"},{"note":"A separate mound with a colonnade, a row of freestanding columns.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.sta.horizont","name":"Horizont mound","latitude":42.5011,"longitude":24.5514,"radiusMeters":100,"sourceIds":["src.sta.wikidata-horizont","src.sta.ministry"],"accuracy":"approximate","guideUrl":"https://travel-guide-bulgaria.zydeno.com/en/place/#thracian-tomb-horizont-near-starosel","slug":"sta.horizont","url":"/en/map/#sta.horizont"}],"map":{"light":{"src":"/assets/maps/relief@3x.jpg?v=075869a7dd","w":3072,"h":1987,"avif":[],"webp":[],"responsive":[{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-2x-1024.4c826249.avif","w":1024},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-3x-1536.8876519a.avif","w":1536},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-2x-2048.4c826249.avif","w":2048},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-3x-3072.8876519a.avif","w":3072}]},"dark":{"src":"/assets/maps/relief-dark@3x.jpg?v=0941a59d06","w":3072,"h":1987,"avif":[],"webp":[],"responsive":[{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-dark-2x-1024.73ab39a9.avif","w":1024},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-dark-3x-1536.4f3ca147.avif","w":1536},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-dark-2x-2048.73ab39a9.avif","w":2048},{"src":"/media/map/map-relief-dark-3x-3072.4f3ca147.avif","w":3072}]},"places":[{"note":"The building beneath the mound with the round hall. Excavations began in 2000.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.sta.chetinyova","name":"Chetinyova mound","latitude":42.511978,"longitude":24.547068,"radiusMeters":100,"sourceIds":["src.sta.vici-chetinyova","src.sta.tzochev2022"],"accuracy":"approximate","guideUrl":null,"slug":"sta.chetinyova","url":"/en/map/#sta.chetinyova","number":1,"x":38.08835,"y":55.70337,"inside":true,"viewX":47.18040774193548,"viewY":49.81717677096774},{"note":"A separate mound with a colonnade, a row of freestanding columns.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.sta.horizont","name":"Horizont 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Projecting circles resemble nail heads. They form a relief: decoration carved to stand out from the stone. The stone resembles a wooden door with boards running across it.\n\nThe antechamber entrance had two leaves, the moving panels of a door. The round hall’s door had one. Curved tracks in the thresholds belong to the doors’ moving mechanisms. The doors may have been opened repeatedly during rites.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-480.b148b6ba.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-960.b148b6ba.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-1600.b148b6ba.avif","w":1600},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-2400.b148b6ba.avif","w":2400}],"dominant":"#a7a3a3","h":1800,"w":2400,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-960.b148b6ba.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-door-fragment-960.b148b6ba.webp","id":"asset.sta.door-fragment","alt":"Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position.","objectCaption":"Stone door","caption":"Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"kery_one · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: kery_one, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"kery_one, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chetinyova_Mogila_-_GatePart.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"}],"hotspots":[{"id":"h.sta.panel","x":0.52,"y":0.34,"title":"Stone face","body":"The smooth part is stone. Carved decoration imitates a wooden door.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"certainty":"source_reported"},{"id":"h.sta.bosses","x":0.43,"y":0.8,"title":"Carved circles","body":"The projecting circles resemble nail heads. They are part of the carved decoration.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"certainty":"source_reported"},{"id":"h.sta.break","x":0.835,"y":0.295,"title":"Broken edge","body":"The photograph shows a broken edge of the fragment. It does not tell us when or why it broke.","sourceIds":["src.sta.photo.door-fragment"],"certainty":"source_reported"}],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":26.450875,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.s3-stone-door","duration":26.581,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/s3-stone-door.744101bf.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"},{"id":"src.sta.sarbova2025"},{"id":"src.sta.photo.door-fragment"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.s4-columns-and-colour","number":4,"kind":"artifact","title":"A round hall with colour","body":"The hall is about five metres across. Ten half-columns attach to its wall rather than standing free. They are called Doric: here they have upright grooves and plain, spreading tops. Above them runs a frieze, a horizontal decorative band. Grooved sections alternate with plain spaces. Traces of blue, black and red survive.\n\nThe photograph is modern. The dome stones were reassembled in 2013. The lamps are modern.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-480.6602a3e8.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-960.6602a3e8.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-1600.6602a3e8.avif","w":1600},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-2400.6602a3e8.avif","w":2400}],"dominant":"#6f6250","h":1150,"w":2400,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-960.6602a3e8.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-round-hall-960.6602a3e8.webp","id":"asset.sta.round-hall","alt":"Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013.","objectCaption":"Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013.","caption":"Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_16.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-painted-frieze-480.b9f1b33b.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-painted-frieze-960.b9f1b33b.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-painted-frieze-1600.b9f1b33b.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#999285","h":1350,"w":2400,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-painted-frieze-960.b9f1b33b.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-painted-frieze-960.b9f1b33b.webp","id":"asset.sta.painted-frieze","alt":"Part of the frieze, the decorative band above the round hall’s columns. A modern photograph of surviving stone decoration, not a reconstruction of a ceremony.","objectCaption":"Part of the frieze, the decorative band above the round hall’s columns. A modern photograph of surviving stone decoration, not a reconstruction of a ceremony.","caption":"Part of the frieze, the decorative band above the round hall’s columns. A modern photograph of surviving stone decoration, not a reconstruction of a ceremony.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Trayan Momkov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Trayan Momkov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Part of the frieze, the decorative band above the round hall’s columns. A modern photograph of surviving stone decoration, not a reconstruction of a ceremony. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Trayan Momkov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Part of the frieze, the decorative band above the round hall’s columns. A modern photograph of surviving stone decoration, not a reconstruction of a ceremony. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starosel-tumulus-coloured-stones.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-half-column-480.46381af3.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-half-column-960.46381af3.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-half-column-1600.46381af3.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#69604f","h":2400,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-half-column-960.46381af3.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-half-column-960.46381af3.webp","id":"asset.sta.half-column","alt":"A stone Doric half-column with upright grooves and a spreading top attached to the wall of Chetinyova’s round hall. It is not a freestanding column from Horizont.","objectCaption":"A stone Doric half-column with upright grooves and a spreading top attached to the wall of Chetinyova’s round hall. It is not a freestanding column from Horizont.","caption":"A stone Doric half-column with upright grooves and a spreading top attached to the wall of Chetinyova’s round hall. It is not a freestanding column from Horizont.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. A stone Doric half-column with upright grooves and a spreading top attached to the wall of Chetinyova’s round hall. It is not a freestanding column from Horizont. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. A stone Doric half-column with upright grooves and a spreading top attached to the wall of Chetinyova’s round hall. It is not a freestanding column from Horizont. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_21.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-inner-doorway-480.08617473.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-inner-doorway-960.08617473.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-inner-doorway-1350.08617473.avif","w":1350}],"dominant":"#8a827e","h":2400,"w":1350,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-inner-doorway-960.08617473.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-inner-doorway-960.08617473.webp","id":"asset.sta.inner-doorway","alt":"Stone frame and threshold leading into Chetinyova’s round hall. Cable and lighting are modern.","objectCaption":"Stone frame and threshold leading into Chetinyova’s round hall. Cable and lighting are modern.","caption":"Stone frame and threshold leading into Chetinyova’s round hall. Cable and lighting are modern.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Trayan Momkov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Trayan Momkov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone frame and threshold leading into Chetinyova’s round hall. Cable and lighting are modern. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Trayan Momkov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stone frame and threshold leading into Chetinyova’s round hall. Cable and lighting are modern. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starosel-tumulus-entrance-main-hall.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"}],"hotspots":[{"id":"h.sta.half-column","x":0.59,"y":0.44,"title":"Half-column","body":"The column is attached to the wall. The hall has ten such columns; the photograph shows only some of them.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"certainty":"source_reported"},{"id":"h.sta.frieze","x":0.52,"y":0.14,"title":"Coloured frieze","body":"The decorative band above the columns alternates grooved sections and plain spaces. Traces of colour survive.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022","src.sta.sarbova2025"],"certainty":"source_reported"}],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":28.378125,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.s4-columns-and-colour","duration":28.501,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/s4-columns-and-colour.15911453.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"},{"id":"src.sta.sarbova2025"},{"id":"src.sta.photo.round-hall"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.a1-door-evidence","number":5,"kind":"activity","title":"Activity: stone or wood","body":"","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":{"id":"q.sta.door-evidence","kind":"single_choice","prompt":"What are the circles on the door shown here?","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"items":[{"id":"opt-bosses","label":"Imitation nail heads carved in stone."},{"id":"opt-iron","label":"Real iron nails in a wooden board.","whyWrong":"S3 showed a stone fragment, not a board with iron nails."},{"id":"opt-coins","label":"Coins stuck onto a door.","whyWrong":"The circles are carved into the stone, not separate coins."}],"explanation":"The door is stone. Its projecting circles are carved into the stone and resemble nail heads.","correctItemId":"opt-bosses","sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":2.8361666666666667,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.a1-door-evidence","duration":2.944,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/a1-door-evidence.dfc789f3.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.s5-pots-and-dates","number":6,"kind":"narrative","title":"Broken pots outside the entrance","body":"Broken pots help us date the building. A piece of a skyphos, a drinking vessel, remained in the antechamber. Fragments of amphoras, large transport jars, lay outside the entrance, beneath the fill blocking it. One interpretation links them to a burial rite before closure.\n\nComparison with other pots and buildings suggests construction around 350–330 BC. This is a reasoned date range, not an exact year. Philip the Second’s coins came from the embankment, not inside the hall.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-granite-joints-480.dc8caa67.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-granite-joints-960.dc8caa67.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-granite-joints-1600.dc8caa67.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#81726c","h":1067,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-granite-joints-960.dc8caa67.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-granite-joints-960.dc8caa67.webp","id":"asset.sta.granite-joints","alt":"Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating.","objectCaption":"Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating.","caption":"Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_29.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":32.97566666666667,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.s5-pots-and-dates","duration":33.067,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/s5-pots-and-dates.3dc9d8a8.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"},{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2011"},{"id":"src.sta.photo.granite-joints"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.a2-order","number":7,"kind":"activity","title":"Activity: which came first","body":"","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":{"id":"q.sta.order","kind":"sequence","prompt":"Put these in order, earliest to latest.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"items":[{"id":"ev-build","label":"The ancient building is constructed."},{"id":"ev-dig","label":"Excavation of the building"},{"id":"ev-dome","label":"Reassembly of the dome"}],"explanation":"Ancient construction preceded excavation. Reassembly of the dome followed excavation. The debate over the ancient date does not alter this order.","correctOrderIds":["ev-build","ev-dig","ev-dome"],"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":3.4747083333333335,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.a2-order","duration":3.584,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/a2-order.6e7471f5.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.s6-tomb-temple-heroon","number":8,"kind":"narrative","title":"Who was honoured in the hall?","body":"The hall may have served for burial and honouring a dead ruler. Such a place of veneration is called a heroon.\n\nWhose costly monument was this? The evidence is insufficient to name the ruler. The carved stone shows the labour invested. Honouring a royal family is one possible explanation for that effort.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-retaining-wall-480.cb9225b5.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-retaining-wall-960.cb9225b5.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-retaining-wall-1600.cb9225b5.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#746d59","h":1067,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-retaining-wall-960.cb9225b5.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-retaining-wall-960.cb9225b5.webp","id":"asset.sta.retaining-wall","alt":"Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult.","objectCaption":"Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult.","caption":"Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_35.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-colonnade-480.94ed07b2.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-colonnade-960.94ed07b2.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-colonnade-1600.94ed07b2.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#825e48","h":1200,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-colonnade-960.94ed07b2.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-colonnade-960.94ed07b2.webp","id":"asset.sta.horizont-colonnade","alt":"Freestanding stone columns at Horizont. The wooden protective building is modern. These are not the half-columns in Chetinyova’s round hall.","objectCaption":"Freestanding stone columns at Horizont. The wooden protective building is modern. These are not the half-columns in Chetinyova’s round hall.","caption":"Freestanding stone columns at Horizont. The wooden protective building is modern. These are not the half-columns in Chetinyova’s round hall.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Elena Chochkova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Elena Chochkova, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Freestanding stone columns at Horizont. The wooden protective building is modern. These are not the half-columns in Chetinyova’s round hall. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Elena Chochkova, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Freestanding stone columns at Horizont. The wooden protective building is modern. These are not the half-columns in Chetinyova’s round hall. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starosel_E1.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-remains-480.04dc6406.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-remains-960.04dc6406.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-remains-1600.04dc6406.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#6e5340","h":1067,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-remains-960.04dc6406.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-horizont-remains-960.04dc6406.webp","id":"asset.sta.horizont-remains","alt":"Columns and masonry at the separate Horizont mound beneath a modern timber shelter. The photograph does not establish the original height of the entire building.","objectCaption":"Columns and masonry at the separate Horizont mound beneath a modern timber shelter. The photograph does not establish the original height of the entire building.","caption":"Columns and masonry at the separate Horizont mound beneath a modern timber shelter. The photograph does not establish the original height of the entire building.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Columns and masonry at the separate Horizont mound beneath a modern timber shelter. The photograph does not establish the original height of the entire building. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Columns and masonry at the separate Horizont mound beneath a modern timber shelter. The photograph does not establish the original height of the entire building. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Horizont_tumulus_02.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-egg-dart-480.23bd6285.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-egg-dart-960.23bd6285.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-egg-dart-1600.23bd6285.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#947546","h":1200,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-egg-dart-960.23bd6285.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-egg-dart-960.23bd6285.webp","id":"asset.sta.egg-dart","alt":"A row of egg-shaped forms on a stone doorway frame at Chetinyova. This decorates a frame, not a door leaf.","objectCaption":"A row of egg-shaped forms on a stone doorway frame at Chetinyova. This decorates a frame, not a door leaf.","caption":"A row of egg-shaped forms on a stone doorway frame at Chetinyova. This decorates a frame, not a door leaf.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Shannon E. Wells · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Shannon E. Wells, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. A row of egg-shaped forms on a stone doorway frame at Chetinyova. This decorates a frame, not a door leaf. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Shannon E. Wells, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. A row of egg-shaped forms on a stone doorway frame at Chetinyova. This decorates a frame, not a door leaf. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egg_and_Dart_pattern_on_doorway_of_Thracian_temple_in_Starosel,_Plovdiv,_Bulgaria.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-480.ce6b05eb.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-1600.ce6b05eb.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#654f40","h":1067,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-sta-side-stair-960.ce6b05eb.webp","id":"asset.sta.side-stair","alt":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","objectCaption":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","caption":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps.","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Vladislav Nedelev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","attribution":"Photo: Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Vladislav Nedelev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_05.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":18.033625,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.s6-tomb-temple-heroon","duration":18.133,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/s6-tomb-temple-heroon.4a17a5dc.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"},{"id":"src.sta.kitov-web"},{"id":"src.sta.sarbova2025"},{"id":"src.sta.photo.retaining-wall"}]},{"id":"starosel-sanctuary.a3-matching","number":9,"kind":"activity","title":"Activity: match","body":"","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":{"id":"q.sta.matching","kind":"matching","prompt":"Match each clue with its description in the story.","sourceIds":["src.sta.tzochev2022"],"items":[{"id":"m-door","label":"Stone door","pairedLabel":"Resembles a wooden door with nails"},{"id":"m-columns","label":"Half-columns","pairedLabel":"Attached to the wall"},{"id":"m-amphoras","label":"Amphoras","pairedLabel":"Transport jars outside the entrance"}],"explanation":"The door’s carved decoration resembles wood and nails. The half-columns belong to the wall. The amphoras are jars deposited before the entrance was blocked.","sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}],"columns":["Item","Description"]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":3.4050416666666665,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.starosel-sanctuary.starosel-sanctuary.a3-matching","duration":3.499,"src":"/audio/en/starosel-sanctuary/a3-matching.ec92d027.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.sta.tzochev2022"}]}],"minutes":3,"sources":[{"year":null,"url":"https://www.omda.bg/public/bulg/hystory/kitov_starosel.htm","institutionOrAuthor":"Георги Китов","id":"src.sta.kitov-web","title":"Тракийски култов център Старосел","container":"OMDA","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","supports":{"en":"Excavator’s own temple/deified-ruler interpretation; Sitalkes is explicitly a suggestion."},"authors":["Георги Китов"],"accessed":"2026-10-28","fieldLanguages":{"institutionOrAuthor":"bg","title":"bg"}},{"year":null,"url":"https://www.tourism.government.bg/bg/tourist-destinations/2307/2418","institutionOrAuthor":"Министерство на туризма на Република България","id":"src.sta.ministry","title":"Тракийски храмов комплекс, село Старосел","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","supports":{"en":"Horizont’s colonnade belongs to a separate mound; high-status burial finds."},"authors":["Министерство на туризма на Република България"],"accessed":"2026-10-28","fieldLanguages":{"institutionOrAuthor":"bg","title":"bg"},"container":""},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chetinyova_Mogila_-_GatePart.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"kery_one","id":"src.sta.photo.door-fragment","title":"Chetinyova Mogila - GatePart.jpg","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","container":"Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","supports":{"en":"Stone fragment with a smooth panel and projecting circles carved to resemble nail heads, lying on the ground away from its original position."},"authors":["kery_one"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_29.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Vladislav Nedelev","id":"src.sta.photo.granite-joints","title":"The Starosel Thracian Cult Complex 29.jpg","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","container":"Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","supports":{"en":"Close view of granite masonry at Chetinyova. It does not show the pottery used for dating."},"authors":["Vladislav Nedelev"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_35.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Vladislav Nedelev","id":"src.sta.photo.retaining-wall","title":"The Starosel Thracian Cult Complex 35.jpg","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","container":"Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","supports":{"en":"Modern photograph of the retaining stone wall around Chetinyova. Visible masonry alone does not prove a solar cult."},"authors":["Vladislav Nedelev"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_16.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Vladislav Nedelev","id":"src.sta.photo.round-hall","title":"The Starosel Thracian Cult Complex 16.jpg","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","container":"Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","supports":{"en":"Panoramic photograph of part of Chetinyova’s round hall: half-columns attached to the wall and a coloured frieze. Lamps are modern; the dome stones were reassembled in 2013."},"authors":["Vladislav Nedelev"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Starosel_Thracian_Cult_Complex_05.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Vladislav Nedelev","id":"src.sta.photo.side-stair","title":"The Starosel Thracian Cult Complex 05.jpg","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","container":"Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY 4.0","supports":{"en":"Part of the side stairs at Chetinyova under a modern shelter. Steps were rearranged or added after excavation; their ancient function is debated. This is not the main flight of nine steps."},"authors":["Vladislav Nedelev"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":2025,"url":"https://thracians.net/2025/03/12/thracian-cult-building-under-chetinyova-mogila-mound-near-starosel/","institutionOrAuthor":"Adriana Sarbova / Institute of Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences","id":"src.sta.sarbova2025","title":"Thracian Cult Building under Chetinyova Mogila Mound near Starosel","container":"Ancient Thrace and the Thracians Encyclopaedia","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","supports":{"en":"Alternative readings of side stairs, the northern basin and the function of the building."},"authors":["Adriana Sarbova"],"accessed":"2026-10-28"},{"year":2011,"url":"https://www.archaeologia-bulgarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PDF_website_Archelogia_Bulgarica_1_2011.pdf","institutionOrAuthor":"Chavdar Tzochev","id":"src.sta.tzochev2011","title":"The Date of the Tholos Tomb in Chetinyova Tumulus, Starosel","container":"Archaeologia Bulgarica","accessedOn":"2026-10-28","supports":{"en":"Early dating debate; the Sitalkes attribution; coins in the embankment rather than the interior."},"volume":"XV","issue":"1","pages":"13–19","authors":["Chavdar Tzochev"],"accessed":"2026-10-28","isPdf":true},{"year":2022,"url":"https://doi.org/10.34780/d5bi-h53t","institutionOrAuthor":"Chavdar Tzochev","id":"src.sta.tzochev2022","title":"The Architecture of the 4th-Century-B.C. 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