Panagyurishte Gold Treasure

The Panagyurishte Gold Treasure is considered to be one of the emblems of Bulgaria. This lavish and unique gold treasure consists of an antique set of 9 vessels with a weight of over 6 kg. It includes a phial, an amphora and seven rhyton-cups in animal and human forms. Furthermore, the luxuriously crafted Panagyurishte Gold treasure was a possession of an unknown Thracian ruler of the Odrysian tribe. The Odrysian tribe inhabited the Balkan hills near the today's town of Panaguirishte. The archaeologists point out that the rythons of the Panagyurishte treasure have been used not only practically but also for a ritual purpose, as witnessed by the small drainage openings at the base of the rhytons.

There are two main hypotheses concerning the origins of the astonishing vessels of the Panagyurishte Gold Treasure. The first one is that the treasure was made in the city of Lampsak, a Hellenic colony. The more recent version is that the marvellous vessels of the Panagyurishte treasure were created by a local jewellery craftsman, which signify the development of the arts and cultural life of Thracians four centuries BC.