21 April 2009 | New significant artefacts dating to the fourth century BC were found by archaeologists at the Tsarevi Kuli site near the town of Strumica in eastern Macedonia.

The artefacts included coins with the image of the father of Alexander the Great – Philip II of Macedon, amphorae, vessels, cups, jewellery, fragments from vases, ceramics and figurines, the Vecher daily newspaper wrote. All these artefacts, according to the publication, testify for the fact that the Strumica Fortress was inhabited around the end of the fourth century BC.

“Every year Tsarevi Kuli surprises us with new and new information, and last year we gathered data suggesting that there might be artefacts from the fifth and fourth century BC, from the time of Philip II,” archaeologist Zoran Ruyak, head of the project, told media.

The excavations, according to Ruyak, showed that in the fourth century at the Tsarevi Kuli there was definite activity, and most likely there was a settlement. Some findings, primarily the ceramic vessels, date to the fifth century BC.

The Tsarevi Kuli site was used for different purposes during different periods and the findings so far serve to show the continuity of culture in Strumica. According to Ruyak, the city of Strumica and its surroundings have a continuity of culture of 7,000 years.

The excavations of Tsarevi Kuli are financed by the state, which has allotted 3 million Macedonian dinars (around 48,800 euro) for the project. While such successful findings continue, the Ministry of Culture will support the completion of the excavations, expected to last until the end of the year, with at least as much resources.

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