21 May 2009 | About 150 archaeologists from Bulgaria recently visited the ancient archaeological site of Bargala, near the town of Štip, Macedonian media reported today.

The visit was aimed at giving the Bulgarian archeologists a chance to see the site in person, according to the hosts from the Museum in Štip. “Their visit was born from their interest to see how the locality looks in reality, and not just through photographs on the Internet,” Trayche Natsev, an employee at the museum, told the Macedonian television Kanal 5.

“I saw Bargala on the Internet in the autumn, now I am here to see how it looks in the spring,” Bulgarian archaeologist Miroslava Taskova said.

The site, according to the Bulgarian guests, has the potential to become an international tourism destination.

Bargala, located in the eastern part of present-day Macedonia, was a fortified town from the fourth to the sixth centuries AD, a period that spans Late Antiquity and Early Byzantium. According to a Roman scripture on a stone slab, Bargala dates from 371-372 AD, replacing a small Paeonian settlement. It developed into an economic, cultural and religious centre during the fifth and sixth centuries and in the Early Middle Ages, it became an Episcopal seat.

Archaeological excavations at the site have so far uncovered some significant finds: an Episcopal complex, consisting of a basilica and a fortress, with floor mosaics, trade quarters, the main gate and parts of a fortification system.

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