In brief
BTA sources confirm archaeologists uncovered a large, 1.1‑metre thick stone building at Rusokastro, possibly a water reservoir or storeroom, alongside silver and Venetian coins from Tsar Ivan Alexander’s reign. The discovery, funded by the Bulgarian government, enhances knowledge of the town’s role in 14th‑century conflicts.
According to BTA on February 26, 2027, archaeologists from the Regional History Museum in Burgas announced that a monumental building had been uncovered in the medieval town of Rusokastro, near the Black Sea in southeastern Bulgaria.
The 7.60‑metre wide structure, whose walls are 1.1‑metre thick, was built from stone bonded with extensive mortar, and the interior surfaces are coated in a thick layer of pink, hydrophobic (waterproof) mortar, indicating the building was used either as a water reservoir or a storage facility for food supplies, the report says.
BTA notes that the building is situated beside the inner southern fortress wall and is thought to have been the ground floor of a larger, two‑story complex, with a residential floor above. The discovery was part of state‑funded excavations carried out by the museum and funded by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria and Kameno Municipality.
Among the artefacts recovered were silver coins issued during the reign of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Alexander, Venetian silver grosso coins known as matapans, copper coins, and other objects. The coins are currently undergoing cleaning and conservation in the Burgas Museum restoration laboratory, the agency said.
BTA added that the find is significant because Rusokastro was a major center in 14th‑century Bulgarian‑Byzantine conflicts, including the 1332 battle in which Tsar Ivan Alexander defeated the Byzantine army. The fortress was later destroyed during Ottoman campaigns in 1443.
