Preliminary Observations of the Archaeological Rescue Excavations of the Multilayered Settlement and Necropolises at Tarnyane, Vidin District

Abstract

Abstract The rescue archeological excavations at the multicultural site of Tarnyane, Vidin district, Northwest Bulgaria, conducted in 2020–2021 uncovered evidence that the site was inhabited during the Early Bronze Age (EBA), Middle Bronze Age (MBA), Late Iron Age, and the Middle Ages. This article provides an overview of the main archaeological features uncovered during the excavations, along with the first results from anthropological, archaeozoological and geoarchaeological analyses. During the excavations, remains of an Early Bronze Age and Late Middle Ages settlements were studied, as were three necropolises: one from the Early Bronze Age, one from the Middle Bronze Age, and one from the Late Middle Ages. The archaeological site near Tarnyane has shed new important light on the development of the settlement patterns and burial practices during the Bronze Age and Late Middle Ages.