Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

A Hobbiton discovered by archaeologists in Perperikon

Prof Ovcharov said the tiny houses resembling Hobbit dwellings were homes for the poor

Perperikon
Photo: Facebook /Vladislav Terziiski Photography

A village of small houses dating from the 13th-15th cent. AD, very similar to the dwellings of the Hobbits, has been excavated by archaeologist Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov and his team. It is a complex of a dozen small houses located in the southern part of the rock city of Perperikon. Prof Ovcharov told BNR-Kardzhali that the complex bears a strong resemblance to the city of the Hobbits in 'The Lord of the Rings'. 

Whole families lived in houses no larger than 20 square metres. Cooking utensils, chrome pots and tools have been found. There are narrow streets between the houses.

According to the archaeologists, the houses were inhabited by the poorer part of Perperikon's population, which numbered around 5,000 people at the time. "This is not a small number, as it was the population of Vienna at the same time," says Professor Nikolai Ovcharov.

At the end of the 14th century, burials took place there. The data show that the population declined sharply. This was probably due to the plague that hit Europe at that time, the archaeologists believe.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

It will be cloudy over Bulgaria with precipitation and snowfalls

On Wednesday night, there will be rain showers in the south-western regions of the country. At 500 meters above sea level the rain will turn to snow. There will be no precipitation in the north-western regions of Bulgaria. During..

published on 11/12/24 6:50 PM
L to R: Tomislav Donchev, Boyko Borissov, Raya Nazaryan

GERB/SDS announce the start of political consultations in parliament

The coalition GERB/SDS are beginning talks for discussing joint political action within the 51 st National Assembly, the GERB/SDS press centre has announced. The meetings start on Wednesday, 13 November. Talks with the coalition Bulgarian..

updated on 11/12/24 6:02 PM

The Confederation of Labour "Podkrepa" strongly criticizes the draft amendments to the Labour Code

The Confederation of Labour "Podkrepa" has strongly criticized the draft amendments to the Labour Code prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, according to which the growth of the minimum wage is linked only to inflation. In a statement,..

published on 11/12/24 5:58 PM