“The Alexandrovo Tomb. 20 Years Later” Conference
(May 11-12, 2021)
Organized by the National Archaeological Institute with Museum (NAIM – BAS), in partnership with the Balkan Heritage Foundation, Faculty of History at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and the Regional Historical Museum – Haskovo (RHM Haskovo)
The online conference was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the Thracian tomb, located near the village of Alexandrovo (Haskovo Province, Bulgaria) by Bulgarian archaeologist Georgi Kitov and his field survey team. The conference also celebrated the 100 year jubilee of the NAIM-BAS.
The Alexandrovo Tomb is an impressive tholos from the early Hellenistic period (4th-3rd century BCE). The tomb’s interior is almost entirely decorated with wall paintings depicting vivid figure compositions with geometric and floral ornaments. The tomb was excavated in the period 2000-2004 during which the different parts of the monument were uncovered – the dromos, the rectangular antechamber and the dome shaped burial chamber. The wall paintings were investigated and treated by conservation teams between 2004 and 2008.
The monument was declared an Immovable Cultural Property of National Importance in Bulgaria. Since 2004 it has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
The Conference Organizing Committee members:
- Prof. Julia VALEVA DSc (Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
- Prof. Dr. Totko STOYANOV (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”)
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hristo POPOV (National Archaeological Institute with Museum)
- Assoc. Prof. Elena KANTAREVA-DECHEVA (Academy of Fine Arts, Plovdiv)
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi NEKHRIZOV (National Archaeological Institute with Museum)
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Julia TZVETKOVA (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”)
- Ass. Prof. Dr. Daniela STOYANOVA (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”)
- Ass. Prof. Dr. Emil NANKOV (National Archaeological Institute with Museum)
- Ass. Prof. Dr. Stanislav STANEV (Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences /Balkan Heritage Foundation)
- Dr. Angela PENCHEVA (Balkan Heritage Foundation)
- Diana DIMITROVA (National Archaeological Institute with Museum)
- Ivan VASILEV (Balkan Heritage Foundation)
- Stanislav ILIEV (Regional History Museum Haskovo)
The committee selected 24 papers submitted by prominent scholars of Late Classical and Hellenistic funerary architecture and archaeology as well as conservators from around the globe.
The conference opened with speeches by representatives of the institutions involved in its organization: Assoc. Professor Hristo Popov (Director of NAIM – BAS), Mr. Ivan Vasilev (CEO of BHF), Assoc. Prof. Mira Markova (Dean of Faculty of History – Sofia University), Mr. Petko Dobrev (Director of RHM – Haskovo). Dr Will Raynolds, representative of the J. M. Kaplan Fund (the main sponsor of the conference) welcomed the participants. Welcome greetings on behalf of the Organizing Committee were expressed by Professor Julia Valeva.
All speakers united that we all must act and do our best to save Alexandrovo Tomb and give the opportunity to next generations to have the chance to enjoy this important piece of the world’s cultural heritage.
The conference papers were divided into three panels, as follows:
- The Tomb of Alexandrovo
The papers in the first panel were focused on the tomb’s description and interpretations of its iconography. Emphatic interest was shown at the types of the depicted weapons not only in the famous hunt frieze but also in the banquet scene in the burial chamber and the fight scenes in the dromos and antechamber (E. Nankov, R. Stoychev). An interesting reading was suggested for the figure of the naked man brandishing an axe (D. Braund). The poorly preserved banquet scene was discussed as iconography in detail (J. Valeva), and as a reflection of real customs during the Thracian elite feast as described by Xenophon (Ch. Tzochev). Other presentations referred to specific topics as the graffito (N. Sharankov) and the depicted textile products (I. Borisova-Katzarova). The Alexandrovo Tomb was positioned within the cultural context of Early Hellenistic painting and funerary art in the Mediterranean (S. Steingräber), as well as within the closer cultural environment of its area (D. Dimitrova, S. Iliev). The discussions concerning the presentations in this panel showed the noteworthy progress classical studies have achieved as regards the significance of local iconographies within the iconographic koine based on Greek artistic tradition.
- History and Archaeology
The second panel comprised presentations of monuments in Anatolia, among which the outstanding Mylasa tomb (L. Summerer). The impact of Persian and Greek iconography on the art of the Eastern Mediterranean in Early Hellenism was evoked again, as it is an important and ever enlarging discussion in classical studies (O. Palagia, M. Vassileva). Another presentation was dedicated to the Thracian context, this time to the funerary practices in the region of the town of Chirpan, north of Haskovo province, in which the Alexandrovo Tomb is situated (M. Tonkova).
- Interdisciplinary studies, conservation and restoration of funerary architecture and decoration
The third panel covered the entire second conference day and showed to be of utmost importance and interest. Part of the talks presented the results of the Alexandrovo Tomb’s wall paintings chemical and physical analysis – of its paint binders (Nedeltcheva-Antonova et al) and its pigments (G. Avdeev et al.). Two non-destructive methods of documentation applied to the Alexandrovo Tomb were presented – a set of various photographic techniques (A. Cosentino et al.) and 3D laser scanning (M. Kamenova). The informative value of the modern methods of non-destructive photo documentation is currently being used not only in the Alexandrovo Tomb, but in the famous Philip’s tomb in Vergina as well, revealing a wealth of colour hues and enabling a more reliable reconstruction of the impressive frieze on its facade (H. Brecoulaki). The results of the geophysical methods of prospection in the Thracian mounds were also presented (N. Tonkov). Like in the two previous panels focus was set once again on the Alexandrovo Tomb, this time within its archaeological environment, as revealed after the archaeological survey, accomplished in 2020 (G. Nekhrizov, J. Tzvetkova). The effects of the application of modern technologies for the studies of ancient monuments was enthusiastically recognized and acclaimed by both panelists and attendees. Undoubtedly, we shall await further outstanding results in this sphere. The two final talks were also important, although of different character. The first one presented the structure of the ambitious project, initiated by the Balkan Heritage Foundation, whose aim is to create a database about the Thracian tombs within the territory of Bulgaria, and one day hopefully, those found in the confines of Greece and Turkey (European part) as well (A. Weichbrodt et al.). The last presentation raised the question of the preservation of Alexandrovo Tomb, which is in critical condition and needs prompt intervention by conservators (D. Gergova).
The conference proceedings are to be published online by the BHF and in print by the NAIM-BAS.
Feedback of Prof. Stephan Steingräber, Università di Roma TreName (conference participant)
“I was glad and honored to have been invited to participate at the very interesting, stimulating and vivacious conference on the Alexandrovo tomb and its tomb paintings 20 years after its discovery, organized by the Balkan Heritage Foundation and 13 Bulgarian colleagues specialized in Thracian culture and art. Particularly active and meritorious in the organization were the “female trias” Julia Valeva, Julia Tzvetkova, Angela Pencheva and Georgi Nekhrizov. It was for me the third invitation for a conference or congress in Bulgaria – this time unfortunately only in a telematic way (which worked very well anyway) – after the more “intime” Kazanlak Conference in October 2016 and the International Congress of Thracology in Kazanlak in September 2017 when I could visit for the first time (accompanied by several Bulgarian colleagues as Maria Cicicova and Julia Valeva) the Alexandrovo Tomb (the copy) and the modern Museum built near the tumulus of the famous tomb. I really hope that the papers of the two congresses will be soon published! Visiting the impressing Alexandrovo Museum sponsored by the Japanese and participating now at the Conference I remembered with a certain emotion the famous discoverer of the Tomb – the late Georgi Kitov – whom I met almost 24 years ago in 1997 with his excavation team in Shipka near Kazanlak enjoying his hospitality together with the Japanese photographer Mr. A. Suzuki from Tokyo University and drinking a good bottle of Tuscan wine together.
The first part of this Conference was dedicated mainly to iconographic and art historic aspects whereas the second part was dealing mostly with problems related to the technique, conservation and restoration of Thracian tomb architecture and painting. The two sections emphasized the interdisciplinary character of the Conference. Most of the papers were presented by Bulgarian colleagues and specialists of course but thanks to the participation of David Braund (Great Britain), Stephan Steingräber (Germany/Italy), Olga Palagia (Greece), Latife Summerer (Turkey), Antonino Cosentino (Italy), Hariclia Brecoulaki (Greece) and Anjo Weichbrodt (Switzerland) the Conference had an international character too and was very helpful for a scientific opinion exchange between specialists from different fields. Almost all papers were followed by lively discussions.
The number of the painted tombs in Thrace is limited and the Alexandrovo Tomb belongs doubtlessly to the most interesting and important cases offering an almost complete decoration with figural, vegetal and architectural elements and even with a unique graffito and inscription. It dates from the later 4th cent. B.C. which means from the beginning of the Early Hellenistic period when monumental tomb architecture and tomb painting reached a remarkable and partly new akmè not only in Thrace, but also in Macedonia, Crimea, Asia Minor, Alexandria, Southern Italy (Apulia, Campania, Lucania), Southern Etruria and even in Rome using partly similar partly different decorations and iconographic themes. In spite of a certain number of publications related to many aspects of the Alexandrovo Tomb during the last two decades it was time after 20 years for a new up to date and discussion among specialists.
In the first section of particular interest were the contributions of D. Braund on the figure of the naked hunter with the axe, of E. Nankov on the military equipment depicted in the tomb, of J. Valeva on the reconstruction of the (unfortunately very badly preserved) funerary banquet scene in the main chamber of the tomb and of N. Shanrankov on the graffito of the head of a young man in profile and the inscription. Although the idea of a possible “portrait” and signature of an artist was fascinating (and would be unique in Thracian painting) obviously we have to deal here with the head and name of a person perhaps related to a later burial in the tomb and not to the painter-artist. The papers of O. Palagia and L. Summerer offered extremely interesting comparison examples in Macedonia and Asia Minor (Mylasa).
Specially the second section of May 12th was of great interest and innovative character under several aspects such as chemical and physical analyses of pigments and binders, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, non-destructive photo documentation, 3D Laser Scanning, geophysical methods of prospection and archaeological surveys. H. Brecoulaki presented a very brilliant paper on the scientific investigation and revisualization with new methods of the famous hunt frieze on the façade of Tomb II (Philipp Tomb) at Vergina, which is actually the most important heritage of original ancient Greek painting.
I remained particularly impressed by the very challenging but extremely useful project of a systematic data base of all Thracian tombs in Bulgaria (and perhaps in the European part of Turkey too) organized by the Balkan Heritage Foundation. D. Gergova’s final speech was partly a “cry” for the – much needed – restoration and conservation of the Alexandrovo Tomb, which unfortunately is actually in quite bad conditions. I am wondering why the responsible Bulgarian National Authorities are not able or not willing to organize as soon as possible the necessary measures for the preservation of this unique Thracian tomb and its decoration cooperating possibly with foreign specialists too. It seems to be that in the former (communist) era the Bulgarian State – of course for ideological reasons too – was more interested and engaged to preserve its archaeological heritage. Let’s hope that this conference and its publication will shake up the Bulgarian authorities and have some positive results!
At the end of my short report I would like to remember Mario Torelli – the famous Italian archaeologist, etruscologist and ancient historian who passed away last September (2020) in Sicily and who had always a very special interest for the Thracian tomb paintings, particularly for the Kazanlak World Heritage Tomb. He had organized in the last two decades several Conferences and Convegni on ancient pre-Roman tomb paintings especially of the Late Classical and Hellenistic period.”