BUCUREST, ROMANIA. On 15-19 September, 2010 the annual conference of  the  Aerial Archaeology Research Group took place in the Romanian capital. Mr. Nayden Prahov (BH Program Director) presented before the audience the project Predictive Modeling for Identification of Submerged Archaeological Sites in GIS Environment, applying LIDAR technology for creation of bathymetric model of the seafloor and predictive modeling for identification of archaeological sites in coastal and underwater environment in the Black Sea region. The project is being realized by the alliance of Centre for Underwater Archaeology, Sozopol, the Department of Cartography and GIS and the Department of Archaeology at Sofia University as well as eminent researchers from museums and research institutions.

EMONA/SOZOPOL, BULGARIA. The Balkan Heritage Workshop for Conservation, Restoration and Documentation of Ancient Greek Pottery took place between 6 and 19 September 2010 in Emona and Sozopol, Bulgaria. During the project 8 international students and volunteers participated in conservation and restoration of 16 authentic Ancient Greek vessels from the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica on the Black Sea coast under professional supervision of Balkan Heritage conservators. Workshop participants developed their skills in archaeological illustration using special graphic software and as a result produced high-quality records and illustrations of the vessels restored and contributed to the documentation of many other authentic Ancient Greek pottery shards.

STOBI, MACEDONIA. In August 2010  Balkan Heritage implemented for the second time this year a field school project in cooperation with NI Stobi, Macedonia. The project called STOBI EXCAVATIONS was joined by 25 volunteers - all of them had the chance to study and practice archaeological field methods and techniques in two different excavation zones: 1.) the fourth and fifth century AD layers around the podium of a Classic Roman temple (shaped by the temple debris), where hundreds of well preserved construction details, coins, frescoes and pottery shards were found; 2.) the Western Roman Necropolis, where 20 graves (of both types: cremations and inhumations) were uncovered and studied. The graves found (predominantly dated to third and fourth century AD) contained various burial gifts including: terracotta figurines, clay oil lamps, coins, different clay vessels, jewels etc. Balkan Heritage Excavations at Stobi will continue in 2011-2015 at the Northern residential area of the City, inhabited from the Late Hellenistic till the Late Roman period.

VARNA, BULGARIA. At the end of the archaeological season in 2010 the results of the excavations at the Early Byzantine Monastery on Djanavara hill (VAR.EXC 10) in Varna, Bulgaria look more than promising. This summer 20 local and 25 international volunteers and field school participants took part in the dig under professional supervision of Varna Regional Museum of History and Balkan Heritage archaeologists. They uncovered the foundation walls and the interior of a very large building that once surrounded the unique Early Byzantine church from east and north. The finds: numerous dolia, amphorae etc. show that the ground floor of that building was used as a store and/or kitchen of a rich and populous monastery. The entire area shows evidences of a devastating fire that obviously destroyed in the same time the church and the surrounding buildings. When? This question will be answered during the next seasons. Now there is no doubt that this complex used to be a large monastery complex of the sixth century AD. However, other interesting parts of the monastery: the abbot's residence, the refectory, the scriptorium or library, the church's atrium, the monastery fortification  structures and why not other monastery churches are still to be uncovered during the next years.

STOBI, MACEDONIA. The Balkan Heritage Workshop for Conservation, Restoration and Documentation of Roman Pottery took place between 13 and 25 June, 2010 at Stobi, Macedonia. The project was implemented in cooperation with N.I. Stobi (Macedonia). It was attended by 5 international students and volunteers, who learned about the history, technology and typology of Roman pottery and gained a first-hand experience in the processes of its conservation, documentation, study, and restoration. The project participants enjoyed the hospitality of the Macedonian team, the real touch to the pottery-making process in an old workshop in Veles and the scenery of Macedonia. By the end of the workshop they restored 8 ancient vessels, produced high-quality drawings of 20 pottery shards and 10 entire original Roman vessels as well as documented all these processes under professional supervision of professional trainers and instructors.

STOBI, MACEDONIA. The first project within the Balkan Heritage Program for Exchange of Know-how and Expertise in the Area of Field Archaeology, Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Artefacts took place in Stobi, Macedonia in May-June, 2010. Thank to the Balkan Heritage recommendations and linkage, NI Stobi, Macedonia hired for a month Nina Turlakova (professional freelance restorer of ancient pottery and glassware from Bulgaria, affiliated with past Balkan Heritage projects there) to process and restore glasswares found during the excavations of Roman Stobi. The result: 5 precious glass vessels from the Roman period were restored.

The annual Fresco-Hunting Expedition to Medieval Churches in Western Bulgaria took place between 8 and 22 May, 2010. The project was realized by Balkan Heritage in cooperation with New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria) and Fulbright Commission (USA). Balkan Heritage team, supported by a group of international volunteers and the Fulbrighter Dr. Gene Berryhill (University of Maryland, USA) visited the medieval and late medieval churches in Golesh, Komshtitsa, Zimevitsa, Kalotina, Iskrets Monastery and Malo Malovo Monastery(Western Bulgaria) developing/updating  the fresco documentation of these monuments.The international project participants had an intensive  work schedule, supplemented by lectures and presentations as well as visits to Sofia City landmarks and Rila Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

STOBI, MACEDONIA. Thank to the kind invitation of N.I. Stobi, Macedonia to host the first gathering of Balkan Heritage teams from both Bulgaria and Macedonia, 15 representatives of the Balkan Heritage Foundation and the Balkan Heritage affiliated institutions: N.I. Stobi, Bitola Museum (Macedonia) and Varna Regional Museum of History (Bulgaria) got together on 23 March, 2010  in Stobi, Macedonia. They discussed the technical and organizational agenda concerning the preparation of forthcoming 2010 field school projects and agreed on development of Program for exchange of know-how and expertise in the area of field archaeology, restoration and conservation of monuments and artefacts.

SOZOPOL, BULGARIA. The abandoned building of Maritime School on the island St. Kirik and St. Yulita in Sozopol, Bulgaria will be turned into a museum along with the surrounding archaeological site after Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works donates the property to the Ministry of Culture. It is worthy to remind that in 2009 the Apollonia Pontica Excavation team lead by Dr. Krastina Panayotova unearthed here a temple complex dated in the early 6th century BC (presumably the famous temple of Apollo founded by Greek colonists, who established Apollonia Pontica in 610 BC).

BITOLA, MACEDONIA. After a long lasting period of fund-raising and significantly shorter renovation project the Exhibition Hall (700 sq.m.) of Bitola Museum was reopened in December 2009. Visitors will be able to see impressive prehistoric figurines and house-models found in the Neolithic settlement of Porodin near Bitola, sculptures, ceramic and glass vessels found in the ancient city Heraclea Lyncestis (in Bitola) along with numerous artefacts dating from different time periods (Prehistory, Antiquity, Middle ages, Ottoman period etc.).