Roman tomb – town of Hisarya

Currently, the archaeological surveys at Diocletianopolis have revealed the presence of five necropolises of the ancient town. All of them are located outside the fortified area of the settlement. A large Late Roman family tomb was discovered in 1957 in one of the necropolises. It is the most interesting Late Antiquity (4 th – 6 th century) tomb in Bulgaria so far, due to its impressive interior. The tomb consists of a vaulted staircase corridor and a burial chamber. The chamber is a rectangular arched room, with six symmetrically positioned niches on the four sides. The walls are painted with floral ornaments and the floor is covered with a colourful mosaic arranged in geometrical motifs. The two beds built inside the chamber indicate that the tomb was a family one. The archaeological surveys show that it was constructed during the second half of the 4 th century.