A Hoard of Late Roman Metalwork from Belokopitovo, Shumen District 1 THE LOWER DANUBE IN ANTIQUITY, 6.-7.10.2005, BG-Tutrakan (Sofia 2006) A HOARD OF LATE ROMAN METALWORK FROM BELOKOPITOVO, SHUMEN DISTRICT IVO D. CHOLAKOV / G. ATANASOV In the Regional Historical Museum of Shumen, is kept a donated hoard of metal tools hidden in a bronze cauldron. The find was hap- pened upon accidentally during agricultural work in the area of Belokopitovo, Shumen district NE Bulgaria. Based on discovered there coins and pottery this has been the site of a Roman settle- ment or villa rustica. There have been no ar- cheological excavations in the area. The cauldron ( fig. 1) where the tools were hidden is made of bronze. It has been used for a long time, which can be deduced by the many repairs (over 15) of the sides and all over the bottom. The repairs have been made by means of bronze plates fastened by rivets. Attached to the cauldron is an iron ring with two hoops func- tioning as handles ( fig. 2). The ring does not completely circumscribe the cauldron but is at- tached by a rivet at one end. A similar cauldron has been discovered near the same village and it also contained a hoard of roman implements and a bronze lamp. It is probable that both hoards come from the same Roman settlement or villa rustica . Tools Ploughshares - four items, all of the same type (fig. 3). The shape of the working edge is that of a flattened triangle. There is a slight incline from the central axis towards the two ends. Along the central axis there is some widening and the end is rounded. In two of the ploughshares the left end is more worn off. The length of the working part is almost equal to that of the handle which has a rectangular cross section. The ends of the handles are turned in so that they can be attached to the wooden part of the plough. Ploughshares of the this type are circulate to the whole terri- tory of present-day Bulgaria and most finds are dated to 4 th – 6 th c. (Ïîïîâ 1936, 68; Öîí÷åâ 1950, 236; Äåòåâ 1950, îáð.44; Äðåìñèçîâà 1959, îáð.54/1; Àëåêñàíäðîâ 1977, 282; Ëþáåíîâà 1981, îáð.103; Àëåêñàíäðîâ 1988, îáð.2; Êóçîâ 2002, òàáë. ²/2-5; Velkov 1935, Abb.5; Stanceva 1970, 536; Henning 1987, Taf. 24/ 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Taf. 25/ 1-8, Taf. 26/ 2, 3, 5-11, 13) 1 . In the nomenclature of Henning this type ploughshare can be found as B3. (Henning 1987, 43) Billhook - four items; one completely pre- served, three fragmented. All are of the same type, billhooks with insert and a rectangular pro- tuberance (securis) on the back end (fig. 4). The edge is long with hooked end, making almost a right angle with the direction of the base and the handle. Billhooks of this type are circulate mostly to Northern Bulgaria and all such finds are dated to 4 th – 6 th c. (Äèìèòðîâ et al. 1974, 159; Henning 1987, Taf. 37/ 1, 3-6). Similar billhooks have also been found in the United Kingdom (Manning 1985, Pl. 25, F61). In the nomencla- ture of Henning this type billhooks are under G2a (Henning 1987, 43); in Popovich, type G (Ïîïî- âè 1988, 81). Sickle - one item; the handle spike and the working part make almost a right angle (fig. 5). It was possible to slip a wooden or bone handle, not preserved, over the spike. Sickles of this type are circulate to the territory of all of Bulgaria, dated 1 st – 6 th c. (Ïîïîâ 1936, 67; Öîí÷åâ 1963, 25; Àíòîíîâà 1973, 127; Òàáàêîâà- Öàíîâà/ Îâ÷àðîâ 1976, 28; Gomolka-Fuchs 1991, Òaf. 61/ 844, 944; Gomolka-Fuchs 1986, Taf. 75/ 34, 35; Gomolka-Fuchs 1982, Taf. 59/ 373, 374; Gomolka-Fuchs 1966, Taf. XIX/ 324- 329; Henning 1987, Taf. 38/ 34, 40, 42, Taf. 39/ 3, 4, 13, 21, 28). Numerous parallels to this type of sickles have been found on the territory of Serbia, dated 1 st – 6 th c. (Ïîïîâè 1988, 84-85; Çîòîâè 1982-83, 221); Bosnia and Herzegovina (Henning 1987, 148/ 507) and the 1 Conclusions for currency and dating for ploughshares and other implements are results from studying and treatment of the many unpublished tools from the Bulgarian territory - object of research in the Ivo D. Cholakov‘s PhD thesis “Tools from the territory of Bulgaria in the period I – VI century” Sofia 2005.