Buzz
While excavating a Thracian burial site from the 1st century CE in Bulgaria, researchers unearthed a remarkable find: a clay pot adorned with Greek script. Unlike traditional engravings, the text seemed to have been printed onto the surface, with letters arranged in chaotic orientations—some horizontal, others vertical or diagonal.
To their astonishment, experts identified the text as the work of Solon, a celebrated Greek poet and statesman from the 5th century BCE, rather than a creation from the Thracian era.
The appearance of Solon’s poem, 'Prayer to the Muses,' on a balsamarium—a container for oils or ointments—was unexpected. The peculiar layout of the text added an extra layer of intrigue to this already fascinating discovery.
Thankfully, the archaeological team, headed by Kostadin Kisyov, director of the Plovdiv Museum of Archaeology, managed to unravel the mystery. Kisyov shared with Archaeology in Bulgaria that the inscription on the balsamarium was probably unintentional. The vessel had been wrapped in parchment at some point, and the poem from the parchment had transferred onto it.
This theory clarifies why the text on the balsamarium appeared in various orientations, but it doesn’t account for why a 1st-century CE Thracian was interred with a 5th-century BCE Greek poem.
Kisyov suggests a straightforward explanation for this as well. The vessel’s owner—likely a learned spiritual leader—might have been an admirer of classical poetry. Kisyov noted, “In antiquity, such works were traded like books. The owner of this parchment obtained it because he appreciated Solon’s writing.”
The inscription provides crucial insights into Thracian life during the 1st century CE. It reveals that these Thracians were not only literate but also proficient in Greek—a remarkable finding, given that Thrace was under Roman rule at the time. Additionally, it demonstrates their access to significant literary works from ancient Greece.
For those intrigued, here’s the passage from “Prayer to the Muses” that captivated this unnamed 1st-century Thracian (with missing sections from the balsamarium enclosed in brackets):
“[Bestow upon me from the divine gods prosperity, and] from all of humanity, the enduring possession of a noble reputation; [so that I may bring joy to my friends and instill fear in my enemies, revered by the former], and dreaded by the latter.”
