The new volume of the "Archaeological discoveries and excavations in 2013" published by the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum at BAS is out of print. The issue is prepared for the 53rd National Archaeological Conference which will take place in the city of Sandanski from May 26 to May 29, 2014 and is organized by the Municipality of Sandanski, Archaeological Museum - Sandanski and the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum at BAS. For more information, see the PROGRAMME of the 53rd National Archaeological Conference.
 
The issue of "Archaeological discoveries and excavations" in a row contains 267 reports on the archaeological fieldwork in 2013. The summary statistics for the reported sites in chronological order is as follows: Prehistory – 30; Thracian archaeology (Bronze Age and Iron Age) – 38; Antiquity – 97; Middle Ages – 62; reports about AKB – 40 (2 of them on underwater surveys). Besides the statistics, a list of 14 observations without registered archaeological sites and three interdisciplinary studies are also included. Compared to the previous period (2012), the figures of the recorded prehistoric sites mark a slight increase, whereas the number of sites of Antiquity period is significant. The reduced numbers of the reported studies in the field of Thracian and Medieval archaeology, as well as in the system of AKB can also be ascertained. The prevailing antique and medieval sites in the general statistics of the completed fieldwork can be noticed in 2013. The tendency for increasing number of sites investigated by contracts for rescue excavations and infrastructure projects is confirmed. Remarkable success about numerous field studies has been achieved, resulting in over 600 newly registered sites in AKB.

The editorial board has traditionally tried to bring the large amount of reports in a good standard form. The inner book, as usual, presents a colorful combination of peculiarities of speech style ranging from analytic-synthetic approach to the interpretation to unnecessarily lavish descriptions. The content of the volume adequately reflects the scholar level of the professional archaeological community in Bulgaria.

It is indisputable, however, that the timely issue of this volume in a row of the "Archaeological discoveries and excavations" series shows a successful year for the Bulgarian archaeologists.


Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Gurova
Senior Research Fellow, Prehistory Department
Scientific Secretary
National Institute of Archaeology and Museum
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences