Hotnitsa North Tell — Veliko Tarnovo Gumelniţa
Hotnitsa · Hotnitsa Tell North · Hotnica North
Late Chalcolithic Gumelniţa–Karanovo VI–Kodžadermen (4600–4300 BCE)·Gumelniţa–Kodžadermen–Karanovo VI·🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo Province, Bohot–Hotnitsa terrace, Yantra River, Bulgaria
About
About Hotnitsa North Tell — Veliko Tarnovo Gumelniţa
Hotnitsa North Tell is the 0.8 ha northern Gumelniţa–Kodžadermen-Karanovo VI flat tell beside Hotnitsa mains (12 ha), excavated by Stefan Chohadzhiev. Late Chalcolithic 4600–4300 BCE two-level burned village: upright timber with daub houses, ovens, copper awls and Varna-type gold disc. North mound preserves catastrophic burn with in-situ pottery clusters and gold hoard pit (407 items in main mound).
Why it mattersNorthernmost gold-working proof outside Varna, showing Gumelniţa elite ornament network before 4300 BCE collapse.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Link to Varna cemetery gold sources?
Theories
- 01Chohadzhiev: Hotnitsa gold as Varna periphery before Little Ice Age collapse
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.4600 BCE (Gumelniţa A)
- Period
- Late Chalcolithic Gumelniţa–Karanovo VI–Kodžadermen (4600–4300 BCE)
- Culture
- Gumelniţa–Kodžadermen–Karanovo VI
- Builders
- Balkan Chalcolithic copper farmers
- Purpose
- River terrace farming hamlet with copper-working and gold ornament production
- Abandoned
- c.4300 BCE (Chalcolithic collapse)
- Rediscovered
- 1989 Chohadzhiev local survey; 1990– rescue
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.4600 BCE
First village burned and immediately rebuilt in situ
2001
Gold pit hoard 407 discs found nearby main tell
On the ground
Structures & features
43.3800° N · 25.5800° E · 68 m · 3 mapped features
Hotnitsa North Burned Houses
habitationTwo superimposed burned daub houses with oven rows
43.3806° N · 25.5805° EHotnitsa Copper Awl Hoard
workshopAwls and Varna gold discs pits north slope
43.3793° N · 25.5808° EHotnitsa Gumelniţa Kiln Cluster
workshopDome-kiln buttressed pottery kilns
43.3810° N · 25.5794° E