13 Moskovska Street, 1000 Sofia, BULGARIA Phone/fax: (+359-2) 988-15-59; phone 981-58-53 E-mail: thracologia@abv.bg, thracologia@gmail.com Founded: 1972. FOUNDED BY: Prof. Dr. Hist. Alexander FOL; Director: Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist. Kiril YORDANOV, Phone: (+359-2) 981-58-53 Scientific Secretary: Assoc. Prof. PhD. Kalin POROZHANOV, Phone: (+359-2) 981-58-53 Prof. Alexander Fol Mission: The Professor Alexander Fol Centre of Thracology is the only specialised unit in Bulgaria for studying the ancient history of the Bulgarian lands during the antiquity. It was created with the aim to coordinate research on ancient Thrace and the Thracians in the context of Palaeo-Balkan studies, to study the pre-Greek and non-Greek components in the ancient cultural-historical space of the Balkans and Western Asia Minor. The activities of the CT focus on Thracian history, culture and language in the context of Indo-European studies and as an essential part of the European and global cultural-historical heritage. The key research trends and priorities comprise: - Economic, social, political, religious and cultural history of the Thracians as a part of the History of the Ancient World; - Southeastern Europe and Northwestern-Western Asia Minor as the hearth of the 4th - 1st millennium BC Indoeuropeization; - Thracian and Palaeo-Balkan ethnic, cultural and religious contributions to the formation of the 2nd - 1st millennium BC Hellenic spiritual, ethnic and cultural synthesis; - Thracian cultural heritage in the Bulgarian and in the Eastern Balkan traditional folk culture; - Thracia Pontica - a contact zone between the cultures and the civilizations of the Southeastern Europe and Northwestern-Western Asia Minor in Antiquity. Traditional congresses, conferences and schools organised by the Centre of Thracology: - International Congress of Thracology: the 1st - 1972 (Sofia); the 2nd - 1976 (Bucharest); the 3rd - 1980 (Vienna); the 4th - 1984 (Rotterdam); the 5th - 1988 (Moscow); the 6th - 1992 (Palma de Mallorca); the 7th - 1996 (Constantsa - Mangalia - Tulcha); the 8th - 2000 (Sofia); the 9th – 2004 (Kishineu), the 10th International Congress - 2005 (Komotini-Alexandroupouli). The eleventh is scheduled for 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. - International Philippopolis Weeks of Thracian History and Culture in Plovdiv - 8 events have been organised: the 1st - 1974; the 2nd - 1976, the 3rd - 1978; the 4th - 1980; the 5th - 1982; the 6th - 1986; the 7th - 1990; the 8th - 1994. - International Symposium THRACIA PONTICA, organised jointly with the Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol - 8 symposia have been held so far. Brief History: Date of foundation. The Professor Alexander Fol Centre of Thracology (CT) was established as the Institute of Thracology (IT) - a new autonomous research institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, subject to decision by the Council of Ministers on 12 May 1972. Its founder was Professor Alexander Fol, who also became its Director (1972-1992). The scholars who created the Centre of Thracology were Prof. Alexander Fol, Dr. Hist., Prof. Dr. Velizar Velkov, Prof. Dr. Georgi Mihailov, Prof. Dr. Ivan Venedikov, Prof. Dr. Hristo Danov and Prof. Dr. Vassilka Tapkova-Zaimova. Development of the set of research problems. The complex source basis in interdisciplinary terms, as well as the theoretical acievements before and after the Institute of Thracology was established, have shaped several principal research domains: - The first academic field covers the origin of the Indo-Europeans, of the Palaeo-Balkan ethnic communities and of the Thracians as a Palaeo-Balkan ethnic community, localised in Southeastern Europe, the Aegean islands and Western Asia Minor. - The second academic field comprises the research, characteristics and typologization of the economy, social and political history, the ideology and culture of the ethnic and cultural communities of the Thracians from the Southeastern Europe, the Aegean islands and Western Asia Minor in the context of the Palaeo-Balkan-Asia Minor ethnonymic and ethnogenetic relations and cultural interactions. - The third academic field, represented by the most active contact zone between Europe and Asia, is called Thracia Pontica, i.e. Maritime Thrace or Thrace of the Seas. This set of problems focuses on the specific features of the communities along the Thracian coasts of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea and the adjacent islnads. Specific features suggesting the leading role of Thracia Pontica with respect to the hinterland and the continent. - The fourth academic field comprises the study of the share and the impact of the Thracian and Palaeo-Balkan culture on the formation of the multi-component Greek synthetic community and culture. - The fifth academic field covers the study of the Thracian cultural heritage in the Bulgarian and in the Eastern Balkan traditional folk culture. up^ Organisational Structure of the Centre of Thracology: Management: - Director and Chairman of the Scientific Council - Dr. Kiril Yordanov, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist.,. - Research Secretary - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalin Porozhanov, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree. Assistant-Director - Stefanka Andreeva Head Accountant - Krassimira Gavrilova The Centre of Thracology staff numbers 31, of whom: 18 researchers (13 with academic degree and 5 research associates), 6 specialists, 6 administrative staff and accounting, and 1 librarian. Academic structural units: - HISTORY Section Head: Dr. Kalin Porozhanov, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree, Dr. Hist. The key issues studied by the Section comprise: Complex and interdisciplinary study of the development of ancient Thracian society as part of the history of the Ancient World; Study of the mechanisms and ways in which ancient culture permeated the Byzantine Empire and medieval Bulgaria; Study of the ways and methods in which the ancient heritage was passed and preserved in the Bulgarian and Eastern Balkan traditional folk culture; Collecting and publishing of sources on the history of Thrace and the Thracians. Members: Dr. Kiril Yordanov, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist. Prof. Dimiter Popov, Dr. Hist. Dr. Valeria Fol, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist. Dr. Galina Valchinova, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree Dr. Vanya Lozanova-Stancheva, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Art Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergey Ignatov Dr. Maya Vassilevа, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree Dr. Rumiana Georgieva, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree Dr. Kamen Dimitrov, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree Dr. Stoyanka Petrova, Res. Associate 1st degree Dr. Kalin Dimitrov, Res. Associate 2nd degree Dr. Irina Shopova, Res. Associate 2nd degree Specialists: Maya Avramova, Maria Petrova, Sophia Turnina, Nedyalka Chakalova, Vesselka Manavska, Violeta Mihaylova - LINGUISTICS AND CULTURE Section Head: Dr. Svetlana Yanakieva, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree The key issues studied by the Section comprise: Preparing and publishing of a Thesaurus of the Thracian language; Study of the Thracian onomastic language in the context of Palaeo-Balkan studies; Language processes and phenomena in Southeastern Europe during the antiquity in the cultural history of Thrace and the Thracians; Theoretical linguistics, ethno-linguistics and onomastics, and their link with culture as behaviour of society. Members: Dr. Peter Dimitrov, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Phil. Dr. Tsvete Lazova, Sen. Res. Associate 2nd degree Dr. Dobriela Kotova, Res. Associate 1st degree Valeriy Roussinov, Res. Associate 1st degree - ARCHAEOMETRY Laboratory The key aspects in the work of the Laboratory comprise: complex archaeometric explorations and documentation (on land, in the air and in the water) of the regions, microregions and sites to be explored. This is done with geophysical methods and equipment. External specialists are contracted to work on concrete projects. - Library Head of the CT library: Mariyamina Tashkova-Lapteva The library of the CT functions as a public specialised library with a reading room. It is used by researchers, university teaching staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students from Bulgaria and abroad. It maintains book exchange with more than 20 research centres and libraries in Bulgaria, and predominantly abroad. The CT researchers teach basic courses and conduct seminars at the New Bulgarian University, the University of Sofia, the Southwestern University, the Specialised Higher School of Library Science and Information Technologies. The CT researchers are academic project leaders and reviewers of graduation, Ph.D. and Dr. Hist. theses of both Bulgarian and foreign postgraduate students. up^