International projects of the CT Name of the Project: The Thracian Cosmos: the Sacred Space of the Kings Source of financing: UNESCO, Paris Cooperazione Italiana 52 000 EUR Project leader: Dr. Valeria Fol, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist Partners: TEMP Expedition, Iskra Museum of History - Kazanluk, National Commission of Bulgaria for UNESCO Aims of the Project: Study of the Thracian sacred places Name of the Project: TRAMARISK: The underwater archaeological heritage of Bulgaria at risk. Thracian sea cultural landscapes - exploration, protection, promotion Source of financing: Ministry of Education and Science, Research Fund, BGN 220,000 Project leader: Dr. Valeria Fol, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist., 18 participants from the CT Partners: Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol, 13 Centuries Bulgaria Fund, Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, International Centre of Marine Archaeology with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Aims of the Project: Protection of the underwater cultural heritage, pilot project for drafting an underwater archaeological map, registration of deep-water archaeological sites. Under the TRAMARISK Project, modern equipment has been purchased for conducting and documenting underwater archaeological research. The first on-line encyclopaedia The Thracians is being created under the Project. The encyclopaedia will be richly illustrated and bilingual: in Bulgarian and in English. Name of the Project: Origin and technology of the gold finds from the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis Source of financing: DFG - Germany Project leader: Prof. E. Pernicka Partners: University of Tübingen, Kurt Engelhorn Centre of Archaeometry, Mannheim, Archaeological Museum Varna, Regional Museum of History in Veliko Turnovo, Regional Museum of History in Dobrich, University of Sofia, Laboratory of Crystallography of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Aims of the Project: Discovering the sources of the gold used in the fifth millennium BC; studying of the technology of the first gold metallurgy in the world. The Project Origin and technology of the gold finds from the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis is unique on a global scale. By analysing and comparing the composition and the isotope markers in gold archaeological finds and specimens from excavated deposits, it will be possible to localise the earliest centres of gold mining in the word. The Project is due to start in the second half of 2008. National Projects of the CT Name of the Project: Multimedia model of the Triballian royal tombs in the Mogilanska Mogila tumulus in Vratsa Source of financing: Ministry of Education and Science, Research Fund, BGN 220,000 Project leader: Dr. Valeria Fol, Sen. Res. Associate 1st degree, Dr. Hist Partners: Regional Museum of History Vratsa Aims of the Project: Using modern technology to present the sacral architecture, the discovered artefacts and the documentation of the Mogilanska Mogila royal necropolis. This is a research project and it popularises the cultural heritage. Under the Project Multimedia model of the Triballian royal tombs in the Mogilanska Mogila tumulus in Vratsa, a 3D measurement of the discovered artefacts is done for the first time in Bulgaria for the purposes of the cultural heritage, using specially purchased equipment, and a 3D model is developed of the architectural remains and archaeological finds. The images obtained will be accessible on-line to be viewed by specialists and the broad public. CT has specialised research equipment and technology: proton grantientometric system for seeking and exploring archaeological sites, as well as diving equipment for underwater archaeological excavations.