In a remote mountain pass in southern Bulgaria, researchers have unearthed the foundations of a significant sanctuary dedicated to Bendis, the Thracian goddess of the moon and the hunt. The temple dates to the 4th century BCE and features a rare circular altar found with votive offerings including silver-tipped arrows and bronze figurines of deer, confirming the site's association with the Thracian 'Great Mother' and Amazonian cult traditions.
The excavation team from the Sofia Archaeological Institute discovered that the temple was strategically aligned with the lunar cycles of the winter solstice. This suggests that the Thracian tribes used the sanctuary not only for worship but as a sophisticated astronomical observatory to track seasonal transitions essential for their nomadic lifestyle and military campaigns.
Found within the hidden inner chambers were fragments of imported Attic pottery, indicating that the sanctuary was a point of cultural exchange between the Thracian interior and the Greek coastal colonies. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture has announced that the site will be integrated into a new heritage trail to promote eco-tourism and regional history in the Rhodope Mountains.