A groundbreaking excavation in Central Bulgaria has yielded three electrum-spangled ritual masks dating to the 8th century BC. The masks, crafted from a natural alloy of gold and silver, feature stylized ram features and were found in a sacred grove near the Tundzha River. Archaeologists suggest these artifacts were used during the 'Festival of the Golden Fleece,' an early Thracian rite of passage celebrating pastoral wealth and the seasonal shearing of livestock.
The masks were accompanied by ceremonial shears and silver-bound drinking vessels containing traces of herbal wine. The presence of the electrum spangles indicates a high-status ritual intended to dazzle participants during firelit nocturnal ceremonies. This discovery provides a missing link in the understanding of Thracian pastoral religion and the origins of later Greco-Roman agricultural myths.