[size=55:1lzq1wtr]Sofia echo 26 July 2010

Archaeology: 7000 year-old village found near Bulgarian town of Shoumen

A settlement dating back about 7000 years has been discovered by a hill near the village of Ivanovo, in Shoumen municipality, in eastern Bulgaria, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported on July 26 2010.

The settlement, 900 sq m in area, lies between two rivers on the south face of the hill. In spite of its natural defences, the settlement was fortified with a defensive wall of "
unusual shape"
, BNT said.

"
The shape of the fortification was not circular or oval-like, which was typical for the time but an irregular pattern resembling an octagon,"
archaeologist Svetlana Venelinova said in a television interview for BNT.

Additionally, the entire settlement was encircled by a moat outside the fortification.

The houses within the settlement faced south, and some of them were two-storeys high and "
aristocratic"
.

"
We found copious amounts of wood in the houses, which suggests that in those days people were aware of hydro-insulation techniques, installing wood planks on the floor,"
Venelinova said.

The artifacts unearthed suggest that those residing in that settlement enjoyed a "
high social status"
, the report said.