Bulgarian archaeological expedition discovered an ancient Thracian man's skull, which had undergone cranium surgery.

The skull was found near the Southeast Bulgarian city of Svilengrad, where archaeologists make rescue excavations.

The trepanation was done for medical reasons and it is the first one believed to be from Thracian times, chief archaeologist Georgi Nehrizov commented. The find is dated year 2500-1800 BC.

During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria, which were summarized, as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On August 19 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital.

Thracians were numerous tribes that developed from a mixture of invading Indo-European and indigenous peoples in the Balkans over the centuries, starting from the Early Bronze Age. They figure in the Iliad as allies of the Trojans, hailing from Thrace.