An archaeological expedition, led by prominent Bulgarian archaeologist Georgi Kitov, discovered various gold and silver artifacts in a Thracian funeral mound near the town of Sliven.

The expedition found several burial sites under the hill, dating back to the second and third century, Focus news agency reported.

Iordanka Radancheva, a member of the expedition, said that most of the bodies were unusually laid out, with the head pointing east, instead of west.

The archaeologists found five gold earrings, a silver ring, ceramic lamp and other pottery and two rings. One of the rings is encrusted with a semi precious stone with an engraved figure of an animal, probably a lion.

Each burial place had a coin, to enable the corpse to pay to enter the world of the dead.

The excavations expedition of Bulgaria's most famous archaeologist Georgi Kitov will be researching Thracian burials from the Roman era during this years' summer dig season, Darik News reported.

The burials that will be researched are all in the area of the town of Sliven. Thye had been done within short period of each other and were covered with a common mound.

The common thing in all the burials is that the bodies were all burned on a wooden grate, their heads oriented to the east and not to the west, as is the generally accepted ritual.

In seven of the burials the team of archaeologists has already unearthed a pair of earrings and another separate one, two rings, as one of them is decorated with a gemstone with the image of an animal, probably lion cut in it, a silver loop, pottery and a ceramic lamp.

In every grave there was a coin, with which the diseased person had to pay for the transition to the world of the dead.

The most interesting find was a crack under one of the stone pilings on the north of the valley, known as the Valley of Thracian Kings, where archaeologists stumbled upon a rich burial of three children and a dog. Along with the bones, the scientists found many funeral artefacts and a lachrymatory - a special bottle containing the tears of the mourners.

All these discoveries prove that even during the Roman era, the Thracians managed to keep their religious rituals and cultural identity, and the Thracian aristocracy had even kept its riches.