There are immovable monuments exhibited in the exposition room of the Archeological Museum "Veliki Preslav" showing connection to three main periods in the town history:
~ Pre-capital city period / from the beginning of 9th c. to 893/;
~ Capital city period / 893-972/;
~ Post-capital period of Preslav / from 11th to 14th c./
photo exposition


Until the day when real archeological research was started, historians believed that Preslav was built around 893 and that it took tsar Simeon 28 years to finish it. Many facts and discoveries changed the initial ideas of how the town was once founded. Among some of the proofs are: examples of proto-Bulgarian ceramics; several pagan shrines and buildings lying right below the buildings from the Capital city period. Experts' analyses point out that the first building there probably dates back to the time of khan Krum and khan Omurtag - supposedly, the first quarter of 9th c. Actually, three inventory signs on marble and granite columns take us back to the first historical days of Preslav. The conclusion we could arrive at is that this was the place where ichirguboila /king's adviser and the second best warrior / resided along with other high-ranking officers. It is also clear that they possessed different quantity of weapons and ammunitions. Judjing from all that, we could claim almost for sure that Preslav was built as a military aul. This probably happened after the war which khan Krum led against Byzantium in 811. According to the historical sources, Bulgaria won the war but there were too many casualties among the civilians and the capital was all burnt down and ravaged.

PRESLAV - A LITERARY CENTRE

Veliki Preslav - the second capital of Bulgaria - was entitled with the mission to take Bulgaria all the long way to Christianity. The historical moment, however, helped create a favourable atmosphere for another phenomenon to come into being - a phenomenon that could be observed only in the biggest cultural centres in the world. This phenomenon was the adoption, development and fervent defence of the Slavonic alphabet, which was created by Cyril the
Philosopher and his brother - Methodious. After their students' defeat in Moravia and after destroying the hard work of decades, some of the most promising and prominent students found shelter and protection in Bulgaria. The new prince - Simeon, was highly educated and already knew the Slavonic "Az, Buki..." /"A, B, C ..."/. He vigorously devoted himself to incite and inspire a certain circle of literary men, translators and teachers. For a very short period of time in Preslav, there was established an
imposing library consisting of translated books - clerical and secular in essence, as well as original works by John Ekzarh, Chernorizetz Hrabar, Constantine Preslavski /photo - book/. Contemporaries tend to compare Simeon with Ptolomeus - the founder of Alexander's Library. And today we refer to this outflow of knowledge and literary progress as the Preslavian Literary School. Its powerful influence can be proved today through the wide spread of Cyrillic alphabet in the
Slavonic world. Simeon's library was robbed and destroyed. Yet, however, tens of written proofs reached us. Due to the archeological excavations, many inscriptions cut in stone, plaster, ceramics and engraved on slabs became known to the scientific world. All these items represent one of the most precious Epigraphic collections that is /actively and strictly/ preserved in the Preslavian museum.

 

 EVERYDAY LIFE

The archeological excavations of Veliki Preslav led to the discovery of many dwelling premises, shrines, monastery and civil housing -sites, administrative and ceremonial buildings. The archeologist sometimes needs only the architectural plans of the building in order to define what previously it used to serve for. More often, however, an extended and profound analysis is needed of all the movable findings that were somehow connected to the residents' lives, the agricultural
activities and style of living. Hundreds of exhibits in the halls of the Archeological Museum - "V.Preslav" depict this part of old capital's history, which is closely connected to the everyday life of its citizens.
A lot of jewelry can be seen there - rings with various signs, copper, bronze and silver earrings and bracelets, as well as items made of glass, amber and other kinds of minerals. You will be deeply impressed by the exquisite relief on bones, metal and clay; by the precise work of the breast crosses, amulets, belt decorations /photo - window display - to the front - crosses and a silver cup/. You will be really charmed by and interested in the agricultural and craftsmen
tools, some of which have preserved their function and usage through the years.There is also a rich collection of ceramic utensils - amphoras, earthenware pots, cups and bowls, which were either produced there or imported from Byzantium /photo - amphoras/. All these items, the so-called 'regular army' for every exposition, represent the everyday life events and habits. Athough they are not considered to be treasure, these items can tell us more about the past and can tell us even
more realistic and true stories than any other original copy can show and proove.

 

PRESLAVIAN PAINTED CERAMICS

When in 1909 the Preslavian teacher - Jordan Gospodinov launched the excavations in the region of Patleina, to the south from the Ruins, his only idea and desire were to confute the claim that Preslav had nothing to offer that could be of scientific interest and importance. Chance worked out for him when the very same year he announced the discovery of a very interesting and original type of slabs made of fine white clay. They were covered with colorful ornaments and varnish,
as well as sometimes with letters. In due course of time, a monumental icon of St.Theodore was put to pieces together. It was then when rumors, talks and discussions about the Preslavian findings started all around the world. The wide-spread opinion was that all the findings must have been imported from Byzantium because the only studies where such kinds of works could be produced were the Byzantine ones. As
excavation works in Preslav continued, however, similar studies were discovered where such fine art production was once made. The crucial contribution for these discoveries belongs to Iv.Zhandova - an experienced acheologist from Preslav, under whose guidance a lot of excavations were made. During the 70s and 80s of 20th c., T.Totev - the doyen of Preslavian researches, discovered two new centres of painted ceramics. He also made some additional researches of already well-known and
studied sites in Patleina and near the Round Church. Thus was completed the whole picture of the dawn, heyday and decline of a unique artistic phenomenon which today is called Preslavian painted ceramics.
 

POST-CAPITAL PERIOD OF PRESLAV

After nearly 80 years of flourishing as the Bulgarian capital, Preslav reached its decline. Shortly after the devout tsar Petar died in 969, the Byzantine diplomacy undertook a long campaign aiming at diminishing the power of its mighty rival to the north to whom it invariably paid for over half a century an annual tax. The powerful Kiev royal prince Svetoslav was promised riches to plunder which only incited his imagination, and he easily became a faithful ally to Byzantium. According to some chroniclers, he marched an 80-thousand army to the south counting on the fact that Bulgaria would not be able to show resistence because of the lack of political maturity of the its ruler. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be just as Svetoslav had expected since he had no difficulty in conquering all castles in northeast Bulgaria. Soon afterwards, he also managed to invade the capital - Preslav /August 969/970/. Now the road to Bulgaria was cleared for the unrivalled commander - John Tzimisshi, who was quite recently proclaimed Basileus of Constantinopolus. In 971 on Easter, his army made a surprising and unexpected manoeuvre which led him straight under the fortress walls of Preslav. The defenders of the town were unprepared for the attack. Fires broke out /unpremeditately!?/. The great capital was soon in flames, completely ravaged in just a few days and the royal family was captured. For a very long period of time Preslav had to play a secondary role as the centre of Byzantine administration, as well as the centre of the highest in rank among Bulgarian bishops. Athough Preslav lost its shine as a capital, it was still proudly called Veliki Preslav /Great Preslav/.
There are many findings that can serve as a proof for the riches of the capital citizens; such items are different luxurious objects, coins, finely made and covered with ornaments utensils, as well as frescos. The image of the Archangel on frescos, which according to researchers date back to the last quarter of 10th c., will attract you with their skillfully combined pastel hues. There could be seen well-preserved jewels along with the moulds for their manufacture. As to the ceramic utensils, they illustrate not only the fashionable trends, but also the tradition in white clay processing. Two window displays with specialized and thematically organized items occupy a special place in the exposition because they represent the entire period of existence of the town starting from 9th c. to the end of 13th c. Those are weapons and coin findings which certify the times of peaceful economic growth, as well as the times of severe battles defending it.