Hayredinski rampart – archaeological and geomorphological survey on the territory of Butan village, Kozloduy Municipality

Abstract

Hayredinski rampart is located in Northwestern Bulgaria. This fortification structure is part of the socalled “Western Bulgarian ramparts”, among which are also Lomski and Ostrovski ramparts. The length of the Hayredinski rampart is 24 kilometers. In its northern end, the structure starts from the 25-metre-high Danube river bank six kilometers west of Kozloduy. The southern end of the rampart is near the village of Manastirishte.

In a relation with the extension of the gas transmission infrastructure of the Republic of Bulgaria, in 2019, rescue excavations were conducted on an archaeological site registered as No. 25/2006.

A geomagnetic survey was conducted on the entire area of the site aiming to establish the presence or the absence of sunken structures in or underneath the embankment of the rampart. The results of the magnetic survey showed the presence of two linear anomalies – the first, related to the rampart embankment, and the second, probably, related to the fill of the ditch. he two tomographic profiles resulting from the electrical resistivity survey show that there is no data for the reconstruction of the lithological-stratigraphic and facialstratigraphic sequence.

The earthen structure is composed of two elements – a rampart and a ditch. The rampart’s height is around 3.50 m and is formed as a result both of geomorphologic processes and anthropogenic activities. During the excavations neither berm, nor palisade were registered. The pass to the ditch and the ditch itself are also a result both of geomorphologic and anthropogenic processes. The ditch is a natural settling of the ground, which was additionally excavated. Archaeological materials are registered solely in Section No. 1 – fragmented oxshoe, an indistinctive pottery sherd thrown on a fast wheel, and another, very small indistinctive sherd from the bottom of the ditch. None of these is Medieval.