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digs around. The problem is, plunderers are aware of the valuable =
treasure as well. And they often get there first.

The display cabinets of the Bulgarian National Art Gallery in Sofia are =
full to bursting with antique treasures. Many of them are masterpieces =
of antique craftsmanship: filigree leaves of the finest gold woven into =
a laurel wreath like those worn by the Roman Caesars; or a heavy =
knee-protector fashioned in silver with decorative designs in gold, =
printed with the wearer's rank and authority, produced in the 3rd or 4th =
century BC.

Archaeologists, recently, have time and again uncovered treasures from =
Bulgaria's varied history. At a dig near the central Bulgarian city of =
Kazanluk in the summer of 2005, a team led by the archaeologist Georgi =
Kitov discovered a mask of pure gold which had been worn by one of the =
most powerful rulers in the Thracian dynasty -- Teres, the 5th-century =
founder of a prosperous empire.

In mid-July, Kitov's team dug up a second gold death mask 85 kilometers =
east of the city of Sliven, in Bulgaria's southeast. The tomb of this =
Thracian ruler also held ritual vessels and valuable ceramics.

"Many of the most important civilizations settled in Bulgarian =
territory," says Bozhidar Dimitrov, director of the Bulgarian National =
Museum of History. Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgars and =
above all the legendary Thracians, one of the most powerful peoples of =
the ancient world -- all of them have lived in what is now Bulgaria. =
"Just about every square meter of Bulgarian soil conceals valuable =
findings," Dimitrov enthuses. "Bulgaria is paradise for archaeologists."

But Dimitrov, Kitov and their colleagues have competition. Plunderers =
systematically ransack the soils in this Balkan country in search of =
antique coins, cast metal statues and pottery vessels. A battle has =
begun between raiders and scientists to be the first to find the =
treasures of the past.

'Criminal Gangs at Work'

"The looters have the most up-to-date technology and good off-road =
vehicles. They are very mobile and extremely well informed," says Sofian =
archaeologist Nikolai Markov. "Our rivals are certainly no amateurs and =
their modus operandi points to criminal gangs at work."

Volodia Velkov heads a 30-person specialist unit responsible for the =
fight against the organized robbery and trafficking of archaeological =
treasures. "In the area surrounding ancient settlements, local crews are =
hired for a few Lev to dig up whatever's there. It's a well-paid job for =
anyone who would otherwise be living in poverty," explains Velkov. =
Anything they find is then given to middlemen who try to get the =
valuable booty across the border as quickly as possible.

Velkov says that most buyers of the ancient treasures are abroad, for =
instance in Germany or Austria. According to German investigators, a =
battery of shady antique dealers who also deal in stolen goods from the =
Balkans has set up shop in Munich in recent years. Bulgaria, even more =
than Italy or Greece, is currently the most important supplier of =
valuable artifacts from the ancient world, says Neil Brodie, Research =
Director of the Illicit Antiquities Research Center in Cambridge, =
England.

Bulgarian experts have even on occasion discovered suspected stolen =
goods in the catalogs of international auction houses. Last year, for =
example, Christie's in London had a rare Byzantine silver bowl from the =
12th century, richly decorated with striking hunting motifs, on sale. =
The piece was valued at =E2=82=AC448,000 ($645,000).

International Black Market

The Bulgarian Culture Ministry demanded that the object be returned to =
Bulgaria and the London dealer was, as a result, unable to find a buyer. =
But instead of turning the disputed antique over to the authorities, it =
was given back to the auction house client, a private citizen who, think =
experts in Sofia, had presumably bought the expensive piece on the =
international black market. The man denies the allegations.

It was 36-year-old Naiden Blangev who called the Bulgarian authorities' =
attention to the sale in the first place. Blangev claims to have dug up =
the artifact seven years ago near the southern Bulgarian city of =
Pazardzhik, before selling it. He says he found the bowl using a =
standard metal detector -- "beginner's luck," he calls the find.

But the bowl put up for auction in London is one of 13 similar pieces, =
say the experts in Sofia. The set is dispersed among different =
countries, with nine of the silver dishes apparently in Greek museums. =
The authorities want all of the silver treasures back and are prepared =
to bring the case before the international courts, if necessary.

Meanwhile Boris Velchev, Bulgaria's energetic prosecutor general, has =
declared war on organized crime, particularly the lucrative trade in =
stolen art. Now, hardly a week goes by without his investigators =
uncovering yet more valuable stolen goods. Just this month, seven men =
were caught near Sliven with a hoard of ancient coins. In a spectacular =
sting on a train headed for the Serbian border, investigators succeeded =
in catching the gang of three trying to leave the country with thousands =
of antique pieces. The valuable goods were hidden in cardboard cartons =
full of fruit juices.

Velkov's worry is that hauls on this scale could become ever scarcer in =
the future. Since Bulgaria became an EU member, its borders have become =
more permeable, making life easier for the looters.

'The Fruit of Grave Robbing'

According to a new study conducted by the Bulgarian Center for the Study =
of Democracy, as many as 250,000 people may be involved in illegal =
racketeering. Some are even brazen enough to put their pieces on show. =
The most controversial is casino king Vassil Bozhkov, 51, nicknamed "The =
Skull", who, in addition to countless gambling houses in Sofia, also =
runs the popular betting agency Eurofootball. He has already survived =
one assassination attempt, while one of his closest business partners =
was killed by a gunman.

In his private life, the millionaire indulges in a very specialized =
passion: He has collected hundreds of Roman, Greek and Thracian works of =
art and his coin collection is one of the most extensive in the country.

To coincide with Bulgaria's admission into the EU, Bozhkov was invited =
to exhibit a number of examples of his collection in the EU Parliament =
in Brussels; he even obtained funding for the exhibition from the =
Bulgarian Culture Ministry. In the eyes of Vassil Nikolov, the Bozhkov =
exhibition was "the fruit of grave-robbing." Nikolov was not only the =
long-time director of the Institute of Archaeology and Museum in Sofia, =
but was also president of the state committee responsible for every =
single archaeological dig that took place in the country. Without his =
signature, not even the smallest shovelful of historical earth could be =
moved -- or at least not officially.

But unofficially is a different story: "There is not a single dig site =
or historical monument in the country," says Nikolov, "that has never =
been looted."