| Summary: | The superbly built tombs, temples and sanctuaries of Thrace are little known outside Bulgraria except as a source of treasure. They are constantly being damaged by bad archaeological practices and by treasure-seekers. This well-presented volume, with parallel text in Bulgarian and English, earnestly addresses the problem and appeals for serious research. Rousseva argues that the cult buildings, buried within tumuli, are significant not only for what they can tell us about the extraordinary building skills of the Thracians, but also about their spiritual beliefs and traditions. The book begins with a chronology of events from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC followed by an overview of past publications. Rousseva examines the key issues that affect an understanding of the buildings, such as problems of terminology and classification and then appraises specific cult buildings excavated in three important Thracian regions: the Strandja Mountains, the Plovdiv Plain and the Loudogorie area. Appendices present ancient sources, such as extracts from the Iliad and a full glossary.
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