On my visit to the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak, I visited a Thracian tomb known as Kosmatka Tomb that was discovered in 2004 but dates back to at least 300 B.C.  The man buried there was a Thracian ruler named Seuthes III.    

I’ve been to Egypt and seen lots of tombs, but this was definitely one of the best-preserved tombs I’ve ever seen.  Granted, it’s hundreds rather than thousands of years old, but still.  The bust pictured here is a reproduction, but the entirety of the tomb itself is reported to be original, all fully preserved.

This tomb was in the middle of nowhere, seemingly.  When the tour bus left, it rode along roads that passed through fields and (empty) fields of roses (not in bloom at the time), as this area is also known as the “valley of roses” because of its moderate climate (not too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter) and is a center of the rose oil industry.

The tour guide said that throughout this area there are mounds and hills that contain similar tombs all over the place — some of which have not yet been opened or discovered.  So we rode out of the valley, passing by these ancient burial mounds under grassy rolling hills.