Thracology
Encyclopedia
Thracology is the scientific study of Ancient Thrace
and Thracian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history
and archaeology
. A practitioner of the discipline is a Thracologist. Thracology investigates the range of ancient Thracian culture (language, literature, history, religion, art, economics and ethics) from 1000 BC up to the end of Roman
rule in the 4th-7th centuries AD. Modern Thracology (as opposed to an antiquarian interest in the land of Thrace) started with the work of Wilhelm Tomaschek
in late 19th century.
Alexander Fol
founded the Institute of Thracology in the Bulgarian Academy of Science
. With subsequently ever-increasing Thracian tombs unearthing, the study of the Ancient Thracian civilization was able to proceed with greater academic rigor.
are considered a branch of the Thracians by most mainstream research and historical sources, Romanian
historians and archaeologists have also been heavily involved in Thracology since at least 19th century. The related term Thraco-Dacology also exists, eluding to Thraco-Dacian, and one of the first uses is from around 1980, in the Romanian government archive.
But since other theories sustain that Daco-Thracian relation is not as strong as originally thought, Dacology
may evolve as an independent discipline from Thracology.
Unfortunately, the terms Dacology/Dacologist have been negatively affected by the association with Protochronism
and risk to be severely compromised, prompting some reputable Romanian researchers to call themselves Thracologists instead of Dacologists, even in the context of their research being focused more on Dacians than on Thracians, and even without necessarily promoting a strong connection between the two peoples.
The Romanian Thracology Institute I.G Bibicescu, part of Romanian Academy
and based in Bucharest
, was founded in 1976, after the 2nd International Congress of Thracology held in September of same year in Bucharest. One of his first directors was the thracologist Dumitru Berciu
(1907–1998).
. It has been held regularly since 1972 when it was founded by Alexander Fol. Fol himself became the chairman of the congress, and emphasized an international approach to the study of Thracology.
, Netherlands. The Congress was organized by the Henri Frankfort Foundation, which is a private institution whose main purpose is to augment the study of Mediterranean pre-history and proto-history. The opening of the symposium began on September 24 and was addressed by the Minister of Education and Science Dr. W. J. Deetman. "Thracians and Mycenaeans" was the theme name for the symposium, which held discussions pertaining to the potential ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic interrelations between proto-Thracians and proto-Greeks (i.e. Myceneans). It was believed that such interrelations had to exist since both groups have lived in the same geographic area in the past. According to Alexander Fol, the concept of "Mycenean Thrace" was first developed in 1973 in order to explain the relative cultural unity between the Thracians and the Myceneans.
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and Thracian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
and archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. A practitioner of the discipline is a Thracologist. Thracology investigates the range of ancient Thracian culture (language, literature, history, religion, art, economics and ethics) from 1000 BC up to the end of Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
rule in the 4th-7th centuries AD. Modern Thracology (as opposed to an antiquarian interest in the land of Thrace) started with the work of Wilhelm Tomaschek
Wilhelm Tomaschek
Wilhelm Tomaschek, or Vilém Tomášek was a Czech-Austrian geographer and orientalist. Born at Olmiitz, in Moravia, he received his education at Vienna,...
in late 19th century.
Thracology in Bulgaria
In the second part of the 20th century, Bulgarian historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol was a Bulgarian historian and Thracologist. In 1957, he studied history at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia and earned a PhD in 1966. He worked as a university lecturer from 1972 and became a professor in 1975...
founded the Institute of Thracology in the Bulgarian Academy of Science
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
. With subsequently ever-increasing Thracian tombs unearthing, the study of the Ancient Thracian civilization was able to proceed with greater academic rigor.
Thracology in Romania
Since DaciansDacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
are considered a branch of the Thracians by most mainstream research and historical sources, Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
historians and archaeologists have also been heavily involved in Thracology since at least 19th century. The related term Thraco-Dacology also exists, eluding to Thraco-Dacian, and one of the first uses is from around 1980, in the Romanian government archive.
But since other theories sustain that Daco-Thracian relation is not as strong as originally thought, Dacology
Dacology
Dacology is a branch of Thracology which focuses on the scientific study of Dacia and Dacian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. A practitioner of the discipline is a Dacologist...
may evolve as an independent discipline from Thracology.
Unfortunately, the terms Dacology/Dacologist have been negatively affected by the association with Protochronism
Protochronism
Protochronism is a Romanian term describing the tendency to ascribe, largely relying on questionable data and subjective interpretations, an idealised past to the country as a whole...
and risk to be severely compromised, prompting some reputable Romanian researchers to call themselves Thracologists instead of Dacologists, even in the context of their research being focused more on Dacians than on Thracians, and even without necessarily promoting a strong connection between the two peoples.
The Romanian Thracology Institute I.G Bibicescu, part of Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
and based in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, was founded in 1976, after the 2nd International Congress of Thracology held in September of same year in Bucharest. One of his first directors was the thracologist Dumitru Berciu
Dumitru Berciu
Dumitru Berciu was a Romanian historian and archaeologist, honorary member of the Romanian Academy....
(1907–1998).
Thracologists
Researchers who have been noted in the field of Thracology include:- Vladimir I. GeorgievVladimir I. GeorgievVladimir Ivanov Georgiev was a prominent Bulgarian linguist, philologist, and educational administrator. He made multiple contributions to the field of Thracology, including a linguistic interpretation of an inscription discovered at the village of Kyolmen in the Shoumen district of northeastern...
- A famous Bulgarian linguist. - Georgi KitovGeorgi KitovGeorgi Kitov was a Bulgarian archaeologist and thracologist with controversial methods. He specialized in Thracian archaeology.-Finding the Thracian tomb:...
- A Bulgarian archaeologist. - Alexander FolAlexander FolAlexander Fol was a Bulgarian historian and Thracologist. In 1957, he studied history at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia and earned a PhD in 1966. He worked as a university lecturer from 1972 and became a professor in 1975...
- A Bulgarian Thracologist. - Ion NiculiţăIon NiculiţăIon Niculiţă is a Moldovan professor of archaeology, known for his contributions to the field of thracology. He is a relative of the Romanian archaeologist Vasile Pârvan.-Education:...
- A Moldavian Thracologist and archaeologist. - Sorin Olteanu - A Romanian Thracologist, focused on Thraco-Daco-Moesian languages
- Valeria Fol - A Bulgarian Thracologist
- Diana Gergova - A Bulgarian archaeologist
- Nikola Theodossiev - A Bulgarian archaeologist
- Kril Jordanov - A Bulgarian Thracologist - historian
- Maya Vasileva - A Bulgarian Thracologist
- Engin Beksac - A Turkish Thracologist (archaeologist and art historian)
- Bogdan Petriceicu HasdeuBogdan Petriceicu HasdeuBogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Hasdeu is considered to have been able to understand 26 languages .-Life:...
- A Romanian Daco-Thracologist and historian - Ion I. Russu- A Romanian Daco-Thracologist and historian
- Dumitru BerciuDumitru BerciuDumitru Berciu was a Romanian historian and archaeologist, honorary member of the Romanian Academy....
- A Romanian Thracologist, Director of the Romanian Thracology Institute
International Congress of Thracology
The International Congress of Thracology was organised by the Institute of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of SciencesBulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
. It has been held regularly since 1972 when it was founded by Alexander Fol. Fol himself became the chairman of the congress, and emphasized an international approach to the study of Thracology.
| Number | Hosted in | Date | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
July 1972 | |
| 2 | Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
September 1976 | |
| 3 | Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria |
June 1980 | |
| 4 | Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands |
September 1984 | |
| 5 | 1988 | ||
| 6 | 1992 | ||
| 7 | Constanţa-Tulcea-Mangalia, Romania | May 1996 | Thracians and Myceneans |
| 8 | Yambol Yambol Yambol is a city in southeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 72,843 inhabitants. It is occasionally spelt 'Jambol'.The administrative centres... , Bulgaria |
September 2000 | Thracians and the Aegean |
| 9 | Chişinău Chisinau Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc... , Moldavia Moldavia Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river... |
September 2004 | Thracians and the Circumpontic World |
| 10 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
October 2005 | |
| 11 | Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , Turkey |
October 2010 |
Thracians and Myceneans
On September 21–26, 1984, the Fourth International Congress of Thracology was held in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Netherlands. The Congress was organized by the Henri Frankfort Foundation, which is a private institution whose main purpose is to augment the study of Mediterranean pre-history and proto-history. The opening of the symposium began on September 24 and was addressed by the Minister of Education and Science Dr. W. J. Deetman. "Thracians and Mycenaeans" was the theme name for the symposium, which held discussions pertaining to the potential ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic interrelations between proto-Thracians and proto-Greeks (i.e. Myceneans). It was believed that such interrelations had to exist since both groups have lived in the same geographic area in the past. According to Alexander Fol, the concept of "Mycenean Thrace" was first developed in 1973 in order to explain the relative cultural unity between the Thracians and the Myceneans.
See also
- Bulgarian Academy of SciencesBulgarian Academy of SciencesThe Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
- ThraciansThraciansThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
- Thracian languageThracian languageThe Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
- Thracian mythology
- Thracian kings
- Thracian tribes
- DaciaDaciaIn ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
- DacologyDacologyDacology is a branch of Thracology which focuses on the scientific study of Dacia and Dacian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. A practitioner of the discipline is a Dacologist...
External links
- Institute of Thracology - Bulgarian Academy of Science - Institute of Thracology Official Site
- Thracology.dir.bg - Sonya Ilieva's Web Page About Ancient Thrace and Thracology
- Thracology.org - A site dedicated to the enigmatic ancient Thracian civilization
- Thracology Scientific Lab of State University of Moldova