"The Forgotten Deities" exhibition traces 6,000 years of religious beliefs

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Archaeology in Sofia explores the evolution of religious beliefs in the lands of present-day Bulgaria, from the Neolithic to Late Antiquity.

Titled The Forgotten Deities, the exhibition brings together 213 artefacts, including representations of the Great Mother Goddess, Zeus, Dionysus, Mithras and the Thracian Horseman, as well as objects associated with the Greek, Roman and Thracian religious traditions.

Among the highlights are dozens of artefacts restored especially for the exhibition and shown to the public for the first time. The display includes votive offerings, ritual objects, coins, statues, reliefs, jewellery and everyday items illustrating the evolution of religious beliefs over some 6,000 years.

A companion publication with popular science articles in Bulgarian and English, accompanied by extensive illustrations, has also been released.

Editor: Desislava Semkovska