Prehistory Department
In 1960 Prehistory Department was established and until 1986 head of the department was Mincho Dimitrov. In the department there worked archaeologists Vanya Radeva and Peter Kalchev, the latter became head of the department in 1987.
The first archaeological excavations of prehistoric site were carried out in a settlement mound near Sv. Kirilovo village in 1911. They were led by Gavril Katsarov and were implemented with the collaboration of the chairman of Augusta Trayana Archaeological Association Mr. Atanas Kozhuharov. The archaeological explorations of the site continued in 1932 under the guidance of Peter Detev and during 1940-41 - the German archaeologist Kurt Bitel. In 1922 Atanas Kozhuharov and Hristo Raykov carried out drilling explorations of the settlement mound "Monastery" near Borilovo village.
The intensive archaeological explorations of prehistoric sites began after the World War II as a result of the building of industrial premises and the new infrastructure in Stara Zagora District.
In 1961-63, a team with Director Georgi Iliev Georgiev (IAM-BAS) and the archaeologists Peter Detev (AM-Plovdiv), Dimitar Nikolov and Mincho Dimitrov (IM-Stara Zagora) carried out archaeological excavations of Azmashkata settlement mound - this was the first entirely researched prehistoric settlement in Europe. Over 10,000 artifacts providing important information about the culture and the lifestyle of the ancient farming population in our lands were found.
Then followed rescue explorations, led by Mincho Dimitrov, in Bereketska settlement mound, the settlement mound at the "Chatalka" lake, Starozagorski bani, Kaloyanovets and other archaeological sites.
The most important exhibits of the fund are:
- Marble anthropomorphic figure from the early Neolithic period, the end of VII, beginning of VI millennium B.C
- Ceramic head of the anthropomorphic figure from the settlement mound near Chatalka lake, early Chalcolithic period, V millennium B. C.
- Anthropomorphic vessel with an image of two human bodies - male and female, found in a settlement mound in Starozagorski bani, late Chalcolithic period, V millennium B.C.
- Ceramic model of a temple, found in a settlement mound in Starozagorski bani, late Chalcolithic period, V millennium B.C.
