The North Tower
The archaeological structure is part of the fortification of the medieval Sozopol, which secures access to the external port, located between the islands of “St. Ivan” and “St. St. Kirik and Julita”, protected from east of the underwater reef Palikari.
The site is multilayered, studied in 2012-2013. The northern entrance of the fort is revealed, fortified to the west by a tower, type “bastion” and a partially preserved fragment of the fortress wall. The gate provided access to a small wooden scaffolding on the rocks, allowing access to the port for unloading of cargo at calm seas. Big part of the fortress wall, east of cape Skamni, has been destroyed by natural erosion or by earthquakes. In the immediate context, from the inside of the entrance, a small necropolis, dating from the 13th – 14th century AD was studied. Most of this necropolis has been discovered in the area between restaurant “Viyatarna melnitca” and North Tower. The cemetery is probably connected to a medieval church, south of “Morski skali” street.
During the initial stage of the archaeological study of the area, numerous antique buildings and several ceramic kilns were found, dating to the 6th – 3rd century BC. The results of the studies of the North Tower complement previous excavations, as here have been found archaic pottery, the second half of the 6th century BC, a fragment of a storage room, the beginning of the 3rd century BC, and lime kilns, dating from the end of the 6th – 7th century AD, which the archaeologists associate with the construction of the fortress wall.
At the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century AD, a windmill was built here, the foundations of which were documented during the excavations. An image of this mill has been preserved in photographs from the early 20th century AD.
