A Bulgarian archaeology team has unearthed a gold mask belonging to a fourth century B.C. Thracian King.
Archaeologist Georgi Kitov announced the discovery of the 2,400-year-old treasure after weekend excavations in a tomb east of the capital, Sofia.
Researchers say the mask, which depicts a bearded man, was found buried with several other artifacts, including silver and bronze vessels.
This is Kitov's second big discovery in a Thracian tomb. In 2004, he and his team uncovered what was thought to be the first solid gold Thracian mask ever found.
Modern Bulgaria is located at the center of the ancient Thracian civilization, which spanned from southeastern Europe to the Caucasus region from 4,000 B.C. to the third century A.D.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.