Deultum

Deultum, known by the same name in Latin, is a Roman settlement in Bulgaria, about 10 kilometres west of Burgas towards Sredets, within the lands of the present-day village of Debelt. The area containing the ancient ruins was declared an architectural and construction monument in 1965.

The history of Deultum is connected with the foundation of the colony Flavia Pacis Deultensium in the 70s AD, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. The town was established as a settlement for veterans of the Eighth Augustan Legion, who were settled under Roman law across a large territory between Lakes Burgas and Mandra.

At the beginning of the 8th century, following the Eastern Roman Empire's retreat before Bulgaria, the port of Mesembria, situated near Deultum, gradually lost importance because of the establishment of the new port of Poros, later Deultum.

The area around the western shores of Lake Mandra is rich in archaeological sites from different historical periods, which attracted interest as early as the late 19th century. These include the ancient gate, part of the main street and niches for statues of the town's gods and goddesses. Graves from the medieval necropolis have also been uncovered in the same area.

Extensive excavations of the medieval fortress, called Malkoto Gradishte by Karel Škorpil, began in the 1980s. Its stratigraphy reveals two principal periods in its history: the first from the 4th to the 7th century, after the capital was moved from Rome to Constantinople, and the second from the 12th to the 14th century, during the Second Bulgarian Empire.

Archaeological investigations continue today and play a key role in clarifying Deultum's historical significance during the different periods of its existence.