Kozi Gramadi

The ancient architectural complex around Kozi Gramadi Peak, situated at an altitude of 1,100 metres, is designated a group monument of national significance. The archaeologist Ivan Hristov interprets it as the residence, or tyrsis, of a ruler of the Odrysian Kingdom, dating from the 5th–4th centuries BC. Covering about eight decares, the complex includes numerous monumental buildings enclosed by a square defensive wall. The central building served as the ruler's residence and was occupied until 341 BC, when it was captured by the Macedonian army of Philip II of Macedon.

Excavations at the archaeological site began in 2005 and focused on identifying the residence. The first volume of archaeological investigations was published in 2011, followed by the second in 2012. Among the artefacts found were coins of the Thracian kings Teres II, Cotys I and Amadocus I, as well as the double axe, or labrys, symbolic of the Thracians. Archaeologists also discovered fragments of a gold pectoral associated with royal power.

In 2010, during expanded archaeological investigations, the team encountered a rock feature that proved to be a roughly cut passage in granite rocks resembling a rock-cut tomb. The east-facing cave-tomb is associated with religious ceremonies and parallels the use of the temples beneath the mounds at Starosel. The site is interpreted as a rock sanctuary used for rituals commemorating deceased Odrysian rulers.

In spring 2011, surveys were undertaken to discover new archaeological sites in Sashtinska Sredna Gora, enriching the map of the region and providing information about the mountain's settlement pattern during the Late Iron Age.