Perperikon was once called "Pergamon", says archaeologist Ovcharov
At the end of the dig season, excavation leader Nikolay Ovcharov said the rock city in the Rhodopes was called Pergamon in early antiquity. He bases this on Ptolemy's maps.
Archive image · Photo: Nenko Lazarov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)
The rock city of Perperikon in the Eastern Rhodopes was called "Pergamon" in early antiquity, according to its excavator. Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, who leads research at the site, said so on the last day of this year's dig season. He points to maps by the Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemy from the 2nd century, which mark a city of that name on the middle course of the Arda river.
All these maps show a city in the heart of the Rhodopes, Ovcharov said. He first put forward the hypothesis about 20 years ago, and the major finds at the site now support it. No larger city than Perperikon will be found in the Rhodopes, the archaeologist said.
According to BNT's report, the identification rests on the ancient maps and the finds at the site. No inscription bearing the name is mentioned. The announcement marked the end of this year's dig season at the site.