Georgi Kitov

infobox biography
name=Georgi Kitov


px=
description= Bulgarian archaeologist
date of birth=1 March 1943
birth place=Dupnica, Bulgaria
date of death=14 September 2008
death place=Starosel, Bulgaria

Georgi Kitov (Bulgarian: Георги Китов) (March 1, 1943 – September 14, 2008) was a Bulgarian archaeologist and thracologist with controversial methods. He specialized in Thracian archaeology.

Finding the Thracian tomb

On August 19, 2004 Kitov discovered a gold mask in a 5th century BC burial mound outside the town of Shipka in a place he later named Golyamata Kosmatka. On September 21 he began an excavation of the mound with 12 others, including private security guards, and soon unearthed a large bronze head. Three days later he found the entrance of a tomb.

Instead of the more usual archaeological methods, Kitov used three large earthmoving machines. He claimed that he had to work quickly to deter looters. On October 4 Kitov and his team found a large marble door. Later that night they entered a chamber with a sarcophagus and a large amount of golden objects.

According to Kitov's later account, he informed the police in Kazanluk to ask for help of couple of police officers to help the take the treasure to his headquarters in a local hotel. Police sent 50 men and a local prosecutor—according to their later report, they were suspicious because the team intended to move the artifacts in the middle of the night.

Police officers proceeded to frisk everyone when they came from the tomb in case they were trying to smuggle out valuables. When the police demanded that the treasure be taken to the local police station, Kitov refused. Both groups spent the whole night outside the mound until the police escorted the team and the artifacts to their hotel the next morning. Apparent police overkill caused lots of public amusement.

Dr. Kitov died from a heart attack on September 14, 2008 during excavations in Starosel, Bulgaria. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/world/europe/18kitov.html Georgi Kitov, Who Excavated Thrace, Dies at 65] , The New York Times]

Professional criticism

He rarely bothered to document or analyze the artifacts he finds. He began to publish his findings only after several other archaeologists criticized him in public. He excavated the digs in a hurried manner, using heavy machinery.

In February 2001, the National Archaeological Institute and Museum censured him for excavating sites without permission and took away his authorization to lead expeditions for a year.Fact|date=March 2008 Later the same year, they expelled Kitov from his post as a Thracian section.Fact|date=March 2008

Kitov claimed that he worked quickly to save the sites from looters. His connections with the head of the National Archaeological Institute allowed him to have dozens of digging permits at the same time.Fact|date=March 2008

The Bulgarian police also accused him of working with confessed looters.Fact|date=March 2008 Kitov founded his own archaeological non-profit association, Thracian Expedition for Tomb Studies, that infringes on Bulgarian law about archaeological excavations.Fact|date=March 2008 He also worked for Bulgarian Investment Fund that furnished armed guards for Golyamata Kosmatka and intends to develop the site for tourism.

References