Dr. Vessela Atanasova was born on 19 February 1982 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She graduated from the Paris IV-University Sorbonne, France with a degree in Archeology and Art History. She defended a cotutelle doctorate in Egyptology on “The Priests of the Divine Cult in the Old Kingdom” at the Paris IV-University Sorbonne and the New Bulgarian University. Her research has been accompanied by fieldwork in a number of museums including the Cairo Museum, the Louvre, the National Archaeological Museum in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the British Museum in London. Dr. Vessela Atanasova has worked in and with colleagues from prestigious international research laboratories such as the French Institute in Cairo (IFAO), the Collège de France, the Center for Egyptian Studies at the Sorbonne, the Department of Egyptology in Oxford, the Franco-Egyptian Center for Temple Research in Karnak (CFEETK). For her research she received the award for “Best Francophone dissertation” from the Association of Francophone Universities and the French Institute in Bulgaria.

     Since 2017 she is Assistant Professor in the Institute for Balkan Studies with Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, where she is leading the project “Thrace and Egypt in the Greco-Roman World”. She teaches “Egyptian Art and Culture” at the Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies at the New Bulgarian University and at the Department of Ancient History at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.

Publications:

• В. Атанасова, “Харпократ в Тракия”, Thracia 25. Втори четения по тракология: Древна Тракия и Траките: Сакрално и профанно, София, 14 – 15 май, 2019, стр. 133-146.
• В. Атанасова, “Египетските култове: от Египет до Сердика”, В. Атанасова, Л. Брико, Тематичен сборник “Египетските култове в Сердика”, ИБЦТ, Парадигма, стр. 36-59 ISBN 978-954-326-420-9; ISBN 978-954-90714-0-5.
• В. Атанасова, С. Василева, “Предмети с неизвестен произход от музеите в София”, “Египетските култове: от Египет до Сердика”, В. Атанасова, Л. Брико, Тематичен сборник “Египетските култове в Сердика”, ИБЦТ-БАН, Парадигма, стр. 106-139, ISBN 978-954-326-420-9; ISBN 978-954-90714-0-5.
• V. Atanassova, “Isis and Sarapis in Serdica: some new evidence”, Proceedings of the International Symposium “Africa and the Danubian Provinces of the Roman Empire” held in Timisoara 29-30 June 2018, British Archaeological Reports, 2019.
• В. Атанасова, ЕДНО СЕМЕЙСТВО НА ЛЕКАРИ-МАГЬОСНИЦИ ОТ СТАРО ЦАРСТВО. – В: Лозанова-Станчева, В., Фол, В. (съст. и ред.). MIRABILIA: чудесно и магическо (= Studia Balcanika 33). София: Издат. „Парадигма“, 2020, ISBN 978-619-7179-05-7, 61-71

• В. Атанасова, “Египетските божества Изида и Сарапис в Сердика”, Първи четения по тракология: Древна Тракия и Траките: пространства и комуникации, посветени на 85-годишнината от рождението на проф. дин Александър Фол, Thracia 24, София, 2019, 418-434.
• V. Atanassova, « Distinguer l’anthroponyme du titre dans les inscriptions des premières dynasties, Сборник Древен Египет и Стария свят в чест на проф. Александър Фол, София, 2018, стр. 55-76.
• V. Atanassova, “Le culte divin au sein des institutions économiques à l’Ancien Empire”, The Journal of Egyptological Studies 5, 2018, p. 57-66.
• V. Atanassova, “La signification des termes Hm et nTr dans le titre de prêtre (Hm-nTr) en Égypte ancienne », D. Boteva, P. Delev, J. Tzvetkova (ed.), Society, Kings, Gods in Memoriam Professoris Margaritae Tachevae, Jubilaeus VII, Sofia, 2017, p. 495-502.
• В. Атанасова, “Тракия и Египет в епохата на елинизма”, Тракийската древност: технологични и генетични изследвания, история и нематериално наследство, Сборник в чест на 75-годишнината на Петър Манджуков. Под редакцията на чл.-кор. Васил Николов. София: Издателство на БАН „Проф. Марин Дринов“, 2017, 179-184.
• V. Atanassova “Le costume des prêtres de l’Ancien et du Moyen Empire”, Égypte Afrique & Orient 67, 2012, p. 3-8.
• V. Atanassova “The Economic Component of the Title “Overseer of the God’s Servants?”, Proceedings of the Third International Congress of Young Egyptologists 2009, p. 13-19.
• Превод от френски на монографията Раждането на гръцкия град (La naissance de la cité grecque) от Франсоа дьо Полиняк (март 2009, издателство на Нов български университет).

     Stefan Yanakiev graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Archeology and History from Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” in 2016 and then continued his studies with a master’s degree in “Archeology and Archaeological Cultural Heritage” at the same university. The topic of his master’s thesis was “Roman Abritus (1-4 century). Fortification, Ethnic Composition and Religious Life ” and was defended in September 2017. He is currently a PhD student at the Institute for Balkan Studies with Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The topic of his dissertation is: “The Thracians in Roman provincial society in Lower Moesia (1-3 century)”. His main interests are in the field of epigraphy and ancient written sources, which allow the reconstruction of social and ethno-cultural groups in the Roman province of Lower Moesia. He is the leading specialist in the project in terms of Roman epigraphy and work with monuments from the Roman period.

Publications:

• С. Янакиев, “Власт и социум: модели на социално издигане и изява на тракийското население по Западнопонтийското крайбрежие на Долна Мизия (I – III век)” (Power and society: models of social uplift and manifestation of the Thracian population on the West Pontic coast of Lower Moesia (I – III century), Thracia 26. Трети четения по тракология: Древна Тракия и Траките: Интерпретация и реинтерпретация, София, 14 – 15 септември, 2020 (под печат).

• С. Янакиев, “Приносът на професор Александър Фол в проучването на историята на Тракия и траките в Римската епоха” (The Contribution of Professor Alexander Fol in the Study of the History of Thrace and the Thracians in the Roman Empire), Първи четения по тракология: Древна Тракия и Траките: пространства и комуникации, посветени на 85-годишнината от рождението на проф. дин Александър Фол, Thracia 24, София, 2019, 393–403.

     Victoria Videvska is a student of Archeology at the Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”. She is currently writing her bachelor’s thesis on the “Archaeological monuments depicting the goddess Nike in Thrace (7-1 century BC).” She is also preparing the article “Gems depicting Victoria-Nike from the provinces of Upper Moesia, Lower Moesia and Thrace”, which will be published soon. Victoria Videvska’s focus is on the Cults in Antiquity, Roman glyphics and objects with magical semantics. Victoria Videvska has participated in a number of field archaeological excavations, as well as in finding and researching monuments related to the Egyptian cults in Thrace. She has experience in building 3D images and is responsible for the creation of our the site and interactive map.