The paleontological locality near the village of Dorkovo is something new, different and unforgettable. Something unique and unrepeatable... A museum with a unique architecture that will transport you to the Pliocene era, when extraordinary species of animals lived in this place...
The paleontological locality near the village of Dorkovo
Municipality Rakitovo, is Europe's largest locality of mastodons of the genus Anancus anvernensis from the late Pliocene period of 4-4.5 million years ago. Then the climate in the area was subtropical, and after the last ice age it changed and is now temperate. During the late Pliocene end The village of Dorkovo there was a river, there was a savanna, and there was a subtropical forest. During the rainy season, today's small river Mutnica became so full of water that it overflowed and became like a lake. But during the dry season it became small and it was difficult for the animals to find water to drink. And they were many: lions, saber-toothed tigers, bear primates, two species of monkey primates, eight species of rats, the now extinct three-toed horses hiparions, antelopes, two species of mastodons anancus anvernensis.
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With their own excavation
during the Bulgarian-French expedition in the period 1985-1987, paleontologists found about 600 bones of different sizes from more than 30 species of animals on a 15 square meter area. Such an accumulation of bone material has not been found anywhere in Europe. According to scientists, the bones were preserved because they were sealed in three layers of clay. The bones of dead animals during a great drought were carried down the slope by the incoming waters during the next rainy period and were piled up in a river bend. Underneath was a layer of green clay. During the drought and any subsequent flooding, they are covered with a layer of yellow clay. At the top, time has sealed them with a layer of brown clay. Due to the elevation of the terrain (and now The Rhodopes rise in places by 1-2 cm per year) the locality turned out to be on the slope above the village of Dorkovo.
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The paleontological locality near Dorkovo is unique because:
- It is from the late Pliocene, and deposits of mastodons from this period in Europe have not been found. There are deposits from the early Pliocene. In this sense, a gap in research has been filled.
- It was found here the biggest accumulation of bone material in one place.
- It is located at the crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia and provides information on migration, evolution and animal kinds.
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Here in 1985-87 was held the first mixed paleontological expedition East - West, which broke the Iron Curtain during the Cold War in the 20th century.
The paleontological locality near the village of Dorkovo
has been declared natural landmark in 1990. Scientists from the Bulgarian-French expedition suggest that the site be built paleontological museum. Their proposal was realized and a unique museum of its kind was built on the site. This is Diorama "Pliocene Park" - Dorkovo. The diorama is a reconstruction of the subtropical environment with the inhabitants of the area from the time of the Pliocene. The Pliocene Park shows in full growth the most majestic representatives of that time - the mastodons.
The place of the Diorama is reached from the center of Dorkovo on an asphalt street about 500 meters, then on a new road asphalt with a length of about 500 meters. From the place you can see the medieval fortress of the Rhodopes Tsepina, which has been declared a cultural and historical site of national importance.
the team of @feel_bulgaria thanks to Svilen Topchiev for the provided information!
