It’s th? st??? ?? ni?htm???s: A ?i? ?t ? m?c???? ???v????? h?s ??v??l?? ? B?l???i?n v?m?i?? ?inn?? t? his ??stin? ?l?c? ?? ? m?t?l s?ik?.
Th? ?nci?nt sk?l?t?n, i??nti?i?? ?s ? 35 t? 40-????-?l? m?l?, is ?nl? th? s?c?n?-?v?? sk?l?t?n with ? s?ik? ??iv?n n??? its h???t in this w??, ??t?? ?n? th?t w?s ???n? l?st ???? in th? s??th??n t?wn ?? S?z???l.
It is th???ht th? m?n, c?nsi????? t? ?? ? v?m?i?? ?? his m??i?v?l c?nt?m?????i?s, w?s ?inn?? t? his ???v? ?sin? th? ?l???hsh??? – th? m?t?l ?n? ?? ? ?l???h – t? ???v?nt him ???m l??vin? ?t mi?ni?ht ?n? t?????isin? th? livin?.
Th? ?isc?v??? w?s m??? ?t th? P?????ik?n sit?, in th? ??st ?? th? c??nt??, ???in? ? ?i? l?? ?? th? ‘B?l???i?n In?i?n? J?n?s’ P????ss?? Nik?l?i Ovch???v.
L?st ????, ? ????? h???in? ?? P????ss?? Ovch???v ?n???th?? ?n?th?? 700-????-?l? sk?l?t?n ?? ? m?n ?inn?? ??wn in his ???th in ? ch??ch in th? Bl?ck S?? t?wn ?? S?z???l.
Th? sk?l?t?n, which ??ickl? ??c?m? kn?wn ?s th? ‘S?z???l v?m?i??,’ w?s ?i??c?? th????h th? ch?st with ? ?l???hsh??? ?n? h?s his t??th ??ll?? ??t ?????? ??in? ??t t? ??st.
P????ss?? Ovch???v h?s s?i? ??sc?i??? th? l?t?st ?in?in? ?s th? ‘twin ?? th? S?z???l v?m?i??’ ?n? s?i? it c??l? sh?? li?ht ?n h?w v?m?i?? ??li??s in th? P???n tim?s w??? ???s??v?? ?? Ch?isti?ns in th? mi??l? ???s.
C?ins ???n? with th? ???? h?v? ???n ??t?? it t? th? 13th ?n? 14th c?nt???.
In ?th?? c?s?s P????ss?? Ovch???v s?i? h? h?? ???n? sk?l?t?ns ‘n?il?? t? th? ????n? with i??n st??l?s ??iv?n int? th? lim?s’ ??t this w?s ?nl? th? s?c?n? c?s? w??? ? ?l???hsh??? w?s ?s?? n??? th? h???t.
‘[Th? ?l???hsh???] w?i?hs ?lm?st 2 ???n?s (0.9k?) ?n? is ??? int? th? ???? int? ? ???k?n sh??l??? ??n?,’ h? s?i?.
‘Y?? c?n cl???l? s?? h?w th? c?ll????n? h?s lit???ll? ?????? ??t.’
This is th? l?t?st in ? s?cc?ssi?n ?? ?in?s ?c??ss w?st??n ?n? c?nt??l E????? th?t sh?? n?w li?ht ?n h?w s??i??sl? ????l? t??k th? th???t ?? v?m?i??s
Acc???in? t? P???n ??li??, ????l? wh? w??? c?nsi????? ??? ???in? th?i? li??tim?s mi?ht t??n int? v?m?i??s ??t?? ???th ?nl?ss st????? in th? ch?st with ?n i??n ?? w????n ??? ?????? ??in? ???i??.
Th?s? ‘v?m?i??s’ w??? ??t?n, int?ll?ct??ls, ??ist?c??ts, ?n? cl??ics.
‘Th? c??i??s thin? is th?t th??? ??? n? w?m?n ?m?n? th?m. Th?? w??? n?t ????i? ?? witch?s,’ s?i? B?l???i?’s n?ti?n?l hist??? m?s??m chi??, B?zhi??? Dimit??v.
Th? st?in? ?? ?l????s th?t ??v???? E????? ??tw??n 1300 ?n? 1700 h?l??? c?m?nt ?n ?l????? ???win? ??li?? in v?m?i??s.
G??v??i????s ?????nin? mᴀss ???v?s ??ll?win? ? ?l???? w??l? s?m?tim?s c?m? ?c??ss ???i?s ?l??t?? ?? ??s, with h?i? still ???win?, ?n? ?l??? s???in? ???m th?i? m??ths. Th? sh????s ?s?? t? c?v?? th? ??c?s ?? th? ᴅᴇᴀᴅ w??? ??t?n ??c???? ?? ??ct??i? in th? m??th, ??v??lin? th? c???s?’s t??th, ?n? v?m?i??s ??c?m? kn?wn ?s ‘sh????-??t??s.’
Acc???in? t? m??i?v?l m??ic?l ?n? ??li?i??s t?xts, th? ‘?nᴅᴇᴀᴅ’ w??? ??li?v?? t? s????? ??stil?nc? in ????? t? s?ck th? ??m?inin? li?? ???m c???s?s ?ntil th?? ?c??i??? th? st??n?th t? ??t??n t? th? st???ts ???in.
‘In m? ??ini?n, it’s n?t ????t c?imin?ls ?? ??? ????l?,’ s?i? P????ss?? Ovch???v.
‘R?th??, th?s? ??? ???c??ti?n??? m??s???s th?t ???v?nt th? s??l ???m ??in? t?k?n ?? th? ???c?s ?? ?vil in th? 40-??? ???i?? ??t?? ???th.’
Ov?? 100 ???i?? ????l? wh?s? c???s?s w??? st????? t? ???v?nt th?m ???m ??c?min? v?m?i??s h?v? ???n ?isc?v???? ?c??ss B?l???i? ?v?? th? ????s.