Thracians in the Eyes of Others: A Critical Analysis of Data and Biases within Ancient and Modern Sources
Date
2025-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Archaeology plays an important role in constructing, developing, and
modifying identities from both the past and present and is often cited in geopolitical or
ethnonationalist disputes around the globe. The Thracians were an ancient Indo European speaking people living in what is now Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, and
were mentioned extensively in Ancient Greek mythology and literature. Today,
Bulgarian identity traces its ultimate origins to the Thracians, a result of an identity
construction necessitated by over seven hundred years of foreign occupation.
Archaeology plays a significant role in this process and is heavily promoted by the
Bulgarian government. Archaeology, as a discipline, is often undermined by the
preconceptions and biases that may influence interpretations, often in ways that are
wildly inaccurate. This thesis examines textual and archaeological data pertaining to
Thrace from both classical antiquity and the present, as well as providing an outline of
the social contexts and biases of specific societies that often influence the
interpretations. Consisting of three main parts, each with several chapters, this thesis
begins with an ‘ethnohistory’ of the Thracians, a project commonly found within
archaeology. The second part analyzes influences and contacts the Thracians had with
their neighbors, and the third part contains an outline of the social contexts, biases,
trends, and geopolitical situations of the relevant societies, relating them to the data
and interpretations that have been compiled. This structure mirrors that of
archaeological textbooks and journals, albeit with greater emphasis on critique and
postprocessual theory.