How did ancient people ensure the strength of their house and the well-being of its inhabitants?

As usual, the most interesting part comes at the end. Almost at the close of the 2025 archaeological season, we came upon a new and intriguing discovery. During the investigation of the walls and floor of one Late Chalcolithic building, we found traces of ritual activity. At the base of the eastern wall of the house, seven small biconical bowls were found, arranged side by side, turned upside down with their bottoms facing upward. The vessels were embedded into the wooden-and-clay wall as a foundation offering, through which the builders sought to enhance the durability of the entire architectural structure. The bowls are identical in shape and size, yet each one has its own distinctive traits - such as graphite-painted or relief decoration, or none at all. Thus, the seven vessels are both alike and different.
Near the line of the same wall, within the floor construction, two more contexts were discovered that point to ritual practices. In the northeastern part of the building, close to the embedded vessels, stones arranged in an oval structure were discovered beneath the floor level. In the center of the oval lay a skull and antler of a red deer, a fragment of a grinding stone, a ceramic lid, and part of a ceramic vessel. In the northern section of the stone concentration, another antler and a large flint axe were found. In the southeastern corner of the house, again beneath the floor level, a row of stones was revealed. Near them were cleared small bones of a small mammal, more than ten flint tools, three small stone implements, and two grinding stones.
The situation uncovered in the floor construction along the eastern wall testifies to deliberate acts connected with ritual activity. These can be interpreted as foundation sacrifices intended to ensure the strength and stability of the building, as well as the prosperity of its inhabitants. The ritual was likely directed toward the protective spirit of the place and, besides objects, apparently included food offerings as well. Cases of foundation sacrifice are known from prehistoric times to the present day, and the rich offering discovered at Provadia–Solnitsata - possibly performed more than once—reflects the prehistoric people’s aspiration to secure the longevity of their home and family.