Teodora Bogdanova, National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Beauty care occupies an important place in the life of the Greek woman. She was the subject of spirited controversy in the Greek world. We can learn about it by reading the works of the ancient authors (Plato, Xenophon and etc) as well as by looking at the painted pottery that depicts key moment of this very ritual. Another major source of information are the discovered archaeological materials –the toiletries – toilet boxes, pyxides, mirrors, perfume containers, combs, tweezers, different instruments and etc. Regrettably, the vast in its volume material found as a result of the salvage excavations on the seaside of the Bulgarian Black Sea, which have been ongoing for the past twenty years, still remains unpublished. This thesis will focus on its study and interpretation. The toiletries from the funds of the museums in the cities of Sozopol (Apollonia Pontica), Burgas, Nesebar (Messambria) and Varna (Odessos) will be processed. They contain the materials from the excavations of the ancient Greek colonies at the Bulgarian territory. As far as the archaeological materials from the Greek colonies on the territory of the Republic of Romania are concerned, mainly publications will be used.

