Троглодитизмът като културен феномен. Формиране на нова оптика към наследството
Troglodytism as a cultural phenomenon. Formation of new optics towards heritage

Summary/Abstract: Troglodytism is a new look for Bulgaria towards cave dwelling places, where the natural phenomenon is not the value, and not the exotic characteristics as a lifestyle, but cultural specificity. Although in many cases the natural cave stands in the basis of scientific interest, human presence is what makes this cave different, adds value to it. The main example in the text is the Ivanovo rock-hewn churches in the Rousse Lom river valley in Northeast Bulgaria, a UNESCO World Heritage subject, which are at present exhibited as a treasure in a museum display case. What is missing, however, is the context, in which these churches are located. Culture of the Rousse Lom includes various by functions types of troglodytism – religious, funerary, defensive and related to habitat. In this context, the rock-hewn monastery at Ivanovo can be revealed as a peak achievement, only if along with the “monastery”, the “pens” are exhibited. By setting the parameters of the phenomenon, troglodytism may become the basis for understanding the social history and heritage of the region. Such an approach for understanding and presentation of local heritage – as a specific way of life, brought to a value for both the people of its own and for strangers, gives a possibility for a new life and use of tradition in contemporary terms. It favors the many-faced existence of the past by updating it, which creates new semantic paradigms for contemporaries. Troglodytism is considered an anthropological approach for understanding nature and culture, which have fused in some areas, inhabited by humans.

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