Milko Palangurski: No DNA analysis done to confirm whether remains are Tsar Samuel
Veliko Tarnovo University historian says repatriation lacked preparation and a proper inventory.
Prof. Milko Palangurski of Veliko Tarnovo University said there was no DNA testing of the human remains that are to be returned to Bulgaria to confirm whether they belong to Tsar Samuel. He also warned that Bulgaria did not prepare a catalogue or a study for artifacts scheduled to be returned to Greece.
Palangurski: repatriation was poorly prepared
Speaking in a televised interview, Palangurski called the operation "not well prepared" and described the repatriation of bones as a matter that requires careful diplomacy. He noted that what historians do know is that Tsar Samuel and his family were buried on the island of Saint Achillios.
He added that the artifacts Bulgaria plans to hand back have been "hidden for almost 112 years" and that there is apparently no information about them in Bulgarian records. Palangurski emphasised that the issue is not the return itself but the lack of an inventory of what is being returned.
"Pandora's box has been opened. The problem here is not that we are returning [the remains], but that there is no inventory and no one knows how much and what it is," he said.
Palangurski warned that the question is too important for improvisation and implied that the absence of scientific documentation — such as DNA analyses and catalogues — undermines transparency and complicates diplomatic handling.
His remarks underline tensions around the handling of historical human remains and artifacts that involve multiple countries and sensitive cultural claims.
Photo: press material from the event
