Abstract
The study monitors not only the development of the symbolic role of bread in society, but also some changes in its preparation from the Thracian period to the 19th and 20th century. This research is based on archaeological and archaeobotanical data collected in the territory of Bulgaria.
The most significant fresco placed inside the tomb of Kazanlak represents iconographic testimony to the presence of bread at the funeral banquets in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The meaning of this food in the funeral context persisted after Christianization and during the Ottoman domination.
The rich ethnographic collection of traditional Bulgarian objects proves that some ancient dietary habits were adopted by local people and could be observed until the 20th century.