▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Bulgar ian ▁state ▁in ▁these ▁territ ories . ▁During ▁this ▁Russian ▁and ▁By z antine ▁war ▁over ▁Bulg aria , ▁Pl iska ▁was ▁destroyed ▁between ▁ 9 6 9 ▁and ▁ 9 7 2 ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁re built . ▁ ▁Arch ae ology ▁of ▁Pl iska ▁ ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁an ▁ear then ▁r amp art ▁was ▁started ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁Bulg ars ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁Pl iska ▁plain ▁( it ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁these ▁emb ank ments ▁may ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁all ▁at ▁once ), ▁and ▁the ▁territory ▁inside ▁of ▁this ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Out er ▁Town , ▁which ▁consisted ▁of ▁multiple ▁group ings ▁of ▁mod est ▁c ott ages ▁with ▁space ▁in ▁between ▁for ▁f lock s ▁of ▁liv est ock ▁and ▁horses . ▁This ▁seem ingly ▁unusual ▁layout ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁Bulg ars ▁had ▁been ▁nom adic ▁prior ▁to ▁building ▁their ▁capital ▁at ▁Pl iska , ▁and ▁when ▁they ▁began ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁S lav s ▁( which ▁formed ▁a ▁strong ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state ' s ▁population ) ▁a ▁mixed ▁past oral ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁economy ▁developed . ▁The ▁Inner ▁Town , ▁which ▁was ▁likely ▁built ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁settlement ' s ▁existence , ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁palace , ▁bas il ica ▁and ▁arist ocr atic ▁buildings ▁inside ▁a ▁stone ▁fort ification . ▁The ▁Inner ▁Town ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁Out er ▁Town ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁ear then