▁exhib it ▁was ▁probably ▁sm ugg led ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁via ▁the ▁th riv ing ▁Bulgar ian ▁tre asure ▁hunting ▁and ▁sm ugg ling ▁trade . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Dob rom ir ▁Pet kov , ▁a ▁Bulgar ian ▁collect or , ▁track ed ▁the ▁piece ▁and ▁purchased ▁it ▁from ▁a ▁U . S . ▁anti ques ▁au ction ▁center . ▁With ▁due ▁legal ▁documentation , ▁he ▁don ated ▁the ▁item ▁to ▁Bulg aria ’ s ▁National ▁Museum ▁of ▁History ▁in ▁Sof ia . ▁Though ▁the ▁exact ▁location ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁un ear th ed ▁is ▁unknown , ▁exper ts ▁think ▁the ▁w re ath ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Southern ▁Bulg aria . ▁Some ▁arch ae olog ists ▁initially ▁dated ▁the ▁w re ath ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁century ▁BC . ▁Other ▁exper ts ▁on ▁the ▁culture ▁propose ▁a ▁date ▁r anging ▁from ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 3 0 0 ▁BC , ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War , ▁because ▁of ▁similar ities ▁in ▁design ▁to ▁compar able ▁w re ath s ▁from ▁An cient ▁T roy . ▁The ▁ring ▁linking ▁the ▁gold ▁leaves ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁circular ▁branch , ▁res emb ling ▁spec im ens ▁found ▁in ▁T roy , ▁which ▁had ▁known ▁t ies ▁to ▁Th race . ▁Arch ae olog ists ▁G av ra il ▁Laz ov , ▁El ka ▁P enk ova , ▁and ▁Ly ub ava ▁Kon ova ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Museum