The town of Nova Zagora has a population of 24 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 38 km southeast of Sliven. The town is a municipal centre with 33 component settlements. In the vicinity of the town have been discovered settlement mounds from the Neolith, the Halcolith and the Bronze Age.

The Karanovo mound is located at the northwestern part of the village of Karanovo at a distance of 10 km from the town of Nova Zagora. The mound is 13 m high, 250 x 150 m long and with a thickness of the cultural layers of 12,40 m. The mound has been populated for over 3 000 years and 7 consequent archaeological cultural layers have been discovered. The Karanovo settlement mound is the biggest settlement mound on the territory of whole Europe. The Karanovo chronological system has been created which is used as a standard for the synchronization of the European prehistoric cultures. One kilometer away from the Karanovo mound is situated a medieval settlement along the slopes of Sredna Gora Mountains. Early-Christian basilicas, a medieval church, fortified walls and other archaeological findings have been discovered in the region.

2 km away from the Karanovo mound after the medieval settlement is situated the Long mound, which is part of a mound necropolis. Here have been buried Thracian doctors with rich collection of glass and bronze vessels, surgical tools and chariots.

Dyadovo settlement mound lies southwest of the village of Dyadovo. It is 18 m high with findings from the Neolith, the Copper-stone, the Bronze and the Iron ages. A small fortified settlement with a well-preserved fortified wall with towers has been established on the site during the early Byzantine period. During the Bulgarian Middle Ages here has existed a settlement with a church. The mound has been studied by an international team of Bulgarian, Dutch and Japanese archaeologists.