How the excavation of the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica reveals unsuspected secrets from the past? And why archaeology is not only science but a cause with profound cultural and social impact. "Knowing from a young age what you are drawn to and what you want to do is luck. But to follow your calling, you need courage", says Lyudmil Vagalinski. Although history is close to his heart to this day, surprisingly he was not accepted into the History Faculty on his first attempt. He had to go to the mandatory at the time military service for two years to return to "his own" path to archaeology. Prof. Vagalinski is the creator and editor-in-chief of the archaeology journal Archaeologia Bulgarica. He leads large-scale national and international projects, including the excavations of the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica near the village of Rupite, the Roman colony Deultum near the village of Debelt, and many more. Spending half the year in excavations, Prof. Vagalinski says “When you turn your hobby into a profession, you are in a constant state of recharge and exhaustion”. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx