A team of archaeologists have been busy at work unearthing what looks to be a lost city in central Greece.
The excavation is a collaboration effort headed by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Karditsa and the Swedish Institute in Athens with researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the University of Bournemouth in the U.K. taking part.
Researchers found the remains on a hill a few hours north of Athens in a region that was once known as Thessaly, near a village now named Vlochós.
Although classicists have known about the site for over 200 years, they weren’t keen to study it until recently, as they weren’t aware of the bustling metropolis they would unearth. Currently, very little is known about the region, and this new discovery may help add to the knowledge base.
Thus far, they have discovered a city wall, town square and street grid. The area inside of the city wall is about 99 acres, or the size of 75 football fields, meaning the city was definitely not the small village they originally thought.
Researchers have also found ancient pottery and coins, which give insight into the culture and dates of the city’s heyday.
Leader of the study, Robin Rönnlund, a doctoral student in classical archaeology and ancient history at the University of Gothenburg summarized some of the team’s findings in a press release:
“Our oldest finds are from around 500 BC, but the city seems to have flourished mainly from the fourth to the third century BC before it was abandoned for some reason, maybe in connection with the Roman conquest of the area.
The preliminary results of our investigation are important as they give clear evidence that western Thessaly was no backwater, but a rich and vibrant society within the ancient world.”
Very little of the former city can be seen with the naked eye, apart from a few ruins. Researchers confirm that they will be using new technology to allow them to map out a grid of the city without digging up the area and disturbing residents and wildlife.
Some finds, like ancient coins and pottery, will make themselves at home at the Archaeological Museum of Karditsa, but they plan for everything else to remain in tact.
They hope to complete their fieldwork by 2017.
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