Amazing Discovery: 2,500-Year-Old City Uncovered in Greece

A team of international researchers discovered the remains of an ancient city in an area that was previously thought to be the remnant of a small village.

The previously unknown city was discovered during the Vlochos Archeological Project (VLAP), a Greek-Swedish-British Collaborative archeological fieldwork in the Karditsa Region, Thessaly. The VLAP research group just completed their first field season during two weeks in September.

"What used to be considered remains of some irrelevant settlement on a hill can now be upgraded to remains of a city of higher significance than previously thought, and this after only one season," said Robin Rönnlund, PhD student in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Gothenburg and leader of the fieldwork, in a press release. "The fact that nobody has never explored the hill before is a mystery."

In an effort to preserve the original shape of the site, the researchers used ground penetrating radar, instead of the usual excavation. The researchers found that the remains of towers, walls and city gates in the area indeed belongs to a metropolis, as suggested by the presence of town square and a street grid. About 40 hectares of land were found inside city wall.

Ancient pottery and coins were also discovered on the site. These relics could help the researchers put a date in the city, with the oldest finds dated around 500 BC. However, the researchers claim that the city may have flourished mainly from the fourth to the third century BC. The city was then abandoned by some reason, maybe in connection with the Roman conquest of the area.

Further exploration is necessary to shed some light in what really happened during the violent period in the Greek history, filling an important gap in the knowledge about the area located in Greek soil. Researchers participating VLAP noted that all the objects and potteries found during the exploration will remain on the site, ensuring that nor finds have left or will ever leave Greece.