Greece is as old as this world. And today people know only a fraction of what this ancient culture was, and scientists are still making amazing discoveries that reveal new aspects of the life of Ancient Greece. Unique works of art, cities, ruins, intriguing rare tombs and strange skeletons found by archaeologists - all this made it possible to learn interesting details about the ancient civilization.
1. The secret of the hidden coins
During excavations in 2016 and 2017, archaeologists explored the ancient harbor of Corinth, a once vibrant city in Greece that has existed for thousands of years. Among the finds, a treasure of buried coins was also discovered. They were found under the ruins of a building that had been destroyed a long time ago. Most of the 119 coins were bronze and minted during the reign of various emperors of the Roman Empire (they date from AD 306-518).
This is how the coins of 306-518 looked like. AD
Researchers are convinced that someone buried the treasure in a chest locked with an iron lock. The organic chest may have decomposed over time, but the castle has survived. Oddly enough, the owner never returned for his "stash", buried under the rubble of the building at a depth of only 30-40 centimeters.
2. Untouched Minoan tomb
Promotional video:
In 2018, a villager in Crete parked his car in the shade of a tree next to his farm outside the town of Kentry. Suddenly the ground under the wheel of the car collapsed, but the farmer managed to get out. When he looked into the hole in the ground, he was amazed to see the remains of something ancient far below. The archaeologists who arrived at the scene were delighted. It turned out to be an intact Minoan tomb (1400-1200 BC).
Minoan tomb.
Much of the history of Minoan culture is still a complete mystery. This makes any archaeological site that has not been looted very valuable (after all, when looted, even many of the surviving artifacts lose their context). This tomb was carved from limestone underground and consisted of three chambers. They found two larnaxes (clay sarcophagi with relief details), each of which contained the remains of a person. Painted high-quality ceramics, including 14 amphorae, were placed in the grave next to them. This led to the assumption that the couple enjoyed a high status in life. Ancient masons sealed the tomb and its contents have not been seen again for thousands of years.
3. Proof of the Shadow's wealth
Many legends are based on the city of Shadow. Founded (according to legend) by Trojan POWs, the Greek settlement flourished in the Peloponnese until the sixth century. The location of the Shadow was known, but archaeologists did not find anything of interest in the area. In 2018, something really interesting was finally found. Earlier that year, seven tombs were discovered in a cemetery outside the Shadow. The quality of the goods buried inside indicated that Shadow was small but rich.
Artifacts from the Shadow.
Next to the dead were found a ring decorated with images of Egyptian gods, many jewelry made of gold and bronze, vases and coins. When the archaeologists returned to the site in October, they made a landmark discovery - the ruins of residential buildings, which also turned out to be quite rich. The walls were plastered and the floors were made of clay, stone or marble. Other interesting finds include a clay pipe, pottery, and coins dating from around 200 AD. The most unusual thing was recovered from one of the foundations of the buildings - a burial urn with the remains of two children.
4. Ancient fragment of the "Odyssey"
The first Olympic Games were held at Olympia in Greece. Today this region remains very attractive for archaeologists. Recently, excavations have been carried out at the Sanctuary of Olympia, a complex of ancient temples and other religious buildings. Ironically, while digging through an old trash heap left by the Romans, archaeologists have discovered a remarkable artifact. It was a clay tablet, made around the third century AD, on which 13 verses of the 14th book of the Odyssey were engraved.
Ancient fragment of the Odyssey.
The fragment is now considered the oldest written version of Homer's epic poem. The poem was written in the eighth century BC and was 12,000 lines long. The fragment on the tablet describes the scene where Odysseus returns home after the Trojan War. Most amazingly, on the discarded tablet was written a slightly different version of the story compared to the current version.
5. Zeugma's Muses
Founded in 300 BC, the Greek city of Zeugma was one of the main trade centers of the Roman Empire. Today it is located in Turkey and is known for some of the most spectacular mosaics of the ancient world. In 2014, a team of scientists worked in Zeugme as part of a long-term project aimed at saving the mosaic of an ancient settlement from water damage. They decided to go to a building called "House of Muzalar".
Muses from the city of Zeugma.
This massive estate probably belonged to a wealthy family. What was found inside confirmed this theory. Archaeologists have found three new detailed color mosaics. Most stunning was the huge scene depicting the nine Muses. In the center was Calliope, described by the ancient Greek poet as the most talented of the muses and the patroness of the arts. Calliope was surrounded by her eight sisters. The theme of the work was not accidental. Homeowners have chosen these looks to highlight their interests. Muses meant that the House of Muzalar loved intellectual gatherings or parties.
6. Mausoleum of Neko
A woman was buried about 1800 years ago on the small island of Sikinos. Her grave was robbed several centuries ago, but after that she was forgotten until 2018. The items found in the tomb suggested that the woman belonged to the nobility. Her body was adorned with gold items including bracelets, necklaces and rings. The tomb was found in the basement of an old building. Built in Roman times, the funerary memorial later became a Byzantine church and monastery. Today the building is known as the Monument to the Bishops.
Mausoleum of Neko on the island of Sikinos.
Probably built to protect the remains of a woman, the mausoleum was one of the most impressive and best preserved in the Aegean region. It was also unusual that archaeologists found out in whose honor it was built. The name "Neko" was written in the Greek alphabet on the grave. This rare treasure was preserved almost intact because it was sandwiched between the walls and the basement of the building in such a way that no one even suspected that it was there.
7. Breweries of the Bronze Age
In 2018, archaeologists uncovered ruins that changed the history of alcohol in Greece. As you know, the ancient Greeks loved wine and there was no evidence that they used any other alcoholic beverage.
Bronze Age breweries
Recently, evidence to the contrary has been found at two new sites (Arkondiko in the north of Greece and Agrissa in the east). In both areas, buildings were destroyed by fire, but many artifacts remained, some of which unexpectedly led archaeologists to assume that these areas were breweries. This guess was confirmed by the find of the remains of burnt cereals, as well as drinking bowls.
8. Woman master ceramist
In 2009, archaeologists examined a 3,000-year-old grave in Crete, in which a woman from the ancient Greek city of Eleftterna was buried. Compared to other female burials, the woman's skeleton was unusual. When she died, at the age of 45-50, her body was very muscular, and what was especially unusual was that her right arm and hips were strongly inflated, and the cartilage in her knees was missing. To understand why this is so, the researchers created digital models and also used real people who performed various physical activities, and then studied how this affected their bodies.
The woman is a master ceramist.
At first, research came to a standstill when it turned out that spinning wool, working at the loom, baking and working on the ground did not lead to such strange deformations. And only a chance meeting with a local woman solved the mystery. She was a master ceramist and demonstrated how large pots are made. This is what explained the state of the skeleton. Working with the footwheel damaged the joints of the legs, and working with the shape and "pumped up" the right side. She was also the first woman from Ancient Greece to be revealed to be a master ceramist.
9. Strange hominids in Crete
In 2017, fossilized footprints were found on the island of Crete. They belonged to something that moved on two legs. At the same time, he had sandal-like soles and claws, but the thumb was significantly different from the thumb of the monkeys. For this reason, it was decided that the footprints were made by a hominin (a subfamily of hominids).
Oddities from Crete.
These primates were closer to humans than monkeys. But the creature that walked on Crete 5.7 million years ago caused a stir in scientific circles. The fact was that officially the first hominins in this region appeared millions of years later. But this creature walked across Crete two million years before the oldest recognized fossilized hominin footprint found in Tanzania.
10. Names of Amazons
For years, the gibberish inscribed on many ancient Greek vases has puzzled researchers. They depicted the Amazons, female warriors from the kingdom of the Scythian nomads near the Black Sea. Near these women were written some words in the Greek alphabet that had no meaning in the Greek language. The breakthrough came in 2014. Scientists knew that the Greeks fought the Scythians, but they admired the Amazons. So why would they create ornate vases and then write absurdities on them.
So what were their names …
Careful research has shown that the vases also depict gods with their names written next to them. This suggested that their names were also written near the Amazons. Scientists have tried to phonetically translate this "abracadabra". It has yet to be confirmed if this is true, but some interesting names have emerged, including Don't Confuse, Princess, Hot Flanks, Cry of Battle, and Worthy of Armor.
