The fame of Greece as the cradle of world civilization is getting a new boost. This follows the discovery of a 2500-year-old lost city, where remains of towers, walls and city gates are spread in the central Greece village of Vlochós, located around 300km (190 miles) north of Athens.
The mission to explore the ancient city was started by a team of global researchers led by the Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg.
Vlochós Archaeological Project
An exclusive project, Vlochós Archaeological Project (VLAP) has become the bulwark of collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Karditsa and the Swedish Institute at Athens.
According to archaeologists, the ancient city's core is at the Strongilovoúni hill on the Thessalian plains where precious historic remains dating back to many historical epochs are present.
"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, Ph.D student in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Gothenburg and the leader of the fieldwork.
2,500-Year-Old Lost City In Greece
The project's first phase started with a two-week-long field season that ended three months ago. It gave a treasure trove of information and relics in terms of pottery and coins belonging to 500 BC. Rönnlund said the hill hoards many clues in its walls, towers, and city gates.
Rönnlund noted that the town square and street grid are indicating the city's huge size, that is further evident from more than 40 hectares covered inside the city wall. It is hoped that the next field project planned in August 2017 will offer more surprises.
He said the ancient city's golden period must have been from fourth to the third century BC before it declined from the Roman conquest and exodus of population.
Rönnlund wanted more investigation to extricate the clues on what transpired during the violent phase in Greek history during Roman conquest.
Noting a knowledge gap on old cities in the region, Rönnlund said the university project fills that vacuum with a lot more remains to be discovered from the Greek soil.
In order to keep the remains of the ancient city intact, the researchers are keen to avoid excavation and wanted new methods like ground-penetrating radar put to use in preserving the shape of the place as it is.
Free App For Greek History
Meanwhile, archaeology enthusiasts and researchers can access information on thousands of historical locations and ancient texts with a click on their smartphones through a free app called ToposText.
The app is the brainchild of Brady Kiesling, a former historian from California who also served as a diplomat with the U.S. State Department in Israel, Greece, Armenia and Morocco.
ToposText offers 5,000 places of interest on ancient Greek and locations of antiquities. It is available on iOS and Android smartphones.
