What was initially believed to have been a tiny, ancient Greek village has actually turned out to be a large metropolis that somehow went largely unexplored for 200 years, even though experts knew of its existence, researchers from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg have revealed.
The reason, according to LiveScience, is that so many archaeologists had dismissed the remains at Vlochós, located five hours north of Athens, as something of a “backwater” site. However, the new study has confirmed that it was a larger, more important city than previously believed.
As lead investigator Robin Rönnlund, a PhD student in classical archaeology and ancient history, explained in a statement, “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.”
Rönnlund, who is working with colleagues from Greece, Sweden and the UK on the project, said that the team first found the site “in connection with another project last year, and we realized the great potential right away. The fact that nobody has never explored the hill before is a mystery.”
A piece of red-and-black pottery from the late 6th century BC. (Credit: SIA/EFAK/YPPOA)
Findings date back to between fifth and third century BC
The remains are scattered on and around the Strongilovoúni hill portion of the great Thessalian plains, the researchers noted, and have been dated to several different historical periods. Among the objects they found were towers, walls and city gates on both the summit and the slopes.
“We found a town square and a street grid that indicate that we are dealing with quite a large city. The area inside the city wall measures over 40 hectares,” Rönnlund said. “We also found ancient pottery and coins that can help to date the city. 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.”
Little is visible on the surface of the ground, they added, and rather than attempting to excavate the site, they hope to use non-invasive techniques such as ground-penetrating radar to examine what lies beneath the surface. The goal is to leave the site in the same condition it was when they first arrive and conducted their first round of field work in early September.
The study, known officially as the Vlochós Archaeological Project or VLAP, is a collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Karditsa and the Swedish Institute at Athens and involved archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg and the UK’s University of Bournemouth. The research team plans to return to the site in 2017 for further study, LiveScience noted.
“Very little is known about ancient cities in the region, and many researchers have previously believed that western Thessaly was somewhat of a backwater during Antiquity,” Rönnlund said. “Our project therefore fills an important gap in the knowledge about the area and shows that a lot remains to be discovered in the Greek soil.”
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Image credit: SIA/EFAK/YPPOA
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