The Recent Discovery of an Ancient Greek Palace’s Ruins near Sparta

Archaeologists in Greece have made the recent discovery of an ancient Greek palace’s ruins near Sparta. The palace dated back to the Mycenaean era, situated in the Peloponnese area, in Southern Greece.

The palatial ruins were discovered at Aghios Vassilios Hill, a 3.5 hectares site. The archaeological excavations took place where the ancient village named Xirokambi currently stands, on the Sparta plain.

The Greek Ministry of Culture reported that the palace was engraved with relevant and remarkable archaic inscriptions. It was probably built in the 17^th-16^th centuries BC, and it was also pointed out that it contained approximately 10 stone-made rooms. Researchers believe it was destroyed in a fire in the 14^th-13^th centuries BC, therefore it was up to experts’ imagination to visualize the palace’s initial appearance.

The Ministry of Culture also explained that the findings would prove to be a remarkable insight into the language system and (religious) beliefs of the Mycenaean populations. Moreover, facts about Mycenaean linguistics and paleography will emerge as well.

At the excavation site, archaeologists discovered various items specific to Greece’s ancient flourishing era. These artifacts include: objects of worship, probably used in those ancient times by people who cherished the Olympian gods, clay figurines, 21 bronze swords, a cup which exhibited a bull’s head, pieces of murals, and scripted tablets.

Beginning with 2009, excavations in the region unveiled inscriptions on tablets that presented religious ceremonies in detail and places and names. Moreover, these items also shed light on even more aspects of Mycenaean culture, as they pointed out to transcripts of commercial transactions, sanctuary offerings and both male and female names. This could only mean that the ancient Mycenaean population was highly organized, but also sophisticated.

These inscriptions encompassed the oldest script from Europe, which made its appearance in Crete in 1375 BC. The script was deciphered in the 1950s. So, even though the palace complex was razed by fire, and some component buildings were crushed, it is fortunate that the tablets, denominated Linear B, were preserved, along with seals of clay.

The culture ministry also pointed out that approximately 150 archaeological excavations were conducted in Greece in 2015, which demonstrated