Archaeologists stunned over 'lost city' linked to Alexander the Great's ancestors
Archaeologists believe they have
unveiled the remnants
of an
ancient metropolis
in North Macedonia, once inhabited by ancestors of the legendary Alexander the Great.
Believed to be Lyncus—the capital of the Kingdom of Lyncestis vanquished by King Philip II, the father of Alexander, in 358 BC—the site near Crnobuki was previously thought to be a Roman
military frontier post
since its discovery in 1966.
It wasn't until recent surveys in 2023
revealed an expansive acropolis
spanning over seven acres and an
assortment of artifacts
, including pottery, coins, and what is believed to be a clay theater ticket, predating the Romans.
Read More
Related Articles
Donald Trump branded 'disgusting' as he honors Pope Francis in 'baffling' way
Read More
Related Articles
Donald Trump branded 'dumbest president' after six-word geography confession
The site was originally thought to be a military outpost
(Image: (Image: Image courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt))
It was the excavation of a coin, minted within Alexander the Great's era between 325 and 323 BC, that particularly sparked curiosity. Now, a new group of experts from North Macedonia's Institute and Museum-Bitola along with
California
State Polytechnic University-Humboldt have launched a thorough excavation, unearthing a settlement both larger and more ancient than previously understood.
Engin Nasuh, curator-advisor archaeologist at the National Institute and Museum-Bitola, expressed that the elusive city of Lyncus could shine light on Macedonian society prior to Alexander's reign. "We're only beginning to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this period," he said, hinting at the vast historical insights just waiting to be uncovered.
Archaeologists have come to believe that the city was first settled by humans in the Bronze Age, between 3,300 and 1,200 BC, suggesting that findings at the site could illuminate aspects of ancient Western civilization.
Archeologists say the city is home to Alexander the Great's ancestors
(Image: (Image: Image courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt))
"It is a civilisation that played a major role in today's understanding of the world and the desire to connect different civilisations and cultures," stated Mr Nasuh.
"This discovery is significant," remarked Nick Angeloff, an archaeologist and Anthropology professor at California Poly Humboldt.
"It highlights the complex networks and power structures of ancient Macedonia, especially given the city's location along trade routes to Constantinople.
"It's even possible that historical figures like Octavian and Agrippa passed through the area on their way to confront Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium."
The city is also suspected to be the birthplace of Queen Eurydice I, Alexander the Great's grandmother, who had a profound impact on the political scene of the region.
"All these studies are just a small part of the research of early European civilisations," Mr Nasuh further commented. "I see it as a large mosaic, and our studies are just a few pebbles in that mosaic. With each subsequent study, a new pebble is placed, until one day we get the entire picture."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Star
27-04-2025
- Irish Daily Star
Archaeologists stunned over 'lost city' linked to Alexander the Great's ancestors
Archaeologists believe they have unveiled the remnants of an ancient metropolis in North Macedonia, once inhabited by ancestors of the legendary Alexander the Great. Believed to be Lyncus—the capital of the Kingdom of Lyncestis vanquished by King Philip II, the father of Alexander, in 358 BC—the site near Crnobuki was previously thought to be a Roman military frontier post since its discovery in 1966. It wasn't until recent surveys in 2023 revealed an expansive acropolis spanning over seven acres and an assortment of artifacts , including pottery, coins, and what is believed to be a clay theater ticket, predating the Romans. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'disgusting' as he honors Pope Francis in 'baffling' way Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'dumbest president' after six-word geography confession The site was originally thought to be a military outpost (Image: (Image: Image courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt)) It was the excavation of a coin, minted within Alexander the Great's era between 325 and 323 BC, that particularly sparked curiosity. Now, a new group of experts from North Macedonia's Institute and Museum-Bitola along with California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt have launched a thorough excavation, unearthing a settlement both larger and more ancient than previously understood. Engin Nasuh, curator-advisor archaeologist at the National Institute and Museum-Bitola, expressed that the elusive city of Lyncus could shine light on Macedonian society prior to Alexander's reign. "We're only beginning to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this period," he said, hinting at the vast historical insights just waiting to be uncovered. Archaeologists have come to believe that the city was first settled by humans in the Bronze Age, between 3,300 and 1,200 BC, suggesting that findings at the site could illuminate aspects of ancient Western civilization. Archeologists say the city is home to Alexander the Great's ancestors (Image: (Image: Image courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt)) "It is a civilisation that played a major role in today's understanding of the world and the desire to connect different civilisations and cultures," stated Mr Nasuh. "This discovery is significant," remarked Nick Angeloff, an archaeologist and Anthropology professor at California Poly Humboldt. "It highlights the complex networks and power structures of ancient Macedonia, especially given the city's location along trade routes to Constantinople. "It's even possible that historical figures like Octavian and Agrippa passed through the area on their way to confront Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium." The city is also suspected to be the birthplace of Queen Eurydice I, Alexander the Great's grandmother, who had a profound impact on the political scene of the region. "All these studies are just a small part of the research of early European civilisations," Mr Nasuh further commented. "I see it as a large mosaic, and our studies are just a few pebbles in that mosaic. With each subsequent study, a new pebble is placed, until one day we get the entire picture."
Times
27-04-2025
- Times
The Bayeux Tapestry's mysteries go well beyond its ‘94th penis'
There are several contentious issues in history that have sparked debate and divided historians over the centuries. The construction of Stonehenge, the abandonment of the Mary Celeste, the fall of the Roman empire. Now another mystery has been thrown up: are there 93 or 94 phalluses embroidered into the Bayeux Tapestry? The design on the original 70m-long, 50cm-tall linen cloth recounts the Norman conquest of England in 1066 including the Battle of Hastings. The action is told through a series of tableaux in the centre of the tapestry. On the borders above and below are curious scenes which include nudity, mythological figures, animals and possibly events from Aesop's Fables. It may be almost 1,000 years old but among historians, the cloth, its contents and the
Times
23-04-2025
- Times
How an Englishwoman is saving 100-year-old French vines
When is it good to be old? We humans, generally, are in no rush: wisdom doesn't seem to have quite the currency it once did, while wrinkles are valued exactly as they always were. We should take our cue from wine, which is traditionally considered to improve with age — at least, fine wine is. This was true even in Roman times. Their finest wine, Falernian, from the fabled vintage of 121BC, was considered so good that it was still being drunk with enthusiasm 75 years later and with rather less gusto a century after that. Still, it was kept because it was so good and considered so good in part because it aged well. What is odd, given how much drinkers care about ageable wine, is how little we talk about vine age. A vine needs at least three years to produce grapes that can be turned into wine; after that vines, like people, generally improve as they mature. If planted in the right soils and looked after but not cossetted, vines that escape disease or disaster can age a long time — there are vines on Santorini believed to be more than 200 years old. Really old vines yield very few but very high-quality grapes, and the resulting wine will often have a subtle extra layer of flavour and texture. The trouble is that these precious vines have often been replaced by more productive youngsters. 'They are very high maintenance,' says Katie Jones, an Englishwoman who founded Domaine Jones in the Languedoc in 2008. 'The cost of taking care of them can be astronomical.' She has vines dating back to 1905, the rows planted a horse-width apart — which is too narrow for a tractor, so everything must be done by hand. She can understand why people rip them up — but she is not afraid of small quantities: her output is just 16,000 bottles, only 300 of which are her spicy yet luscious La Perle Rare Grenache Gris. And she thinks the history in these gnarled old vines, and the quality of wine they produce, makes them worth saving. So she has put her best old vines up for adoption. 'They are up on the hill, surrounded by little stone walls, with wonderful views of the Château d'Aguilar' — a 12th-century Cathar castle. It's like adopting a dog, she reasons: 'the prettier they are, the more likely they are to be rescued!'. Vine lovers who join this Old Vine Club win the right to rename their vine, a 10 per cent discount on Jones's lovely wines and, should they drive the 40 minutes from Perpignan, a VIP tasting — 'and I take them out in the 2CV to have a glass of wine beside their vine'. And people do come to visit their vine, up in these wild and beautiful hills that feel a long way from anywhere — as they would have been before the car. 'They really develop an attachment,' says Jones, who relays photos and messages between parent and plant throughout the year. 'They literally go up and start talking to it!' People often name the vines after loved ones, 'so they may have something they want to whisper to it, or sometimes they sing it a song'. There's an invitation to the annual harvest day party for vine owners, where Jones barbecues and members can pick a few grapes and picnic among the old vines. She isn't the only one preoccupied with protecting old vines — from being ripped up and also from having their importance diluted by the cynical use of the term (there is no legal definition). Rosa Kruger, the admired South African viticulturist, has started an Old Vine Project that records the whereabouts of older vines and shields them from modern efficiencies, helping to save an irreplaceable element of the Cape's heritage. There is also an Old Vine Conference that promotes research and shares information. Its Old Vine Hero Awards recognise the people who are doing the most to revitalise, learn from and communicate about old vineyards. The awards were announced at the end of March, with a Bolivian winery, Bodegas y Viñedos Yokich, winning Best Viticulture Team for over 20 years of protecting and promoting the region's ancient vineyards. Jones's project germinated during Covid, when she would film her rambles through the vineyards and was surprised by the level of interest in the life of someone (perhaps especially, someone English) making wine in this wilderness. She has had an illustrated map drawn up and her vine lovers can stroll in the vineyards. She plans an audio guide too, but her ambitions are bigger: she wants to let the vines speak for themselves. 'They do talk, you know: 'I'm so thirsty,' or 'I just had my hair cut' [after she prunes them]. There is massive potential to get them to tell the history of the region.' Quite right too. After all, they are the history of the region. Adopting a vine and joining the Domaine Jones Old Vine Club costs £70 including a welcome pack and visiting privileges, or £320 a year, which also includes 12 bottles of wine.
