A recent archaeological discovery may rewrite the history of the Greek empire as we know it. Megalopolis, a recently uncovered prehistoric Greek city, reveals new insights into generations of Greek society never before identified.
The discovery of stone tools revealed that the ancient Greek society may have existed for even longer, Greek City Times reported on Friday. Megalopolis is known for its mythical connection and is renowned for many archaeological sites. Some others that lay on the southern Peloponnese peninsula include Mycenae, Olympia, and Pylos.
The discovery of ancient tools from the lower Palaeolithic period was the result of a five-year global project led by experts at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens alongside experts from the Greek Culture Ministry. This discovery revealed that the society living in Megalopolis, the oldest-known archaeological site in the country, existed nearly 700,000 years prior.
The tools found, however, are estimated to be anywhere from 300,000 to 3.3 million years old. Various extinct species like of giant deer, elephants, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, and a macaque monkey were believed to have been hunted, according to evidence on the tools.
The stone tools resemble stone flakes dating back to the stone tool industry of the Lower Paleolithic age. This discovery reveals the oldest hominin presence currently known in the nation and widens the scope of the history of the Greek empire.
What role did these ancient tools play?
The tools were believed to be used for butchering animals, along with processing wood and plant matter. Archaeologists were excited by this discovery in the Megalopolis region, believing it can uncover new details on migration to Europe as well as human evolution overall.
This discovery not only opened up Greek history significantly but depicts the ancient city as a crucial resource in the region, truly defining it as a center of the ancient world.