An ancient town that once may have launched ships to Troy has been discovered in a town in Greece. Archaeologists at the site in Kyparissia, on the western Pelopennese, have unearthed the outlines of buildings and ancient tiling ahead of roadworks, reports Hamara. The discovery will also be a boost for those who have long argued that the picturesque town, once known as Arkadia, supplied ships to Troy in antiquity.
Yet the find is shrouded in controversy:some parts of the ancient town are higher than the depths of a neighbouring swimming pool complex – suggesting its owner knew of the archaeological remains but kept quiet to avoid losing land to the government. The water park has been shut while excavations continue, and its owner could face heavy state sanctions.
Kyparissia is a popular tourist town on the western edge of the Pelopennese containing several ancient Greek, Byzantine, Frankish and Ottoman sites. Though situated over 250km from Greek capital city Athens, home to the Acropolis and Parthenon, the town played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence, and is home to many neo-classical buildings. The Homerian epics of Troy are among Greece’s greatest enduring legends, and were the obsession of German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.