Archaeology is the science that allows us to better understand the physical records of the cultures of the past. However, sometimes it is really difficult to understand why they built certain structures. They have found some really amazing things, such as grave goods made from gold from space or even swords that looked like replicas. Now, it is the turn of a gigantic structure in Crete, where one of the most interesting civilizations of the Bronze Age lived and which gave rise to myths as interesting as that of the Minotaur. These are mysterious stone circles that are not very clear what they could have been used for.
A surprising and novel discovery
Crete is one of the islands where civilizations had a really relevant activity in the past. It is known for the Minoan culture, famous for its gigantic palaces such as that of Knossos and with a structural capacity beyond doubt. There, circular stone monuments that are more than 4,000 years old have been found on the hill of Papoura and at the moment archaeologists are not very clear about the reasons why these mysterious circular structures were made.
A statement from the Greek Ministry of Culture explained that it was initially considered to have had a ritual or religious use, but it is not entirely clear what the approach with which the ancient inhabitants of this region could have created this circle. As the photograph they have published lacks scale, we do not have an idea of the size, but the structure is about 1,800 square meters and 1.4 meters thick. This makes it a really amazing and large building. Much more than you would expect.
According to current information, it would be about 4,000 years old, being dated between 2,000 and 1,700 BC. This would place it in the middle Minoan period, a time of considerable demographic brilliance on the island, before its final decline due to a series of environmental phenomena. In it have been found
Beyond its purpose, it is a unique structure and no other similar structure is known in the Minoan civilization, so it remains to be seen if a similar pair has not been found or if it is really the only one that would have been built during this time. Be that as it may, remains of pottery have been found that ensure that their use may have lasted until 1,450 BC. In addition, remains of animal bones, consumed food, wine and some sumptuary objects have also been found that lead us to think that the place could be of a ritual type, although it has not been confirmed and it is difficult to know.
These types of findings show that there is still a long way to go when it comes to discovering the workings of the civilizations of the past, as well as the use they gave to these structures that are so little known and unknown to us. The Bronze Age still has many secrets that are unknown to us, in fact, it was recently possible to determine the reason why a civilization began to build forts throughout Eastern Europe.
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