HUGE And UNIQUE MINOAN Structure Found On CRETE

In this week's ancient history news I lead with the discovery of a huge, circular Bronze Age structure on Crete. Although there's evidence it was built by the Minoan civilisation, nothing similar has been found and its not clear what its function was. I also discuss a DNA study that's been carried out on individuals from a Neolithic grave and pinpoints an important time in European prehistory, as well as the latest discoveries from a Bronze Age site in Wales.
#ancienthistory #bronzeage #minoan
✨ IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
00:53 Unusual Bronze Age circular building excavated on Crete
03:33 DNA from a Neolithic burial identifies an important time in European prehistory
06:32 Ongoing excavations reveal more Bronze Age finds at a park in Cardiff
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✨ REFERENCES
Paphitis, N. (2024). ‘4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists. It could spell trouble for new airport,’ Livescience, 11 June. phys.org/news/2024-06-year-cr...
Curry, A. (2024). ‘Ancient family burial tells story of migration that reshaped Europe,’ Science.org, 19 June. www.science.org/content/artic...
Parasayan, O., Laurelut, C., Bôle, C., Bonnabel, L., Corona, A., Domenech-Jaulneau, C., Paresys, C., Richard, I., Grange, T. and Geigl, E.M., 2024. Late Neolithic collective burial reveals admixture dynamics during the third millennium BCE and the shaping of the European genome. Science Advances, 10(25), p.eadl2468.
Morris, S. (2024). ‘‘Prehistory under our football pitches’: bronze age finds excavated from Cardiff sports field,’ The Guardian, 25 June. www.theguardian.com/science/a...
✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
CC-BY-NC 4.0 DEED creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Diagrams related to the DNA study, credit: Parasayan, O., et al., in the paper referenced above.
CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Knossos, credit: Bernard Gagnon
Other
Images of Minoan structure, credit: Ministry of Culture, Greece
Neolithic burial in France, credit: INRAP
Images of site in Cardiff, credit: Vivian Thomas
Public domain
Layout of the Minoan building

[@vickilindberg6336]

My heart goes out to modern builders in places like Greece. Seems like they rarely have St get to build anything without complications Great discovery.

[@doncook2054]

maybe they should get a less destructive job...

[@cosimo7770]

Congratulations. You have the most clearly spoken narration of any YT video, despite a fairly fast tempo, and an appealing authoritative voice, yet without irritating distracting hand or body movements, or dumming down. And without any background 'music' or sound effects with which to insult the audience. Unique.

[@grantschiff7544]

She's the best in archeology narration.

[@laurence7181]

I hope we hear more about the Minoan structure as new information is uncovered. Very interesting.

[@DorchesterMom]

I like the lace blouse, very pretty ❤ Thanks for the new updates.

[@davidbamford4721]

I think that all of the discoveries are important, although the Minoan one is particularly spectacular.

[@watcherspirit2351]

Thank you for being a human. Your report was fascinating.

[@LeeGee]

Agreed - far too many low-effort AI videos around

[@davidcreager1945]

Thanks for another facinating update ! It's always amazing that so much survived and was not pillferd for building materials by later people. The minoan structure ( i think ) could have been a meeting place , for feasting on festival days . I wish Archeology people in the U. S . Would involve the local community more .

[@aidanmacdougall9250]

The minoan structure looks like it was a fort to me. Nice to hear about the community archaeology in Britain as well, it's so important 👍😊

[@Stefon02554]

it does look that way with the layered walls but the Minoans never built any walls or defensive structures.

[@charlesjurgus]

Lewis Mumford... in, The City in History... theorizes... the merging of hunter gatherer and horticulturist (paleo and neo-lithic) societies and therefore psychologies began to work upon one another as these differing cultures began to complement eachothers quest for survival. The neoliths being vulnerable--with their need for proximity to the river--coupled w/ their space-age tech of storing the most valuable commodity of the time... food... as prize. Making the neoliths spectacular prey for displaced or desperate communities. This... playing on the martial prowess of the paleolith... catapulted that more primitive psychology into a position of prominence within the neolith society. Injecting the culture wirh a heavy dose of the paleolithic psyches paranoia. To the extent that you would see grain storage.. temples(?) ...with walls overbuilt to the point of absurdity as, among other things, indication of this paranoia.

[@malcolmrickarby2313]

@@Stefon02554maybe never no longer applies.🤷‍♂️

[@LeeGee]

@@Stefon02554 They can't have found a fort because they have never found a fort?

[@dominicmcauley9318]

This should be good Minoan culture very interesting but still a bit mysterious.

[@gregorynixon2945]

It's very early.

[@nicholasgloc8555]

I would have thought Google maps would have spotted this structure years ago.

[@malcolmrickarby2313]

The local people must have been aware of it. They called the place Castella hilltop.😊

[@gabrieltreewolf4618]

Thank you for a bit of knowledge without a ending. History under thousand of years of ground ! The landscape picture tells a story for sure!

[@karphin1]

I think it’s likely that the invading Steppe males, “gathered up” Neolithic farmer women, and they may not initially been willing wives! However after some generations, they had melded and it was accepted.

[@newman653]

The ancients were far more intelligent than we give them credit for !

[@walterdewald267]

...which implies that we are the stupid ones. That's why we fall for the parasites trap called "democracy". Vote in and out the same group of people who all do the same things to us forever. They laugh, we suffer - and are kept stupid.

[@williamskris6335]

TY and God Bless!!! Fascinating discoveries!

[@madderhat5852]

Bloody Minoans spoiling the spot of a lovely radar station. I shall write to my councillor about these Johnny's come early.

[@MegalithHunter]

😂😂😂

[@maxximusbm]

Thank you for another intriguing report! It is too early to ascertain but some already suggested the structure on top of the hill overlooking the Castelli airport may have been an astronomical observatory or perhaps a temple dedicated to Zeus. Either suggestion seems plausible. It would not be unlikely if this were an observatory since similar structures has been uncovered in the Mediterranean. And it would not be impossible if it were at one time a temple of Zeus, considering this is the mountain range that in the genealogy of Gods of the Greek Mythology, where the infant Zeus was raised and protected.

[@TT3TT3]

I wonder if it could have been an ancient" fridge"- like the Yakhchals in Persia.

[@conniead5206]

That site in France is likely about 2,000 years after the Steppe people rode into Northeastern Europe. Part of why genetic researchers think they initially eliminated all the local males is because of a seeming complete absence in the region of the male genetic markers of the first Homo Sapiens hunter gathers and the male farmers from Anatolia. They were not aware of link between the first two until they did DNA testing on male skeletal remains that predate that invasion.

[@alexisleon23]

Thank you for the information. Great 👍 film ! Greetings from Greece 🇬🇷.

[@jpopelish]

Please include location coordinates in the description or a marker on a map for locations being discussed. Thank you.

[@PhilippeDevienne-eh9tx]

Thanks for the latest news. Lovely blouse.

[@barrywalser2384]

Always great information! I want to know more about the furnace. I wouldn’t have recognized what it was. The pattern of the Minoan foundation really intrigues me as well. What was the function? I sometimes think ancient people were just being artistic and made things that weren’t necessarily functional, just fun. Or they were intentionally having us on. 😂 Thanks Laura!

[@vulpesvulpes5177]

Well Barry. The significance of a furnace is obvious. Metals like bronze were a game changer. Much like a cell phone is today. And if you’re a materialist then you’d want to “take it with you”. As many cultures did in the day. I doubt I’ll be buried with my cell phone, however. As to the rest what you see is what you get. Let’s chat it up in the “cuckoo”……got to work on that name. Fox out.

[@barrywalser2384]

@@vulpesvulpes5177 The Bronze Age furnace is a nice, little slice in time. ⚱️ Ok, I’ll see you in, soon to be renamed, Cuckoo. 😂

[@vintagelady1]

I enjoy these Archeology Newsbits & I appreciate that you include links to more complete information. I've subscribed so I can keep up with what's happening in Archeology these days. As for the Minoan structure---that's a puzzler, sounds like a barbecue restaurant maybe? Just joking, very mysterious.

[@MegalithHunter]

Thanks for the sub! Haha maybe it was just the local take away 😂

[@paoloviti6156]

What an interesting discovery! Possibly an astronomical structure or a temple but I'm only guessing but it saddened me why the heck they have to build a radar tower on top! Ridiculous.... Thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@greenspiritarts]

The radar facility is being built in another location since the discovery of this structure. In most of Europe and the UK, when a modern road, building etc are green-lit, they first send in the archaeologists to see if there is any buried history on the site. Usually they get to excavate, remove artifacts and document the site then the modern building can take place. Sometimes, like here, the site is too important to use for modern purposes so the archaeology is saved in situ.

[@paoloviti6156]

@@greenspiritarts thanks for the info, it would have been been absurd to build the radar tower on top...

[@KevDaly]

Steppe immigrants having children by local Neolithic women is not evidence of peaceful coexistence. That reads as wishful thinking. If there were significant numbers of people of mixed steppe and neolithic ancestry whose male ancestry was from the local neolithic population (especially if it remained constant over multiple generations), THAT might suggest peaceful coexistence.

[@leunisvandewege9651]

My words. Than you.

[@Thomas-zz4ut]

Yep. Came here to say this. Steppe cultures expelled their excess young men who then raided and took over elsewhere.

[@gerardvila4685]

That's my take as well. I don't see anything in this find that disproves the idea of the steppe guys killing all the local guys and marrying the women (who weren't consulted as to whether they liked the idea).

[@leunisvandewege9651]

@@gerardvila4685 Castration is also an option.

[@davidbamford4721]

The question which arises in my mind was ‘did the women bear the children voluntarily’? I believe that in those early times men satisfied their feelings without considering the feelings of the women.

[@DrakeN-ow1im]

Why do you beleve that? Has your Judeochristian upbringing completely cancelled any concept of matriarchal society in your mind? In the 1950s I grew up in a part of Wales where the Grandmothers dominated social affairs and no man dared attempt to dominate his wife. The Wesleyian Methodists had not been completely successful at destroying ancient culture in such isolated pockets of the country. Perhaps facts, in lieu of belief, might serve you better.

[@barrybarlowe5640]

Daedelus' observatory. The legend may have sprung up of him observing the stars, interpreted as an attempt to leave Crete.

[@MegalithHunter]

Interesting idea.

[@cynicalb]

Thank you fascinating as always..it will be interesting to see what else is unearthed in Crete& everywhere!

[@davepowell7168]

Cogent and concise narrative .thanks

[@DorchesterMom]

A circle within a circle. How interesting! Outer and inner sanctum for offerings perhaps? Why the stalls/rooms? Food storage? Merchants? Sleeping areas for the priests? Super interesting that it was a roundhouse.

[@aleksandarnikolic2743]

Minoan building could be food stock.

[@storkythepunk]

There wasn't a Minotaur skeleton in the centre by any chance?

[@MegalithHunter]

lol apparently not

[@emadSciFi]

I think I know what the circular structure is! It's a henge, like stonehenge, a communal gathering ground where farmers and cultivators get together for the king or tribal chieftain to divide the food produce equally among all so no one goes hungry!!

[@grantschiff7544]

This channel is best in class

[@davepowell7168]

Chatbot rhetoric or someone owes Ms Megalith an apple ..

[@Demane69]

Let's put AI to actual good use and crack that Linear A!

[@noahschij]

Would like to hear @thelandofchem weigh in on Papoura Hill for non-rituals purposes. Instead, might be related to chemical processing as is his theory for similar structures

[@charlesjurgus]

~@6:07 I don't understand how this is necessarily proof of peaceful integration... isn't it possible that the women were acquired after killing off the men? After all, there is a non-indigenous male occupying what must've been a wealthy tomb/property... right? At least materially the place seems well provisioned. Why isn't this possibly the aftermath of a seizing of the land?

[@karphin1]

My thoughts exactly!

[@MegalithHunter]

Yeah I don’t know. This is just what I read in the paper. I can’t quite see the correlation either.

[@bluebird3281]

It sounds more like a warrior elite, his family and "wives/concubines" rather than "unrelated female community members". His mother was indigenous, so the land had been occupied for at least one generation. Seems a lot more like conquest than peaceful coexistence.

[@bethbartlett5692]

Love the Jazz.

[@RalphEllis]

Same as the one on the Golan Heights. R

[@reverseuniverse2559]

Iv heard of ancient societies with women out numbering men with a ridiculous percentage like 15/1 then the women gang up like wicked witches and these men must not just be sex slavers but also tortured by these women through life. Really enjoyed this story especially with a clean and clear explanation cheers 😎

[@clifforddaniels1317]

On Crete. I bet it served a ritual purpose and may have been one of the worlds first temples 😂

[@ANTHONYBOOTH]

when is someone going to take a look at the sea bed between the south coast of Crete and Gavdos? ...a strip of sea bed with large heaps arranged east to west, - if that's not something once made by beings then the earthquake / seaquake Gods are very very neat and tidy with their rock slides...

[@craigsurette3438]

Has anyone compared this new circular structure with the Nurage towers in the Western Mediterranean ?

[@southface6684]

Circular buildings is for religious purpose an ancient temple

[@MrGaborseres]

👍 💗

[@Amenogoogle]

❤

[@moranmike36]

👍

[@johndoggett808]

"Internally there are two zones": "Zone B", and "Zone B"?

[@jaycorwin1625]

The circular structure looks like a labyrinth. It reminds me of the minotaur myth.

[@vixtex]

Europe and North America are experiencing a major cultural population shift once more.

[@gregoryrollins59]

It reminds me of the antikythera mechanism. I know it's not the same thing. It just looks like it. Peace and Ahev

[@lechatel]

If archeologists and 'experts' don't know what something is, then it is ALWAYS 'ritual use'.😏

[@paulbennett772]

I follow all your vids, but since I'm over 70 I haven't got much time left. Can you PLEASE, at some time in the near future, collate all info relating to the deciphering of Linear A. Our best hope of doing so, Michael Ventris, died too young. What progress has since been made? Is there the prospect of a decipherment while I'm able to appreciate it?

[@LuisAldamiz]

Bell Beaker = not Indoeuropean (at least not in principle), so no wonder you see Indoeuropean Patriarchy challenged in that Vasconic scatter, which established what I call "the peace of a thousand years", only broken by the Celti-Italic (Urnfields) expansion at the end of the Bronze Age. Indoeuropeans did not "migrate westwards during the Neolithic" but at rather late dates in the CHALCOLITHIC, Chalcolithic, Chalcolithic!!!

[@bluebird3281]

"Bell Beaker = not Indo-European (at least not in principle)" I thought they were descended from the same western steppe herders as everyone else considered Indo European, not arguing just asking for clarification. I am one those rare people that watches these channels that doesn't already know everything about the subject. What is the principle you're talking about? Is it something akin to Indo-European wasn't quite a language yet?

[@CROM-on1bz]

There are countries like that where you can't dig a hole to plant your leeks without discovering millennia of history.😏

[@floydriebe4755]

hey, Laura! sorry i missed this😭 wi-fi went down then the power....had a real lovely day😡 anyhoo, great video, hon! all very interesting.....kudos to them for finding another site for the radar....this is way too important to lose👍🤩 the "peaceful" integration is, perhaps, a misnomer, to say the least....i like to think it could be possible, but, probable is another subject, altogether!! knowing how human men are, i have to say i sincerely doubt it...not then...probably not now, either🦍😅 so, kiddo, have a great visit with Klee! enjoy the sunshine and then....get back to work!!!😅 see ya onna flip side🙃

[@MegalithHunter]

We’ve had power and WiFi issues lately a lot. I know how you feel. Except here, when the a/c goes off it’s awful. Already have a little bbq planned for Klee and some beach time. Also a war museum for something different to usual. I am astounded this Minoan building wasn’t on the radar but then was discovered while planning a radar 😂😅

[@floydriebe4755]

@@MegalithHunter aye, Laura! now i'm over the fit, it IS rather funny, eh😂 the radar, i mean....not the outages😡 i'm still ticked on that score! not hot enough yet, here.... don't need a/c but, i had planned to make a fritata for dinner....had to have a cold sandwich instead👎 at least it wasn't freezing....dang! can't get away from the darned ole silver lining😏 adios, for now...hope your week is great👍🤩

[@MegalithHunter]

Thanks Floyd!

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

Jazz as musical ado: not a good idea !

[@michaelholt7994]

Dont tell the bloggers African diaspora, they reckon saharan Africans but ancient Greece.

[@hughmaseko9780]

So...rather lie about history correct? Even when there is clear evidence through all the artwork.

[@michaelholt7994]

@@hughmaseko9780 Dont know what your saying.

[@dammitdan106]

Your historical writing is good. Elocution suffers from overuse of rise and fall pitch or sing song and vocal fry. Way too little dwell time on the ruin image description with graphical emphasis pointing to elements of the narrative. You are an attractive woman, but the subject is a Minoan structure in Crete. It is not the narrator at her desk, forced onto the viewer with repeated, superfluous cut ins.

[@scottbarham8455]

utter BS dont fall for it