The Bronze Age burial site on the Greek island of Crete was found to hold two exceedingly well-preserved skeletons in its chamber.
A farmer who was working in his field on the Greek island of Crete stumbled upon the find of a lifetime after he discovered a spectacular Late Minoan era and Bronze Age burial chamber that was found to contain two exceedingly well-preserved skeletons within it.
According to Forbes, as the farmer was slowly ambling across the field one of his wheels careened into a hole, and he was able to see clearly that there was a burial chamber hidden deep underground beneath this spot. He quickly phoned the archaeological service that deals with discoveries like these, and upon entering the chamber archaeologists determined that the burial site dated from 1400 to 1200 BC.
The Greek Ministry of Culture issued a statement declaring that the Bronze Age burial chamber’s entrance was blocked off by a deep stone wall and that three carved niches were found inside the tomb. In one of these, archaeologists found a coffin which contained a Late Minoan period skeleton, along with a large number of amphorae that had been left beside the remains. The second niche in the Crete burial site was also found to hold another coffin and skeleton, and it was determined that both of these skeletons were males.
After examining the pottery, archaeologists found that the artifacts were extremely well made and of the highest quality, and the assumption was made that the individuals who were buried at the site were most likely very well-to-do Bronze Age males. However, other discoveries dating to this same time period in the Late Minoan era have shown even more elaborate burials, leading to the conclusion that while these individuals may indeed have been considered high-status and wealthy residents, they were probably not considered to be the highest.
When it comes to the exact archaeological chronology of human history, this burial chamber on Crete was found to date to the Late Minoan IIIA-B period in history which is also referred to as the Late Palace Period.
At the very start of this time period, archaeologists note that society would have been very affluent, judging from the burial chambers and art that have been discovered. However, as this period continued, there was a gradual decline in the way of living, and some archaeologists have suggested that environmental catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions may have severely curtailed the once enormous wealth of this Minoan society.
Archaeologists will now be analyzing the two male Bronze Age, Late Minoan period skeletons that were found on Crete to learn more about their origins and lives.
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