Archaeologists excavating an enormous ancient burial mound in Cyprus have uncovered an even older structure hidden beneath it: a rampart, or part of a defensive wall, according to a statement from the Department of Antiquities Cyprus.
With the"unexpected discovery" of the broken rampart under the"lasting mega-monument," it's apparent that"Laona combines two monuments that are so far unique in the archaeology of Cyprus," the Department of Antiquities Cyprus wrote in a statement posted Aug. 13 on Facebook.The tumulus is located 0.6 miles northeast of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, an ancient site dating to the 12th century B.C.
The finding is part of a larger project whose"main goal is the identification of the urban structure of the capital centre of the ancient polity of Paphos," Papantoniou told Live Science in an email.