Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient palace near Sparta, The Guardian reports. The palace was discovered on the hill of St. Basil, an important archaeological site where excavations has been conducted since 2009.
The 10-room building complex dates back to the Mycenean age. It was said to have been built between the 17th and 16th centuries B.C., the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs announced in a press release Tuesday.
The archaeological find included objects used for devotion, such as an ivory figurine of a male with a young bull and a clay rhyton made in the shape of a bull's head. Other objects like Egyptian scarabs, 20 bronze swords, pottery, gems and animal bones were also found.
The findings all indicate the Mycenaean's "clear position as the elite seat of an urban center with trade connections throughout the ancient world," according to the ministry.
The palace was believed to have been destroyed by fire around 14th century B.C. Ironically, the fire that destroyed the buildings also preserved what archaeologists consider to be the most important find at the site: clay tablets with inscriptions in the Linear B script.
Linear B script is the first recorded Greek language, and the tablets' discovery will provide "new information on the beliefs and language systems of the Mycenaean people," the ministry said.
Excavation on the site is not expected to be completed anytime soon; it may take several years to dig out entirely. The ancient palace sits amid prized olive trees, forcing researchers to dug trenches around the site so they are not destroyed, according to Live Science.
