4,000-year-old Minoan stone monument discovered in Greece's Crete during airport excavation

On the Greek island of Crete, archaeologists have made a remarkable find: a 4,000-year-old ring-shaped stone monument. Located on Papoura Hill, this 1,800-square-metre structure as per estimates belongs to the Bronze Age period. It was discovered during excavation for a big airport project. 

The monument is thought to have served a ritual or religious function and was built using eight concentric rings of stone, each 1.4 metres thick. Some of them still stand at a height of 1.7 metres. 

The architects of this ancient structure, as per Science Alert, were from the Minoan culture that built the peak sanctuaries — hill and mountaintop sites believed to have been used in ancient rituals. 

Although the purpose of the circular structure is a mystery, the researchers speculate that it was used for ritual ceremonies.

In an announcement, the Greek Culture Ministry said that "it may have been periodically used for possibly ritual ceremonies involving consumption of food, wine, and perhaps offerings," since the site has a large number of animal bones. 

The main period of use for this monument, as per the report, was during the Middle Minoan period (2000 –1700 BCE). 

The Greek Culture Ministry has assured that the site will be protected from modern construction so that it can continue to allow further archaeological research and preservation of this remarkable find.

"This is a unique find of great interest. There are solutions, so that the archaeological research of the monument is completed, and it is completely protected," said archaeologist Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture.

"The priority of all of us is the protection of the monument… We all understand the importance and value of cultural heritage."