A team of archaeologists thinks it has uncovered the remains of an ancient city in North Macedonia, which was home to the ancestors of Alexander the Great. The site of what was once Lyncus, the capital of the Kingdom of Lyncestis, which was conquered by King Philip II of Macedon in 358 BC, was first discovered back in 1966, but researchers initially believed it to be a military outpost against Roman attacks. It wasn't until 2023 that specialists began surveys at the spot, near the village of Crnobuki, revealing an acropolis of over seven acres as well as a number of artefacts including pottery, coins and even a clay theatre ticket - some of which appeared to outdate the Roman period.

Their attention was particularly piqued by a coin that had been minted between 325 and 323 BC - meaning it was in circulation during the lifetime of Alexander the Great, the ambitious military conqueror of the 4th century BC. A new team of researchers from North Macedonia's Institute and Museum-Bitola and California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt has now returned to the site on a fresh dig, and is uncovering a much larger and older settlement than anyone had previously suspected.

Engin Nasuh, curator-advisor archeologist at the National Institute and Museum-Bitola, said the elusive city of Lyncus could offer a revealing glimpse into Macedonian civilisation before Alexander the Great.

"We're only beginning to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this period," he added.

Archaeologists now believe that the city was first occupied by humans in the Bronze Age, between 3,300-1,200 BC - meaning discoveries at the site could also shed light on ancient western civilisation.

"It is a civilisation that played a major role in today's understanding of the world and the desire to connect different civilisations and cultures," Mr Nasuh said.

"This discovery is significant," Nick Angeloff, archaeologist and Anthropology professor at California Poly Humboldt, said.

"It highlights the complex networks and power structures of ancient Macedonia, especially given the city's location along trade routes to Constantinople.

"It's even possible that historical figures like Octavian and Agrippa passed through the area on their way to confront Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium."

Historians also think the city could be the birthplace of Queen Eurydice I, the grandmother of Alexander the Great who played a crucial role in shaping the region's political landscape.

"All these studies are just a small part of the research of early European civilisations," Mr Nasuh added. "I see it as a large mosaic, and our studies are just a few pebbles in that mosaic. With each subsequent study, a new pebble is placed, until one day we get the entire picture."