Once believed to be an ancient military outpost, an archaeological site in North Macedonia may actually be the remains of Lyncus, the lost capital city of the Kingdom of Lyncestis. Settled in the 7th century BCE, Lyncus was once an important hub for the Upper Macedonian Kingdom.
Lyncus is also believed to be the birthplace of Queen Eurydice I, the paternal grandmother of Alexander the Great. Archaeologists say their latest findings will shed new light on the history of Macedonian civilization leading up to Alexander’s historic conquests.
“We’re Only Beginning to Scratch the Surface”
Located near the North Macedonian village of Crnobuki, the archaeological site is known as Gradishte. Excavations have been ongoing at Gradishte for the past 15 years. Experts initially believed it was once a military outpost built to ward off Roman invasion. In 2023, however, a joint archaeological team from Macedonia’s Institute and Museum-Bitola and the California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt discovered new evidence that suggested otherwise.
The team used ground penetrating radar and drone-deployed LiDAR technologies to survey the Gradishte archaeological site, which they now believe was not a military outpost, but the long-lost capital city of Lyncus, which dates back over 3,000 years. “We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this period,” said Engin Nasuh, curator-advisor archaeologist at the National Institute and Museum–Bitola, in a statement.
Ancient Lyncus and Alexander the Great
High-tech imaging of the archaeological site in North Macedonia revealed an ancient acropolis that spans at least seven acres, a theater, and a textile workshop. The team has also unearthed a swath of artifacts—including stone axes, coins, a clay theater ticket, pottery, game pieces, and textile tools. At least one coin discovered at the site was minted between 325 and 323 BCE, during Alexander the Great‘s lifetime. Additionally, analysis of stone axes and ceramic fragments indicates the area was first occupied as early as 5,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age.
According to experts, these findings offer tangible evidence of a bustling Macedonian city that predated the rise of the Roman Empire. “This discovery is significant,” said Nick Angeloff, anthropology professor and archaeologist at Cal Poly Humboldt, in a statement. “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.”
Angeloff also reiterated the possibility that this site was once the capital city of Lyncus, birthplace of Queen Eurydice I, who played a key role in shaping the political landscape of the region. Lyncesis functioned as an independent polity before being conquered by Eurydice’s son and Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedon, in the 4th century BCE.
