Archaeologists have unearthed a lost Greek city five hours north of Athens dating back a full 2,500 years.

The researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the University of Bournemouth were exploring around the Strongilovoúni hill when they uncovered the site, which spans a full 40 hectares inside buried city walls.

We’ve all been in the same scenario at some point of course – go out on a hike, get up the hills, discover a lost Greek metropolis – but the size of the find makes this story particularly intriguing.

Some of the ruins in question were previously known to exist, but were thought only to be the remains of a minute, insignificant settlement. It wasn’t until the researchers, headed by Robin Rönnlund, explored further that they found it to be what it was – a huge city buried under the ground.