A joint team of marine archaeologists has identified a sunken ritual complex off the coast of Paros in the Aegean Sea. Using high-frequency robotic sonar, the team mapped a series of concentric stone foundations and recovered intact marble figurines characteristic of the Late Cycladic period. The site appears to have been an important maritime sanctuary before rising sea levels submerged it around 1500 BCE.
The discovery is unique due to the presence of a monolithic altar still standing in its original orientation, aligned with the summer solstice sunrise. This suggests that the Cycladic civilization possessed advanced astronomical knowledge used to anchor their religious and seafaring activities in the Mediterranean.