Update -Tomb found in ancient Greek city Amphipolis - What lies beyond

[Aurelia]

Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a vast tomb that they believe is connected with the reign of the warrior-king Alexander the Great, who conquered vast areas of the ancient world between Greece and India.

 

The tomb, dating to around 300 BC, and which may have held the body of one of Alexander’s generals or a member of his family, was found beneath a huge burial mound near the ancient site of Amphipolis in northern Greece.

 

Antonis Samaras, Greece’s prime minister, visited the dig Tuesday and described the discovery as “clearly extremely significant.”

 

Article continues here

[Viggen]

...a very cool insight from PHDiva who is following this dig for a  while, lots of photos and a video

http://phdiva.blogspot.ca/2014/08/lets-talk-about-amphipolis.html

[Aurelia]

Haha, PhDiva, very original name!

[Viggen]

update from the Diva, (she is really impressive)

 

I don't know who was buried in the tomb at Amphipolis but it was not Alexander - every single source in Antiquity says so. And no the theory that his body was taken to Venice instead of St Mark's is unlikely. And even if tonnes of gold is ever found in the tomb, I very much doubt it would be sold off to pay off the national debt - the items found will be housed in a museum for all to see and appreciate.

Now to get to the bottom of the matter ... the round wall which surrounded the tomb and supported the mound above it. We tend to take round buildings for granted these days, but when I was studying as an undergrad there were only a dozen round Greek buildings known (to date myself a bit, the last discovered of that dozen was the Ptolemaion at Limyra, which someone is now arguing is not in fact round ...).

Round buildings are very rare, and perfect circles really only begin with Deinocrates, hence his association with Amphipolis.

 

 

full article at http://phdiva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/hold-your-alexanders-horses.html

[Aurelia]

Another update on the Macedonian tomb...

 

Sphinxes Emerge From Huge Ancient Greek Tomb

 

Two headless sphinxes emerged from a massive burial site in northern Greece as archaeologists began removing large stones from the tomb’s sealing wall.

The headless, wingless 4.8-foot-high sphinxes each weigh about 1.5 tons and bear traces of red coloring on their feet. They would have been 6.5 feet high with their heads, the Greek Culture Ministry said in a statement.

The statues are believed to have been placed there to guard the burial, which is the largest tomb ever uncovered in Greece.

 

More at News Discovery

[Viggen]

What lies beyond the third chamber? Archaeologists move further inside Alexander the Great era tomb - but will it collapse?

 

• The tomb is situated in the Amphipolis region of Serres in Greece
• Its huge burial site is said to date back between 325 and 300 BC
• This means it could have been built during the reign of Alexander the Great
• Archaeologists have now entered the third chamber of the tomb
• However, it is structurally weak and could collapse if they enter further
• It is unknown if anything lies beyond the third chamber
• Two sculpted female figures, known as Caryatids, were found last week
• It is thought they were intended to guard one of the tomb's entrances
• Experts hope it holds the remains of a senior ancient official

...more at the Mail Online

[Viggen]

13 Alexander-Era Figures Who May Be Buried in the Amphipolis Tomb

 

While evidence shows that archaeologists are one step away from uncovering the “big secret” of Amphipolis, Greece,  people are speculating on who is buried under Casta hill. Archaeologists and other world experts have supported different theories on who is the important ‘tenant’ of the Casta Hill, and we present them to you below:

 

...full article at the Greek Reporter

 

p.s. what baffles me is that there is really no historical mentioning of such an enormous building?

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

It's not as surprising as you might think : we have no ancient text about the ancient etruscan necropolis, nor about many large buildings or cities that awe us when we visit their remains. For example I don't think we have anything on the three republican temples of the Largo Argentina, in the middle of Rome. This tomb, here, was mostly a big mound of earth for the ancient and mostly a curiosity for the inhabitants of Amphipolis, with the lion at it's top, but many might not have known it was a tomb. 

[Viggen]

thanks Bryaxis,

 

Here a site dedicated to the great Tomb in Amphipolis

http://www.theamphipolistomb.com/

 

lots of images

[Viggen]

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis?

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/09/24/is-the-mother-of-alexander-the-great-in-the-tomb-at-amphipolis-part-2/

[Viggen]

Amphipolis – The 3rd chamber’s depth is unfathomable

 

Geologists are using a hand drill to manually work their way through the sandy backfill of the third chamber while archaeologists can but second-guess its depth. Archaeologists are trying to reach the interior of the ancient tomb of Amphipolis and are hoping to unlock the puzzle of the fourth chamber. So far, they have managed to proceed down 23 meters of the tomb’s burial path and have reached the third chamber. Another 50 meters of excavation work may be required before they manage to reach the center of the tomb and they may even find that the path could divide to another portion that would take them deeper underground and into the tomb’s secrets.  The depth of the third chamber is still unfathomable and geologists are trying to calculate this by using a hand drill that allows them to dig their way through the volumes of sandy backfill. The range of the instrument they are using is 7 meters, however the floor may be much lower...

 

via Protothema

[Aurelia]

German Auction House Sells Macedonian Coins Allegedly from Amphipolis (source: Greek Reporter)

 

In light of this summer’s excavation of a monumental tomb at Amphipolis in northern Greece, a recent auction of ancient Macedonian coins by the German house Gorny and Μosch has raised eyebrows in the art world. The 15 ancient coins, dating from the era of Alexander the Great and his father Philip II of Macedon, are all said to derive from the area immediately surrounding Amphipolis, Greece.

 

The coins are set to be auctioned in Munich in October. The estimated asking price is 500 euros, though they could sell for as high as 2,500 euros, or perhaps even more.

 

Greek journalist and folklore writer Giorgos Lekakis says that the coins depict ancient Greek gods and heroes. Highlight of the collection include:

 

- A tetradrachm from 356-355 BC. On the front side it depicts Zeus wearing a laurel wreath and on the back side it bears the name of “PHILIP” and a horseman waving.

- A tetradrachm from 355-349/8 BC that also depicts the head of Zeus with a laurel wreath. On the back side it shows a man riding a Pegasus, a branch of laurel or palm and a cancer (crab).

- A tetradrachm from 336-323 BC. On the front there is the head of Hercules and a lion’s head and on the back side it reads “KING ALEXANDER” and depicts Zeus.

- A stater from 330-320 BC. On the front it depicts the head of Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet. On the back there is the name “ALEXANDER,” a lightning bolt, a bow and a club.

 

[Viggen]

A beautiful mosaic floor has  been uncovered

 

The gradual removal of part of the soil filling the second room, behind the Caryatids, continued until the surface of the floor was revealed at a depth of 6 m. the dome. This revealed part of a mosaic floor, which covers the entire surface of floor,  ie 4.5 m wide by 3 m long. The mosaic is made ​​of small pebbles, white, black, greyish, blue, red and yellow. The main scene depicts a chariot in motion, drawn by two white horses, with a bearded man with a laurel wreath on his head. In front of the chariot is the god Hermes as psychopompos.

 

via PHDiva

[Viggen]

...more on the mosaics...

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2797052/alexander-great-era-tomb-s-chariot-hell-latest-images-mystery-mosaic-shows-persephone-driven-hell.html

[Viggen]

Archaeologists find underground vault at Amphipolis tomb

 

Archaeologists digging at a tomb dating to the era of Alexander the Great in ancient Amphipolis in northern Greece have unearthed an underground vault, the country's Culture Ministry said Friday.

 

...via Ekathimerini