Archaeologists
in Greece have found the remains of a skeleton in the inner chamber of a
massive tomb that dates from the time of Alexander the Great.
The discovery of the skeletal remains was
hailed as the most important find to date at the Amphipolis archeological site,
about 65 miles from the northern city of Thessaloniki.
"The tomb in all probability belongs to
a male and a general," said Katerina Peristeri, the chief archaeologist at
the site.
Alexander is believed to have died in 323 BC
in Babylonia, in modern-day Iraq, but his grave has never been found.
"It is probably the monument of a dead
person who became a hero, meaning a mortal who was worshipped by society at
that time," the Greek culture ministry said in a statement.
"The deceased was a prominent person,
since only this could explain the construction of this unique burial
complex."
"It is an extremely expensive
construction, one that no single private citizen could have funded."
Iron and bronze nails were found scattered
around the remains, suggesting the body had been placed in a wooden coffin.
Glass decorations were also found at the grave site.
The sarcophagus was found under the floor of
a cavernous, vaulted structure that is more than 25ft tall. Excavations at the
site, which dates to around the time that Alexander died in the fourth century
BC, began two years ago. The dig captured global attention in August when
archaeologists announced that they had unearthed the tomb, the largest ever
found in Greece.
Its entrance, guarded by two stone
sphinxlike figures, leads to a warren of underground passageways and chambers,
some of them decorated with mosaics that depict the abduction of Persephone,
the daughter of Zeus, by Hades, the god of the underworld.
The discovery of the tomb has excited huge
interest in Greece and provided a source of pride in the country's ancient past
at a time of economic crisis and political uncertainty.
Archaeologists will study the human remains
in an attempt to ascertain more details about the person buried in the tomb. Amphipolis
was founded as an Athenian colony in 437 BC but conquered by Philip II of
Macedon, Alexander's father, in 357 BC.
Born in Pella, the ancient capital of
Macedonia in 356 BC, Alexander was educated by the philosopher Aristotle. When
his father was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander set about consolidating his
hold on Macedonia before embarking on the conquest of the powerful Persian
Empire.
He led his army to victories across Asia
Minor, Syria and Egypt, establishing an empire that eventually stretched from
the Danube to the frontiers of India.
(Πηγή:
telegraph.co.uk)
