Archaeologists have found a unique Macedonian tomb of an aristocrat buried with his wife

The discovery was made during the construction of a sewer network

In the ancient city of Aegea (modern Vergina) in Greece, during the construction of a sewer network, the tomb of a local aristocrat was discovered, buried with his wife.

Aegean or Aegaia was the original capital of Macedonia, an ancient kingdom in Emathia in northern Greece. In ancient times, the city remained the burial place of the royal family after the capital was moved to the city of Pella at the beginning of the 4th century BC, Arkeonews reports.

These and other important results of archaeological excavations carried out during the rescue excavations at the Aegean necropolis last year were presented by Angeliki Kottaridis, Honorary Director of the Department of Antiquities, at the 36th annual archaeological meeting “Archaeological Project in Macedonia and Thrace 2023” in Thessaloniki .

The tomb, dating from the third century BC, was discovered in the area of ​​the burial mounds in the northwestern corner of the necropolis. The entrance to the tomb was discovered, covered with piles of stones. The dimensions of the interior of the tomb are 3.7 x 2.7 meters.

“This is an important tomb because the person buried here, the main deceased, had a shield reinforced with iron parts, and the weapon, preserved in separate parts, shows that it was made in a very good workshop, so it was probably one of hetairoi (elite Macedonian cavalry),” Kottaridi said.

The interior of the tomb is decorated with gold ribbon and bows. The colored plasterwork on the façade discovered by archaeologists dates back to two phases and is attributed to the later burial of his wife here, while a golden myrtle crown has attracted attention among the jewels found in the tomb.

The tomb, excavated by Dimitris Pandermanlis in 1969, is located just 100 meters from this one, and contains two other tombs. According to the archaeologist, this is most likely a group of rich tombs.

In February, the media reported a new discovery by scientists who were able to identify the remains of the father of Alexander the Great. An ancient Greek tomb discovered in 1977 has been confirmed to contain the remains of Philip II. Almost 50 years ago, archaeologists made a stunning discovery while excavating the ancient city of Vergina in northern Greece – they discovered three royal tombs containing the remains of relatives of Alexander the Great, dating back to the 4th century BC. In a new study, experts have now concluded that the skeleton, long identified as belonging to Alexander’s half-brother, is in fact the father of the famous conqueror, and vice versa. At the same time, the resting place of Alexander the Great himself still remains a mystery.

The new study was led by Antonios Barciokas, a professor of anthropology at the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. “The skeletons studied are among the most historically important in Europe,” said Professor Barciokas and his colleagues. “We focus our discussion on the scientific facts and historical evidence that influence the acceptance or rejection of the whereabouts of King Philip II of Macedonia.”

Alexander III, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was the king of Macedonia, a state in northern Ancient Greece, between 336 and 323 BC, and is today considered one of the most successful military leaders and conquerors in history. His father, Philip II of Macedon, ruled the ancient kingdom before him, from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC.