Experts uncover bones of a woman and two men in underground Amphipolis tomb
- 该墓位于塞雷斯在希腊安菲波利区
- Huge burial site is said to date back to between 325 和 300 公元前
- 这意味着它可能亚历山大大帝统治时期已建成
- An underground vault, or fourth chamber was discovered in November
- Bones of an unidentified woman, a newborn baby and two men, as well as fragments of a cremated person, were unearthed in the vault
- Research shows the woman was over 60, while the men were aged 35 自 45
- Olympias died aged 59, Alexander the Great died of a fever at the age of 33
- Height of the skeletons also matches with reports of Alexander’s stature
- One of the men had cut marks in his left chest that were most likely from mortal injuries inflicted by a knife or small sword
Archaeologists may have yet to find conclusive proof of Alexander the Great’s body, but they have turned up the remains of five people in the ancient Amphipolis tomb.
Bones of an unidentified woman, a newborn baby and two men, as well as fragments of a cremated person, were unearthed in an underground vault on the site.
The Greek Culture Ministry said research on the bones showed the buried woman was 60 岁, while the two men were aged 35 自 45 岁.
Alexander the Great was said to be 33 when he died, while his mother Olympias died aged 59 – although the ministry has not said whether the bones belong to either of these dignitaries.
It is expected, 然而, that Alexander and his mother would have been buried in separate tombs – especially given the fact they died seven years apart.
The other male could be the rumoured remains of Alexander’s general, but further tests will need to be carried out.
保罗网站, believed to be the largest ancient tomb to have been discovered in Greece, dates back to Alexander’s era, 周围 300 自 325 公元前.
The ancient conqueror died in Babylonia – in present day Iraq – 在 323 公元前, after a military campaign across the Middle East extending out to present-day Pakistan.
His mother Olympias died in 316 公元前.
Alexander’s exact burial site is not known, but historians place it in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
Speculation that the limestone grave in the Amphipolis tomb site might belong to the legendary leader, 他手下的将领之一, or to family members has been rife since the dig began back in 2012.
But it ramped up last summer after a number of chambers, and later the underground vault, were unearthed.
The Culture Ministry added the woman was approximately 5ft 1in (1.57 metres) 高.
The two men were aged 35 自 45 岁. One of the men (合照) had cut marks in his left chest that were most likely from mortal injuries inflicted by a knife or small sword. The men had an estimated height of 5ft 3in (1.62 metres) to 5ft 7in (1.68 metres), the ministry said
One of the men had cut marks in his left chest that were most likely from mortal injuries inflicted by a knife or small sword, the ministry said. 但是, Alexander was said to have died of a fever.
Both males had an estimated height of 5ft 3in (1.62 metres) to 5ft 7in (1.68 metres).
Armour previously found, which is said to have belonged to either Alexander or his father Philip II of Macedon, reportedly would have fitted a person who measured around 5ft 2in.
But Andrew Stewart, an expert on Alexander art, placed Alexander’s height closer to 5ft 7in.
The few burned bone remains of the fifth interred person, who was cremated, could not reveal the person’s gender and authorities said further testing would be carried out.
The few burned bone remains of the fifth interred person,who was cremated, could not reveal the person’s gender and authorities said further testing would be carried out. Further analysis will also be done on the bones of the woman and two men to determine if they were related. The bones from the newborn are shown
Bones with indicated cut marks were among the remains found in the underground vault. The vault was discovered in November when the culture ministry confirmed an entrance to a subterranean room was found lying beneath the vast burial complex’s third chamber, found in September
Further analysis will also be done on the bones of the woman and two men to determine if they were related.
‘Part of the analysis will look into a possible blood relationship, 但缺少用于古代 DNA 分析的牙齿和颅骨部分可能无法成功识别,’ the ministry said.
Excavations at the site near Greece’s second city of Thessaloniki began in 2012 and captured global attention last August when archaeologists announced the discovery of a vast tomb guarded by two sphinxes and circled by a 1,630ft (497-metre) marble wall.
Since then the tomb has also yielded a colourful floor mosaic depicting the abduction of Persephone, 宙斯的女儿, the supreme deity of ancient Greece, as well as two sculpted female figures known as Caryatids.
Experts have so far uncovered huge statues in the tomb (the exterior is pictured) but are concerned that due to the positioning of some of the finds, it may have been looted
Experts initially warned that the third chamber was probably the tomb’s last, and that it may have been robbed in antiquity with any remains destroyed.
They said the plethora of finds hint that the massive mound was intended for an important woman – possibly the wife or mother of Alexander the Great.
At a press conference at the archaeological Museum of Amphipolis in November, the archaeologists said: ‘The tomb has obviously experienced human intervention, as we can see so far.
Archaeologists also found a female head belonging to a headless sphinx. Because it was found further into the tomb than the mythical creature’s body, it suggests the tomb may have been opened years ago. The head has tumbling curls, (合照) which experts say were once painted a red colour
‘Since the beginning of the announcements, we had said and repeated several times that we have very strong indications of looting.’
‘Under the present evidence, we cannot speak of another room. This monument, as revealed, is extremely important, not just for the area and Macedonia alone, but also for history and archaeology.
‘It also confirms that a lot of time needs to be spent on studying it: it’s possible that the scientific community will be discussing this monument and its significance in the science of history and archaeology for the next 10 或 15 years even.’
Despite the discovery of the other chamber, experts were said to be convinced that important and valuable artefacts laid in the tomb have been removed.
There are even suggestions that British soldiers stationed in Macedonia during World War One, came across the tomb and removed artefacts.
Last year, the Greek Ministry of Culture recently showed off the mosaic measuring 15 脚 (4.5 metres) 由 10 脚 (3 metres) that covers the whole floor of a room.
The female figure in it is Persephone – daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter – who is wearing a white robe and riding in a chariot.
Experts say the scene shows her being abducted by Pluto and being led to the underworld.
She goes on to become queen of Hades for half of every year.
The scene, based on ancient Greek myths, was popular for illustrating tombs at the time and a mural on a similar theme is found in another royal tomb at Aiges, nearby.
The mosaic is composed of tiny pieces of white, black, 蓝色, 红, yellow and grey stone to form an image of a chariot drawn by two white horses, driven by a Pluto – a bearded man wearing a crown of laurel leaves.
It is being protected with layers of Styrofoam and a temporary wooden floor, while archaeologists work on revealing the tantalising contents of the next chambers.
The mosaic dates from the fourth century BC, matching dating of the other finds, which are also from the time of Alexander the Great.
There is widespread speculation over who was buried at the site – from Roxana, 亚历山大的波斯妻子, to Olympias, 国王的母亲, 他手下的将领之一.
许多学者认为,女性形象的存在, 被称为女像柱, show that the tomb belongs to a female.
作家安德鲁·Chugg, 谁一直在寻找传说中的领导者的坟墓出版了一本书, 以及一些学术文章, told 希腊记者 that sphinxes guarding the tomb are decorated in a similar way to those found in the tombs of two queens of Macedon, 其中包括国王的祖母.
The recently-uncovered mosaic shows Persephone being abducted by Pluto (合照), who according to the ancient tale, is taking her to the underworld aboard a chariot
在希腊神话, Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter. The tale in which she is carried off to live in the underworld with Pluto, has inspired many great works of art, such as a statue by Gian Lorenze Bernini (左) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (权利) who chose to depict her with darker hair
他接着解释说,守卫陵墓的狮身人面像最为相似的一对萨卡拉处, 这被认为是亚历山大大帝的陵墓第一的网站 – 其尸体, 它被认为是, 他去世后,搬来搬去.
他还指出,亚历山大大帝的父亲坟墓的外墙, 菲利普二世和亚历山大IV, 类似于狮子纪念碑发现外观, 这被认为有原本站在神秘墓顶上.
除此之外,也存在塞雷斯摊铺和花环和这些相似之处内菲利普二世的发现.
有了这一切, 他认为,盛大的墓葬建于奥林匹亚或者亚历山大大帝的妻子, 罗克, 谁都认为是在安菲波利在公元前4世纪的最后一个季度去世大约在同一时间墓的建设.
Chugg先生认为它是最有可能用于建造奥林匹亚因为caryatid女性形象可能Klodones - 酒神的女祭司.
希腊作家普鲁塔克在约亚历山大大帝传记说,他的母亲相会的女祭司.
在里面, 他写道,菲利普二世梦见他闭上奥林匹亚的子宫与狮子印章, 这或许解释认为狮子雕像已经放置在神秘古坟顶部.
专家认为,古冢, 位于左右 65 英里 (100公里) 从塞萨洛尼基, 在周围建了一个突出的马其顿 300 到325BC.
不只是希腊,但对整个Balkanic半岛, 并描述它作为是“全球利益”.
总理安东尼斯·萨马拉斯加入发现“显然是非常重要的”.
亚历山大 ·, 谁从马其顿希腊北部地区开始建立一个帝国尽量伸展印度, 在死亡 323 公元前. 葬在埃及.
他的同胞皇室成员传统上在埋葬韦尔吉纳附近一处墓地, 到西部, 其中,亚历山大的父亲的华丽装修墓, 腓力二世, 20世纪70年代被发现.
不过,考古学家相信安菲波利严重, 它是由一个令人惊讶的长而精心打造的墙体大理石装饰的包围课程, 可能属于一个古老的高层官员.
佩里斯特里博士认为土堆最初是由这是一个世纪前出土了大量石狮子居首, 现在位于左右 3 英里 (5公里) 从发掘现场.
物探队已经确定有巨大的圆形结构中的三个主要房间.
以往, 狮子一直与米蒂利尼的拉俄墨冬有关, 亚历山大的军事指挥官之一谁国王去世后成为了叙利亚的州长.
由哈佛大学主办了一篇论文,发表 70 几年前暗示,这可能是这样,而且在拉俄墨冬国王的亚洲宣传工作作为一个语言解释器和哨兵, GreekReporter.com said.