Biggest tomb in Ancient Greek history guarded by two headless sphinx – and legend says it’s grave of Alexander the Great
SCIENTISTS have discovered the biggest burial site in Greek history that dates back to the fourth century BC and is guarded by two headless sphinx.
Considered to be one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 21st century, the ancient Amphipolis tomb was unearthed by a group of experts in 2014.
And the stunning archaeological discovery of the massive tomb sent history fanatics into a frenzy.
The Amphipolis tomb is located in the Kasta mound near the small village of Mesolakia in Eastern Macedonia, Greece.
The structure, which dates back to ancient times, is surrounded by a wall that is 1,600ft in circumference – so mammoth that it dwarfs the burial site of Alexander’s father, Philip II, in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki.
Due to the sheer size of the burial site – and its presumed cost of construction – it was first thought to be the resting place of Alexander the Great.
However, while commenting on the findings of the archaeological site, experts later dismissed such claims, saying that his tomb is in the city of Alexandria in Egypt, according to historical mentions.
At the entrance of the huge burial site stand two headless sphinxes appearing to guard the door.
The head of one of the two sphinxes and parts of the wings were found in the burial chamber with parts of the broken marble door.
Initially, the entry to the structure and all its chambers were sealed with massive blocks of stone – and the interior of the structure was largely filled with sand.
Meanwhile, archaeologists discovered two magnificent sculptures of female figures inside the burial site,
Each of them has one arm outstretched, which experts presume was a sign for intruders to stop them from entering the main tomb.
Experts found the main burial mound to be 70m high – and some 250,000 cube metres of sand were needed to fill it up entirely.
Parts of the wall were removed during the Roman period and single ashlars were found in the base of the Lion of Amphipolis.
The main burial chamber was found to be made of massive stone blocks – and the entire box-shaped is embedded in the floor and paved by ashlars.
Nails from a wooden coffin and decorative elements made of bone and glass were found inside the complex, the Greek Ministry of Culture reports.
Interestingly, the remains of five people have been found inside the tomb.
Experts say that one of the deceased was an old woman who died in her 60s, while the remains of two middle-aged men were also discovered.
Remias of an infant who was cremated at the spot were also found.
Experts believe that the tomb of Amphipolis, which is in excellent condition when compared to other ancient sites found so far, makes it an “unparalleled example” of ancient architecture.
Over the past 10 years, scientists and researchers have been carrying out various studies to find out more information about the ancient grave site.
Extensive work is being done to meticulously restore the monumental site that Greece proudly hosts.
And for history fanatics, the site is set to open to the public by 2028 who will be able to experience the groundbreaking discovery, Greek media reports.
Who was Alexander the Great
Born in 356 BCE at Pella in the ancient Greek kingdom on Macedon, Alexander the Great was the son of Philip II and Olympias.
He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of 20 and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia, Central Asia, parts of South Asia, and Egypt.
By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. The entire area from Greece in the west, north to the Danube, south into Egypt and as far to the east as the Indian Punjab, was linked together in a vast international network of trade and commerce
He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders.
He died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BCE at the age of 32.
it is believed he was buried in the Alexandria city of Egypt.