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01. [ ENGLISH ] The Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig - The BEST COLLECTION of PODCASTS and YOUTUBE VIDEOS for
01. [ ENGLISH ] The Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig - The BEST COLLECTION of PODCASTS and YOUTUBE VIDEOS for
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Ancient Amphipolis Thrace
Ancient Amphipolis Thrace
Thracian Amphipolis Open Tues-Sun, 9am-3pm, free.
Thracian Amphipolis Open Tues-Sun, 9am-3pm, free.
This ancient city lay near the mouth of the River Strymon and Mount Pangaion (1956meters/6417feet).
This mountain was known to the ancients for its cult of Dionysos (with his followers, the Maenads), as well as for its gold mines and forests.
The city was founded in the 5th century BC and prospered during the 4th century BC under Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. It is mentioned by Thucidydides in his "Peloponnesian Wars".
It was a staging post on the Via Egnatia under the Romans and continued as an important city during Byzantine times. Near the 5th century BC bridge that crosses the Strymon is an enormous marble lion which was reconstructed in 1937 from fragments.
It dates to the Hellenistic period and resembles the lion of Cheronia, though of later date, around the end of the 4th century BC.
There are also significant remaining portions of wall fortifications as well as an early Christian basilica with mosaic floors.
The Archaeological Museum inKavala houses Hellenistic and Roman sculpture from the city, as well as finds from its cemetery, including polychrome glass, gold wreaths and diadems, jewelry, colored busts of goddesses, grave stelai (one of which is painted), figurines and pottery from a workshop not yet found.
There is also a reconstruction of a double funeral chamber from the 3rd Century BC with paintings, with its stele standing next to it; articles from the same tomb, including some of gold, as well as a polished silver mirror in a folding case and a man's ring with the portrait of a youth on it.
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Bible Cities: Amphipolis
Amphipolis was a city of Macedonia located about 30 miles southwest of Philippi. Because the city was on a terraced hill he could easily be seen by land or sea.
Map of Ancient Amphipolis
Amphipolis in Easton's Bible Dictionary city on both sides, a Macedonian city, a great Roman military station, through which Paul and Silas passed on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica, a distance of 33 Roman miles from Philippi (Acts 17:1).
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http://www.bible-history.com/eastons/A/Amphipolis/
Amphipolis in Fausset's Bible Dictionary A Macedonian city, through which Paul and Silas passed, by the Ignatian Way, in journeying from Philippi (33 Roman miles distant) to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). Their not staying there may have been because there were few, if any, Jews in it: and they hastened on to Thessalonica, "where was a synagogue of Jews," affording the suitable starting point for a Christian church. It means the city (almost) surrounded by the river Strymon, three miles from its entrance into the sea. An Athenian colony. Its commercial situation, and the neighboring woods of Kerkine, and gold mines of mount Pangtens, gave it importance; also memorable in the Peloponnesian war for the battle fought at it, in which Brasidas and Cleon were killed. The site is now occupied by the village Neokhorio.
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http://www.bible-history.com/faussets/A/Amphipolis/
Amphipolis in Naves Topical Bible A city of Macedonia Ac 17:1
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http://www.bible-history.com/naves/A/AMPHIPOLIS/
Amphipolis in Smiths Bible Dictionary (a city surrounded by the sea), a city of Macedonia, through which Paul and Silas passed on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica Ac 17:1 It was distant 33 Roman miles from Philippi, to the southwest, and about three miles from the sea. Its site is now occupied by a village called Neokhorio; in Turkish Jeni-Keni, or "New Town."
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http://www.bible-history.com/smiths/A/Amphipolis/
Amphipolis in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE am-fip'-o-lis (Amphipolis): A town in Macedonia, situated on the eastern bank of the Strymon (modern Struma or Karasu) some three miles from its mouth, near the point where it flows out of Lake Prasias or Cercinitis. It lay on a terraced hill, protected on the North, West and South by the river, on the East by a wall (Thuc. iv.102), while its harbor-town of Eion lay on the coast close to the river's mouth. The name is derived either from its being nearly surrounded by the stream or from its being conspicuous on every side, a fact to which Thucydides draws attention (in the place cited). It was at first called Ennea Hodoi, Nine Ways, a name which suggests its importance both strategically and commercially. It guarded the main route from Thrace into Macedonia and later became an important station on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road from Dyrrhachium on the Adriatic to the Hebrus (Maritza), and it was the center of a fertile district producing wine, oil, figs and timber in abundance and enriched by gold and silver mines and considerable manufactures, especially of woolen stuffs. In 497 BC Aristagoras, ex-despot of Miletus, tried to settle there, and a second vain attempt was made in 465- 464 by the Athenians, who succeeded in founding a colony there in 437 under the leadership of Hagnon. The population, however, was too mixed to allow of strong Athenian sympathies, and in 424 the town fell away to the Spartan leader Brasidas and defied all the subsequent attempts of the Athenians to recover it. It passed under the protectorate of Perdiccas and Philip of Macedon, and the latter finally made himself master of it in 358. On the Roman partition of Macedonia after the battle of Pydna (168 BC) Amphipolis was made a free city and capital of Macedonia Prima. Paul and Silas passed through it on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica, but the narrative seems to preclude a long stay (Acts 17:1). The place was called Popolia in the Middle Ages, while in modern times the village of Neochori (Turkish, Yenikeui) marks the site (Leake, Northern Greece, III, 181 ff, Cousinery, Macedoine, I, 100 ff, 122 ff; Heuzey et Daumet, Mission archeol. de Macedoine, 165 ff).
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http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/A/AMPHIPOLIS/
Amphipolis Scripture - Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
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http://www.bible-history.com/kjv/Acts/17/
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Kasta Tomb
Kasta Tomb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kasta Tomb, also known as the Amphipolis Tomb (Greek: Τάφος της Αμφίπολης), is an ancient Macedonian tomb that was discovered inside the Kasta mound (or tumulus) near Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in northern Greece in 2012 and first entered in August 2014.[2] The first excavations at the mound in 1964 led to exposure of the perimeter wall, and further excavations in the 1970s uncovered many other ancient remains.[3]
The recently discovered tomb is dated to the last quarter of the 4th century B.C. The tumulus is the largest ever discovered in Greece and by comparison dwarfs that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, inVergina.[2][4] The excavation team, based on findings unearthed at the site, argued that the tomb was a memorial dedicated to the close friend of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion.[5][6]
Kasta Tomb
Τύμβος Καστά[1]
3D representation of the tomb structure
Contents [hide]
Alternate name
Location
Region
Coordinates
Type
History
It is not yet known who is buried in the tomb, but the initial public speculation that it could be the tomb of Alexander the Great, because of its size and estimated cost of construction, was dismissed by the expert community when commenting on the published findings, as the available historical records mention Alexandria in Egypt as the last known location of Alexander's body; it has been supported instead, that a likely occupant could be either a wealthyMacedonian noble or a late member of the royal family.[2]
The skeletal remains of five people were unearthed within a corresponding tomb, in the lower levels of the third chamber in November 2014. The dead of the burial are: A woman at the age of 60, two men aged 35–45, a newborn infant and a fifth person represented by minimum fragments.[7] Further examination is underway with regard to the dating of the skeletal remains, as well as DNA cross examination between the dead of the burial as well as other skeletons from the neighboring tombs in the area.
At a press conference in the conference hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Katerina Peristeri revealed the existence of three inscriptions apparently linking the tomb to Hephaestion, nobleman, General and close friend of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greek word "ΠΑΡΕΛΑΒΟΝ" (it means "received") is written in the inscriptions and next to it the monogram of Hephaestion.[5][6]
In the 1970s a building of 10m width was found on top of the centre of the mound, and is thought to have been a grave marker. This, together with other evidence, supported the likelihood of a large funerary complex within. The tumulus was also found to have covered earlier cemeteries with at least 70 graves from the nearby "Hill 133" settlement predating Amphipolis.[3]
Founded
Periods
Associated with
Excavation dates
Archaeologists
Public access
Site notes
Late 4th century BC[1]
1964-present[2]
Katerina Peristeri (Κατερίνα Περιστέρη)
Not accessible, excavations still under way
Archaeologists have made a number of important discoveries on the site since August 2014. Apart from the sheer size of the monument, which experts say bears the handprint of Dinocrates of Rhodes, the chief architect of Alexander the Great,[4]archaeologists have so far unearthed:
Two marble sphinxes approximately 2 m (7 ft) tall that guard the main entrance to the tomb [1] (one head and wing fragments later found in third chamber).
A fresco, paint still visible, that mimics an Ionian peristyle, on top of which the sphinxes sit[8][9]
Two female statues of the Caryatid type in the antechamber, which support the entrance to the second compartment of the tomb[10] The height of each Caryatid is 2.27 m (7.4 ft).[11] The Caryatids are on a pedestal 1.40 m (4.6 ft) tall, making the total height of the statues 3.67 m (12.0 ft).[12]
A marble door, typical of Macedonian tomb doors, broken into pieces in front of the doorway to the third chamber[13]
A mosaic—3 m (9.8 ft) wide and 4.5 m (15 ft) long—in the second chamber, which seems to depict Persephone abducted by the god Pluto (Greek: Πλούτων,Ploutōn), ruler of the underworld, wearing a laurel wreath and driving a chariot drawn by horses led by the god Hermes, the conductor of souls to the afterlife.[14][15] The depiction of the abduction of Persephone in the mosaic floor implies links with the cluster of royal tombs in Vergina (Aigai), as a mural representing the same scene decorates one of the tombs where King Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, is buried.[16]
The head of the eastern sphinx in the third and last chamber[17][18]
Fragments of the wings of the sphinxes in the third chamber[19]
An eight square metre vault and a marble door in the third chamber[20]
Seven architraves were found in the 2nd Chamber, and restoration is under development.[21]
The skeletal remains of 5 individuals were found:
a woman over 60 years of age
two adult men, an elder and younger, between 35–45 years of age
a newborn infant
fragments of a cremated adult
The younger male showed signs of unhealed, possibly fatal wounds. Analysis of the skeletal remains is ongoing.[22]
In response to the magnitude of the finds, the authorities of Central Macedonia have requested and were granted a heavy 24-hour police guard of the dig site, and have also begun procedures to have the Kasta Tomb included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites as a "top priority."[23]
In November 2017, the Greek Minister of Culture, Lydia Koniordou, announced that the grave should be accessible to the public in about three years. The financing for the necessary construction project should amount to around 2.8 million euros. 1.5 million euros are to be spent by the Region of Central Macedonia, 1.3 million euros are to be taken from the INTERREG Fund of the European Union. In the course of this measure, building materials of the grave site, which were later used by the Romans elsewhere, will be rebuilt in their original location. The work should begin in 2018 or 2019 and last for around one year.[24]
Kasta tumulus and Amphipolis location map
Excavation at the tomb of Amphipolis
The mosaic of the third chamber, representing the Abduction of Persephone by Pluto(Greek: Πλούτων,Ploutōn)
The Lion of Amphipolis, an 8 meters tall statue dated from the same period. Despite a theory that the lion was originally located on the top of the tomb, this has been dismissed by the excavation team.
The imposing size of the lion in an early picture of a plaster cast used for restoration of the original
Kasta tumulus in Amphipolis, Macedonia. The tomb is also shown in scale. Tomb position is only indicative
Kasta tomb scaled to tumulus
Illustration of Caryatids based on the findings
The head of the excavations, Katerina Peristeri, during the official presentation of the findings.
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Seeking the secrets of Amphipolis
Seeking the secrets of Amphipolis
Aug, 15 2014 Author: newsroom
Ancient Amphipolis stands at the crossroad of archaeology and mystery as international historians and laypeople alike can taste a great discovery about to be revealed
The world is waiting with baited breath for the secrets of ancient Amphipolis to be revealed after centuries by the end of the month. The locals are speculating and archaeologists have strong suspicions but exercise caution and reserve. What do we know so far about the secrets of Amphipolis?
What the archaeologists know…
Catherine Peristeri, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation of the Kasta tumulus, has found that the lion and the sphinxes at the entrance were made of the same material and by the same sculptor. She believes that the person was one of the generals or admirals in the army of Alexander the Great.
The ancient sphinxes unearthed at the ancient site were recently covered in a coat of plastic to protect them from weather conditions and prying eyes. These two carved sphinxes were found after a 4.5-meter-wide road and 13 steps to the tomb, and were placed there to guard the entrance. Now, the archaeologists need to destroy the stone wall constructed to protect the tomb. Once this is done, the roof will possibly collapse, filling the tomb with dirt that will carefully be searched in order to find the grave offerings. Another case scenario would be entering the space to find the tomb has been robbed in which case important discoveries would have been removed.
The best case scenario would be for the roof to not fall in and for all treasures to be intact in which case researchers will be able to identify the person buried here based on bones, gender and other indications. The burial chest and objects connected to the buried person’s life such as jewellery, pottery, weapons etc. would also be in the tomb provided it hasn’t been looted. The site is close to the nearby ancient city of Amphipolis that was once rich due to its gold reserves so the artefacts inside may be magnificent in their splendor.
Scientists doubt that it is the burial mound of Alexander the Great, but believe that a very important figure of antiquity is inside. The excitement of the find is escalating and archaeologists are working regardless of the high temperatures.
In an unprecedented move, authorities have upgraded security with police officers guarding the site 24×7. The excavation has taken two years so far and is under the aegis of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
What the locals know…
The locals of Amphipolis feel vindicated following the visit of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and the spotlight of the media cast upon the ancient site. The quiet area has been abuzz with media and archaeology buffs from around the world all interested in learning the “secret”.
Residents of a village near the site talk about rumors that were passed on by word of mouth of a large hidden treasure in the area and looters would come looking for these and oftentimes smuggling small items.
A farmer from Mesolakia, a nearby village, farms a nearby field all the way to the archaeological limits and says that he saw the statues from afar, estimating that they must weigh more than 1.5 tons each.
“If it’s like they say, (the discovery) will save the whole area, the whole prefecture of Serres, Macedonia and Greece,” the president of the local community Athanasios Zournatzis told the Athens News Agency. A few hundred years ago the area was an area of great commercial activity with the mouth of the Strymon River frequented by kings. The ancient port, according to historians was where Alexander the Great had started his great campaign to conquer Asia.
The area itself…
Ancient Amphipolis is built in the place of a city once known as “Enea Odoi” (Nine Roads). It was established by the Athenians in 437 B.C. to control the resource-rich region and was abandoned in the 8th Century A.D. Human remains in the region date back to as far as 3000 B.C.
Strategically located, the area was fortified. In 480 B.C., Persian King Xerxes buried nine young men and nine maidens alive as sacrifice to the river god. Just a year later, Alexander the Great was triumphant against the army of Xerxes at the battle of Amphipolis.
Athenians tried to colonize the area in the5th century B.C. to have direct access to key raw materials such as gold and silver of Pangaion Hills. The first attempt to colonize the area failed when the colonists were crushed by Thracians who also wanted to control the lucrative gold mines. Athenians returned again in 437 B.C. and founded Amphipolis. Thucidydes states that the city was named thus because the Strymon River flows around it.
During the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans captured the city but after a series of battles, Sparta was bound to return Amphipolis to the Athenians, something that never happened and caused friction.
When Philip of Macedon came to rule he sent a large number of Macedonian citizens to the city to change the composition of the population to his benefit. By the time of Alexander the Great, the seaport was very important and Amphipolis was a strategic naval base and birthplace of three major admirals – Nearcos, Androsthenes and Laomedon (a close friend of Alexander).
When the Romans took over, Amphipolis was separated from Macedonia and was incorporated into the province of Thrace. In ancient years, Amphipolis benefited from the economic boom in Macedonia and there were many beautiful churches built. Invasions by Slavs in the 6th century AD led to its depopulation and decline before it was completely abandoned.
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About the dating of sculptures of Amphipolis – Antonio Corso about Olga Palagia: she supports dogmas and not the data
About the dating of sculptures of Amphipolis – Antonio Corso about Olga Palagia: she supports dogmas and not the data
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις Ιανουάριος 23, 2016 - 8:52 μμ
Dr. Antonio Corso is also progressing in his understanding of the tumulus Kasta’ near Amphipolis and describes how it expresses the transition of the ancient world from the domination of Apollo to the sovereignty of Dionysus, a phenomenon that characterizes the period of the Macedonian rule and particularly that of Alexander the Great !!!
Στα ελληνικά:
Interview by Theodore An. Spaneli
A lot of information about the archaeologist Antonio Corso is not needed, at least by those who monitor the progress of Amphipolis excavation. He has lavished the wealth of his knowledge about several aspects of the tumulus Kasta, through his work with the excavation team as well as through his statements, whether through interviews or posts on social media. He developed a strong expertise on the subject of ancient sculptures (he is also author of several books) which is why I approached him for a comment about the “heretical” views of his colleague Olga Palagia on the dating of the monument. However, the discussion was not limited just to the question of the validity of the views of Mrs. Palagia, but also evolved into a revelation of all the background behind the points of view expressed by the specific archaeologist! A background which is really interesting because it turns out that the views expressed by Mrs. Palagia are not accidental nor are they product of poor evaluation!!!
Nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid discussing the tumulus Kasta’ as well, as Dr. Corso with his exceptional knowledge goes one step further in his interpretation of the symbolic elements of the tumulus and reveals the ideology it embodies and which is closely related to the period when it was built. The views expressed on the identity of the monument are another important element for its proper dating since each era has an ideology that characterizes it and which is reflected in monumental buildings.
– Your colleague, Mrs. Palagia wrote again recently on the issue of Amphipolis in her survey of news about ancient Greek sculpture.
“In that text, she makes a big mistake: she claims that the head attributed to one of the two Sphinxes is not pertinent to that statue. This is a big mistake. I’ve been twice in the tumulus Kasta’ and I saw the head with my own eyes as well as the Sphinxes: it fits one hundred percent with the body of the statue. Second, she argues that the sphinxes were found without wings and this is also not true. As you know, in the presentation of September 30th, 2015, in the Aristotle University, the relevant material for the wings was presented. Let me remind you that several pieces of the wings have been found, so no one can say that there are no wings. Third, she supports another idea which I think is wrong, the claim that the lion was not up the hill when in fact a piece of it was found on the hill of the tumulus. A fourth mistake is found in her statement that each Karyatid held the architrave with one hand. That is also not true.
Here, there is a methodological question. Science requires precision and being precise is absolutely crucial in the research field. If there is no precision, there is no science, when someone makes four mistakes in few lines of a text, this fact is not good for the researcher who wrote that page.
Moreover ethics requires that the archaeologist sees everything with his own eyes. For example, I had -for many years- some ideas on a statue of Eros, which is located in St. Petersburg , the Soranzo Eros. I did not write anything until I visited St. St Petersburg and saw the statue in optimal conditions for several hours. You have to see everything you study with your own eyes. You cannot draw conclusions from photos whose quality often is not very good. In particular photos in internet are rarely good. The eye witnessing is something important in the work of the archaeologist, who cannot go to conclusions without it. Moreover you cannot study the sculptures of a monument ignoring other archaeological details. You saw at the presentation of September 30th that a coin of Alexander the Great was found in the tumulus. I’m not an expert so I do not speak about it, for the same reason I do not speak of the inscriptions, leaving the matter to the specialists in the field. But you cannot reach a conclusion by ignoring the existence of these data, it is unethical. ”
– Essentially Mrs. Palagia takes in consideration only the sculptures and ignore all the other data?
“Exactly, she must take all the available data into account to arrive at a conclusion. The coin for example offers important information on the dating of the monument, the statue is just a part of a whole. We must also see the overall picture, the inscriptions speak of a specific period, that of Hephaistion. ”
What is she saying exactly about the lion? Is she denying that it was up on the tomb?
“She questions that conclusion. However since a piece of the lion was found on the hill, this fact suggests that it was there.”
– The styles of the lion, of the sphinxes and of the Caryatids are the same?
“The general style is that of the late 4th c. BC, but the statues were made by more than one workshop. Any one, who studies archeology, knows that the surfaces of sculptures change in different periods, the type of polishing of the surface of a sculpture is an important indication for its dating. In the 4th century the surface of sculptures is rather crispy, while in the advanced Hellenistic period it becomes smoother, in the late Hellenistic period it is often hyper-polished. The statues I saw with my own eyes at the tumulus Kasta, have still crispy surfaces. This is an important element in favour of their dating within the 4th century. The surface texture is an important term of comparison. ”
– Which other features of the sculptures lead to dating?
“There is a statue of Dionysos from the theatre of Euonymos, in the National Museum of Athens. Its base is preserved and bears the dedication by Olympiadoros, an Athenian who is active in the 330s and 320s BC. Thus the date of this statue is firmly established. This Dionysos wears a garment bearing on the chest the same triangle with zig-zag borders which is also found in the clothes of the two Karyatids in the tumulus Kasta.”
– Mrs. Palagia claims that the Karyatids are archaistic. What is your comment?
“Archaistic styles do not begin in the Hellenistic period, but at the end of the 5th century with Alkamenes doing works that imitate those of the previous periods. A work of Alkamenes revealing this trend is his statue of Hermes Propylaios, on the Acropolis of Athens. He also made a statue of Dionysus set up in the Temple of Dionysus Eleutherios, near the theater dedicated to him, in Athens. There is even a copy of this statue which is kept in St. Petersburg and bears clear archaistic features.
At the end of 5th century there was nostalgia for the golden age that was preceded these decades, that of Pericles. The ideology of Macedon, in the second half of the 4th century, is very retro. There is a strong desire to revive the values of the heroic times described by Homer: an age characterized by powerful monarchies and by the heroes of the Iliad. Which is why Alexander is the new Achilles and Hephaestion is the new Patroclus. Also, the war against Persia becomes a second war against Troy. With this ideology, ancient styles become very fashionable and we know that from the statue of Dionysus from the theater of Evonimos as well. This statue also has the same strip on the chest which is found also on the Karyatids of Amphipolis. As noticed before, the Dionysos of Euonymos was dedicated by an Athenian politician, Olympiodoros, who flourished in 330-320 BC and was a member of the pro-Macedonian party of Athens. Moreover, the theater of Euonymos was destroyed in the 260s BC and thus the date of this statue cannot go below that date. Well, the style of this statue is very close to that of the Karyatids of Amphipolis. ”
– You have found this comparison as an archaeologist studying sculpture, why Ms. Palagia does not acknowleddge these considerations?
“I do not know why. I did my research and comparisons and took my conclusions, but for reasons I do not know, she ignores them. What she does is not methodologically correct, but only the enunciation of dogmas. There is a movement in classical archeology that downdates many works of art usually attributed to the classical period to the Roman period! This movement is very strong in America and especially in the Bryn Mawr college where there is a lady, Mrs. Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway, who wrote that many works of art until now attributed to classical Greece – such as the bronze statues of Riace and the Apollo Sauroktonos (lizard – killer), are late Hellenistic or Roman.
Mrs. Palagia supports these views of American archaeologists and always expresses their opinions. For example on 21 January, 2016, a former student of Ridgway delivered a lecture in the American School at Athens in which she asserted that the Sauroktonos or lizard slayer is not a 4th century work by Praxiteles but a work of the advanced Hellenistic period. Palagia was there, she even was invited for dinner by the director of the American School together with the speaker, all these people are clearly allies and want the destruction of a spiritually rich notion of classical Greece, they want to establish a prehistoric notion of the same period, characterized by uniformity of style, absence of artists, etc.”
– This is the reason why Mrs. Palagia writes that even the statues of the tumulus Kasta are Roman?
“Exactly. It is directly linked to the views of Bryn Mawr and Mrs. Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway. Mrs. Palagia is perhaps the only archaeologist in Europe that agrees with them, as most European archaeologists do not espouse these views. Maybe that’s why they honored her with great awards; scholarships (she got a rich fellowship of the Metropolitan Museum of New York), conferences, lectures, etc. Mrs. Palagia is doing her own business and thus she asserts what pleases this current of the American archaeology. ”
– In any case the issue of Amphipolis was an obsession for Mrs. Palagia.
“There is one more reason for that. Mrs. Palagia wrote that Thasos marble was not exported before the Roman period. Having made this mistake, she wants that every work in Thasian marble is Roman in order to cover her first mistake. There are people who when they have to choice between truth and dogma, they choose the dogma. For these people the dogmas are more powerful than data. And when the data are against their dogmas , they cannot admit that they were wrong!
It is no coincidence that Mrs. Palagia published her views on the Tumulus Kasta’ in a pamphlet of the British School at Athens, the director of which, Mrs. Kathrin Morgan – for eight years she held the position – was a very close ally of Mrs. Palagia and supported the minimalistic idea of classical Greece, the opinions of Bryn Mawr and specifically those Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway. This idea that dogmas are more powerful than data, is one of the most evil and dangerous phenomena of classical archaeology. ”
– The monument of Amphipolis displays monumental sculptures, how important are they and how much new knowledge are they offering us?
“They are very important because we see two Karyatids that are very close to the world of Dionysos. On the frieze we see the bull referring to Dionysus Zagreus. We see the world of Dionysos becoming very important: these figures reflect the shift in the Greek civilization from the logical analysis of the world toward ecstatic enthusiasm. This phenomenon fits very well the absolutistic monarchy; from the kingdom of Apollo we passed into that of Dionysos. This spiritual change implies also emphasis on death and on the life after death, because these great mysteries are very in keeping with the above mentioned ecstasis. This trend promotes also monarchic values, as the king is made equal to gods. This is the biggest revolution of the ancient Greek civilization. ”
– The fact that we have a god like Dionysus, who though god dies and is reborn, as a god has something human, because he died and but enjoys the divine privilege of regeneration, this is in favour of monarchy? Videlicet, the monarchy has something human but also something divine?
“Exactly! This happens with Alexander the Great who was a child of a woman and a god, which makes him half human half god. So Alexander is as a new Dionysos, he was a child of Semele and Zeus, he’s of Olympias and Zeus’.
– This is the ideology that reflects the monument?
“This is it. This is very important because you get a great change that is a revolution in the ancient Greek civilization. ”
– There is a similar Macedonian monument throughout the empire of Alexander the great, in Europe or in Asia that captures this vision?
“Yes, there are of course in Vergina monuments that partly express the hope that you may get after death the life of the blessed. In Amphipolis however, this vision is more open, more visible and more comprehensible. Vergina and Amphipolis are equal. The sphinxes as we know from the myth of Oedipus hold this secret idea.
For this reason, while during the classical period the area of the sanctuary was the most important reference point in the city, in this new context it is the tomb which becomes a the most powerful symbolic monument of the community. This process begins with the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus during 355-350 BC and continues at Amphipolis. Of course this important novelty is tied to the revival of the absolutistic monarchy, since usually the monumental tomb which is admired from far away is that of the ruler. Amfipolis is the starting point of Alexander’s campaign to Asia, here is the tomb of Hephaistion, while the local cult of Dionysus on Mt. Pangaion is also relevant. The scholars who argue that the tomb in Amphipolis differs from standard Macedonian tombs forget that in this area we have a blend of two cultures, the Macedonian and Thracian, we have a mix that creates something new. Here we have the worship of Artemis and Phyllis, daughter of the king of Thrace. Generally the Thracian ideology is very strong. In fact, the Karyatids in Svestari, in Bulgaria imitate those of Amphipolis. The monument of Svestari is younger, of the first half of the 3rd century.
The worship of Dionysus is very strong in Thrace and from there came to southern Greece. Rhesus and Orpheus were also worshiped here; all these heroes are Thracians. That is why the monument is not only Macedonian “.
– Kasta Hill gave us everything that it had to give?
“No, excavation has been done on a small part of the tumulus; if they don’t dig up all the space inside the tumulus we can not know if there is something else. We will wait for the sequence. ”
CAPTION: On the right, the statue of god Dionysus and on the left the Karyatid of Amphipolis, the similarities are really impressive. The base of the statue of Dionysos from the theater of Euonimos bears a dedication which is dated around 330-320 BC.
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Σάββατο, 17 Οκτωβρίου 2015
Σάββατο, 17 Οκτωβρίου 2015
ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΗ: ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΔΥΟ ΑΚΟΜΗ ΘΑΛΑΜΟΙ ΣΤΟ ΛΟΦΟ ΚΑΣΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΚΡΥΒΟΥΝ ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΕΙΣ
ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΗ: ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΔΥΟ ΑΚΟΜΗ ΘΑΛΑΜΟΙ ΣΤΟ ΛΟΦΟ ΚΑΣΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΚΡΥΒΟΥΝ ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΕΙΣ
Αποκαλυπτική συνέντευξη του Antonio Corso για ανασκαφή Αμφίπολης: ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΔΥΟ ΑΚΟΜΗ ΘΑΛΑΜΟΙ ΣΤΟ ΛΟΦΟ ΚΑΣΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΚΡΥΒΟΥΝ ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΕΙΣ
Επίσης το μέλος της ανασκαφικής ομάδας δηλώνει ότι υπάρχουν παράγοντες που δεν θέλουν την συνέχιση των εργασιών στον λόφο Καστά!!!
Συνέντευξη στον Θεόδωρο Αν. Σπανέλη
Παρακολουθεί από κοντά την ανασκαφή, μελετάει τα ευρήματα και έχει ασχοληθεί πάρα πολύ με την διασταύρωση των στοιχείων και την ταύτιση των γλυπτών με άλλα της ίδιας περιόδου και τεχνοτροπίας, ο Antonio Corso, ο οποίος με την ιδιότητα του αρχαιολόγου και του μελετητή της αρχαίας γλυπτικής (μάλιστα έχει γράψει και ένα βιβλίο για την τέχνη του Πραξιτέλη) σχολιάζει στο xronometro.com τα τελευταία δεδομένα που είδαν το φως της δημοσιότητας και αποκαλύπτει ότι υπάρχουν δύο ακόμη θάλαμοι πιο βαθιά στο λόφο Καστά, οι οποίοι όταν εξερευνηθούν θα μας δώσουν απαντήσεις σε όλα τα ερωτήματα που υπάρχουν.
Τα βιβλία του καθ. Antonio Corso,
Για το μνημείο που ήδη έχει ανασκαφεί ο κ. Corso ξεκαθαρίσει ότι είναι Ηρώο του Ηφαιστίωνα χωρίς καμία αμφιβολία, θεωρεί λήξαν το θέμα της χρονολόγησης καθώς όλα τα στοιχεία «δείχνουν» το τελευταίο τέταρτο του 4ου αιώνα και επιπλέον ερμηνεύει «θεολογικά» τα σύμβολα του οικοδομήματος και καταλήγει στο συμπέρασμα ότι είναι «δελφγικής ταυτότητας» με συνύπαρξη των Θεών Απόλλωνα και Διονύσου.
Τέλος ο κ. Corso ξεκαθαρίζει ότι η πολεμική μερίδας αρχαιολόγων εναντίον του μνημείου δεν έχει μόνο προσωπικά κίνητρα αλλά και πολιτικά, αφού κάποιοι δεν θέλουν την συνέχιση της ανασκαφής!!!
Anthonio Corso Είναι αρχαιολόγος στη Scuola Normale Superiore στην Πίζα
· Πόσο σοφότεροι γίναμε από τις ανακοινώσεις της 30ης Σεπτεμβρίου στο ΑΠΘ, σε σχέση με το μυστήριο της Αμφίπολης;
«Ναι, νομίζω ότι έχουμε πλησιάσει πολύ στις απαντήσεις. Θεωρώ ότι με το επιγραφικό υλικό που βρέθηκε αποδεικνύεται ότι το μνημείο
είναι το Ηρώο του Ηφαιστίωνα».
· Αυτό σημαίνει ότι είναι και ο τάφος του Ηφαιστίωνα, οπότε του ανήκει μέρος των οστών που έχουν βρεθεί;
«Αυτό δεν το ξέρω, δεν μπορώ να γνωρίζω σε ποιους ανήκουν τα οστά. Για μένα αυτό δεν έχει σημασία, αφού κατασκευάστηκαν διάφορα ηρώα του Ηφαιστίωνα και κανείς δεν γνωρίζει σε ποιο από αυτά θάφτηκαν τα οστά του. Μπορεί και να ήταν απλώς κενοτάφια».
· Για το συγκεκριμένο ηρώο γιατί επιλέχθηκε η Αμφίπολη;
«Από την Αμφίπολη ξεκίνησε η εκστρατεία εναντίον των Περσών, αλλά και για άλλους λόγους. Η Αμφίπολη ήταν πάρα πολύ σημαντική γιατί υπήρχε ένα ιερό της Φυλλίδας και αυτό μπορεί να είναι στο ίδιο σημείο που έγινε του Ηφαιστίωνα»
· Γιατί αποκλείετε στο συγκεκριμένο σημείο να προϋπήρχε το ιερό του Ρήσου, ο οποίος λατρεύονταν στην περιοχή και ήταν ένας πολεμιστής βασιλιάς των Θρακών;
«Έχετε δίκιο, αυτή είναι μια ακόμη δυνατότητα. Όμως ο Αντίπατρος ο Θεσσαλονικεύς λέει σε επίγραμμα ότι υπήρχαν δύο ιερά που δεν ήταν ερείπια, της Φυλλίδας και της Αρτέμιδος της Βραυρώνας».
· Υπάρχουν άλλα στοιχεία που να συνδέουν το χώρο με τη Φυλλίδα;
«Όπως είναι γνωστό στον τάφος της επάνω υπήρχε μια αμυγδαλιά. Και αυτό πιστεύω ότι μπορεί να είναι της Φυλλίδας. Είναι απλά μια ιδέα μου».
· Στην ομιλία του στο ΑΠΘ ο αρχιτέκτονας κ. Λεφαντζής άφησε να εννοηθεί ότι υπάρχουν και άλλες επιγραφές, γνωρίζετε κάτι περισσότερο;
«Δεν ξέρω κάτι περισσότερο αλλά είδα ένα απόσπασμα σε μια φωτογραφία, όπου είναι ένας μακεδόνας πολεμιστής που με την χαρακτηριστική μακεδονική ασπίδα, με σάριζα και άλογο και αυτό δηλώνει στρατιωτικό μνημείο, χωρίς καμία αμφιβολία. Αυτή η εικόνα είναι από τον θριγκό στην βάση του λιονταριού. Αυτό δηλώνει αφιέρωση σε μια πολεμική νίκη».
Δεν συμφωνώ με τον «Δυισμό»
· Σε σχέση με την άποψη της κ. Περιστέρη περί δυισμού μέσα στο μνημείο το οποίο σημαίνει την παρουσία δύο νεκρών του Ηφαιστίωνα και του Μεγάλου Αλεξάνδρου, θέση με την οποία μάλλον διαφωνεί ο κ. Λεφαντζής. Εσείς τι πιστεύετε;
«Ούτε εγώ την δέχομαι αυτή την άποψη, είναι απλά θέμα συμμετρίας. Το γνωρίζετε ότι την εποχή του Μεγάλου Αλεξάνδρου έδιναν πολύ μεγάλη σημασία στο θέμα της συμμετρίας. Αυτό το μεταφέρει ο Πλίνιος όπου μας λέει για το πόσο μεγάλη αξία έδινε στην συμμετρία ο Λύσιππος και αυτό το είχαν υιοθετήσει στην αυλή του Μεγάλο Αλεξάνδρου».
· Η κ. Περιστέρη, απ’ όσο καταλαβαίνω χρησιμοποιεί το θέμα του δυϊσμού για να συνδέσει το μνημείο με το Μέγα Αλέξανδρο. Εσείς πιστεύετε ότι συνδέετε με κάποιο τρόπο;
«Ως γνωστό οι πηγές λένε ότι ο τάφος ήταν στην Αλεξάνδρεια, αλλά για να είμαι ειλικρινής δεν ξέρω αν έγινε έτσι. Θα συμφωνήσω με την κ. Περιστέρη στο θέμα της χρονολόγησης του μνημείου, 100% είναι του τελευταίου τετάρτου του 4ου αιώνα, του 320 π.Χ.
Αυτό προκύπτει και από τα σανδάλια που φέρουν οι Κόρες, είναι του τέλους 4ου αιώνα και δεν υπάρχουν αργότερα τον 2ο αιώνα π.Χ.! Επίσης η δομή που έχουν οι Κόρες κάτω από το στήθος είναι της ίδιας περιόδου».
· Πέρσι όταν βρέθηκε το κεφάλι της σφίγγας, ειπώθηκε ότι είναι από το χέρι διαφορετικού καλλιτέχνη απ’ αυτό που κατασκεύασε τις Κόρες. Τι άποψη έχετε;
«Νομίζω ότι και οι Κόρες και οι Σφίγγες είναι από το ίδιο, θασίτικο εργαστήριο, απ’ όπου προέρχεται και το μάρμαρο. Μέχρι τώρα δεν είχα δει τα γλυπτά από κοντά αλλά την 1η Οκτωβρίου επισκέφτηκα το μνημείο και εκ του σύνεγγυς έβγαλα πιο ασφαλή συμπεράσματα. Για παράδειγμα είδα στο κεφάλι της σφίγγας να έχει, ένα δάκτυλο της Αφροδίτης στο λαιμό που είναι πάρα πολύ κοντά στο αντίστοιχο της Κνιδίας Αφροδίτης του Πραξιτέλη. Αυτό επιβεβαιώνει ότι τα γλυπτά του λόφου Καστά είναι του 4ου αιώνα και μάλιστα από τα καλύτερα δείγματα. Επίσης οι Κόρες έχουν μια υπερηφάνεια που είναι χαρακτηριστικό του 4ου αιώνα».
· Το μάρμαρο από τη Θάσο και το εργαστήριο από το ίδιο νησί. Υπάρχει περίπτωση να είναι έργο του περίφημου γλύπτη Σκόπα ή του εργαστηρίου του;
«Όπως είπε και η κ. Περιστέρη το κεφάλι της σφίγγας μοιάζει πάρα πολύ με το κεφάλι του Διονύσου, από τη Θάσο. Ο Σκόπας πέθανε πριν το 320 π.Χ. αλλά υπάρχει μια κοινή τεχνοτροπιά αυτή την εποχή από όλους τους μεγάλους καλλιτέχνες, ο Λύσιππος, ο Πραξιτέλης, ο Σκόπας, όλοι πάνε μαζί σε ένα εκλεπτυσμό. Το κεφάλι του Διονύσου από την Θάσο είναι το πιο κοντινό στο κεφάλι της σφίγγας και αυτό είναι σημαντικό για την ταυτότητα του εργαστηρίου».
Όλες οι απαντήσεις στους δύο θαλάμους που είναι θαμμένοι
· Μετά την παρουσίαση της 30ης Σεπτεμβρίου νομίζω ότι το θέμα της χρονολόγησης έχει κλείσει για τους πολλούς, εκείνο που μένει ανοιχτό είναι το θέμα της ταυτότητας του μνημείου. Πέρα από ηρώο χρησιμοποιήθηκε και ως τάφος, μπορείτε να προσδιορίσετε από ποια εποχή και μετά άρχισαν να γίνονται οι ταφές; Ποιοι είναι οι πιθανοί νεκροί;
«Δεν ξέρω. Η έρευνα είναι ακόμη στην αρχή. Οι γεωλόγοι βρήκανε δύο μεγάλες αίθουσες πιο μέσα και πρέπει να φτάσουμε εκεί για να καταλάβουμε τι έγινε. Όσο για τα οστά δεν μπορώ να αποκλείσω κάποιοι επιφανείς να θέλησαν να ταφούν στο Ηρώο του Ηφαιστίωνα, ποιο πριν ή ποίο μετά, αυτό ήταν κάτι τιμητικό, όπως έγινε με το Μαυσωλείο του Αυγούστου, καθώς έχουν ταφεί και άλλα μέλη της οικογένειάς»!!!
· Λέτε ότι υπάρχουν άλλες δύο αίθουσες σύμφωνα με τις διαπιστώσεις των γεωλόγων. Περιμένετε εντυπωσιακά ευρήματα όταν θα φτάσει εκεί η αρχαιολογική σκαπάνη;
«Αυτό φάνηκε από τις μετρήσεις της γεωσκόπησης και υπάρχει μια καμπύλη που δείχνει την ύπαρξη δύο μεγάλων αιθουσών».
· Δηλαδή πιστεύετε και εσείς αυτό που υποστηρίζουν πολλοί ότι σε ένα μνημείο με περίμετρο κοντά 500 μέτρα, δεν μπορεί να υπάρχει μόνο ένα μνημείο;
«Το πιστεύω και εγώ και νομίζω ότι θα πάρουμε ολοκληρωμένες απαντήσεις για την ταυτότητα του μνημείου και το τι έχει γίνει όταν θα φτάσουμε σε αυτές τις δύο αίθουσες. Προς το παρόν η μοναδική βεβαιότητα που υπάρχει είναι από τις επιγραφές που μας λένε για Ηρώο του Ηφαιστίωνα και φυσικά το θέμα της χρονολόγησης του μνημείου».
· Πιστεύετε ότι το μνημείο έχει στοιχεία διονυσιακής λατρείας;
«Ναι στην ζωφόρο υπάρχουν τέτοια στοιχεία που δηλώνουν ότι υπήρχε λατρεία, του Διονύσου του Ζαγρέα, υπάρχει όμως και οι τρίποδες που δηλώνουν ότι το Ηρώο του Ηφαιστίωνα ήταν συνδεδεμένο με τον δελφικό Απόλλωνα. Συνυπάρχουν ο Απόλλωνας και ο Διόνυσος.
Για τον Μέγα Αλέξανδρο ο μεγαλύτερος θεός ήταν ο Διόνυσος, καθώς είναι γνωστό ότι ο ίδιος ήταν ο «νέος Διόνυσος». Γι’ αυτό και δεν είναι παράξενο που ο Διόνυσος είναι πάρα πολύ δυνατός εκεί. Όσο για τις λεγόμενες «Καρυάτιδες» είναι Κόρες, σαν τις Κόρες του μνημείο των Σιφνίων στους Δελφούς, τυπικές του ιωνικού ρυθμού. Μπορεί να είναι μαινάδες, αλλά τα χαρακτηριστικά κάτω από το στήθος οδηγούν σε Κόρες».
Ποιοι εμποδίζουν την ανασκαφή
· Όλοι ευχόμαστε να προχωρήσει η ανασκαφή και να αποκαλυφθούν όλα τα μυστικά του λόφου Καστά, ωστόσο η κ. Περιστέρη και όλη η ομάδα δέχεται μια συνεχή επίθεση που δεν ξέρω κατά πόσο διευκολύνει το έργο της ανασκαφής. Η επίθεση αυτή έχει προσωπικά χαρακτηριστικά ή κάποιοι έχουν λόγους να μην θέλουν να προχωρήσει η ανασκαφή;
«Υπάρχουν δυστυχώς πολλές αιτιολογίες. Μια από αυτές είναι και αυτή η διάσταση. Το αρχαιολογικό περιβάλλον, αν δει ότι βρίσκεις κάτι σημαντικό, αν δει ότι δεν έχεις πολιτική δύναμη, αν είσαι ήσυχος και καλός, νομίζει ότι είσαι πολύ τρελός και πολλοί καταφέρονται εναντίον σου. Δυστυχώς αυτό συμβαίνει σε αυτό το περιβάλλον. Υπάρχει και κάτι άλλο. Υπάρχουν πολιτικές απόψεις που δεν επιτρέπουν να προχωρούν τέτοιου είδους ανασκαφές. Επίσης υπάρχουν απόψεις στον δυτικό κόσμο, όπως αυτές που εξέφρασε η κ. Παλαγγιά, που πιστεύουν ότι όλα ξεκινούν από τον ρωμαϊκό πολιτισμό και αυτό είναι το θεμέλιο της Δύσης, οπότε δεν θέλουν σημαντικές ανασκαφές που χαλάνε αυτή την εικόνα»!!!
ΠΗΓΗ www.xronometro.com/
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις Οκτωβρίου 15, 2015
Views of the two Caryatids, discovered at the back of the first chamber in the Kasta Hill tomb.
© EPA, Konstantinos Tsakalidis
GREECE ISTHESSALONIKIEXPERIENCECULTURE
Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig
Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig
An ancient Greek tomb mystery
An ancient Greek tomb mystery
John Leonard | December 2nd, 2015
The ancient Macedonian site most in the news these days may be Amphipolis (“Both-Sides City”), a prominent, strongly fortified hill in a bend of the Strymonas River. Long an important cultural and commercial crossroads, Amphipolis became a coveted Athenian colony, bitterly disputed between Athens, Sparta and Macedonia in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. This now tranquil archaeological park at the top of the Aegean was the scene of decisive military battles and historic diplomatic missions; a place of confinement and eventual execution for Alexander the Great’s Persian-born queen Roxana and young son Alexander IV; later, the capital of Roman Macedonia; and, in the 5th and 6th centuries AD, an Early Christian seat with five impressive churches and a bishop’s palace. Since the renewal of excavations by the 28th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities on the site’s Kasta Hill in 2012, however, much attention has been focused on the discovery of the largest funerary monument ever found in Greece – a tumulus containing a three-chambered Macedonian tomb, enclosed by an enormous (158 m in diameter) circular wall of gleaming white Thasian marble, which may have been the final resting place of Alexander’s close friend Hephaestion.
The Lion of Amphipolis (last quarter of 4th century BC), a restored funerary monument, erected originally perhaps in honor of Laomedon, a devoted companion and military commander of Alexander the Great.
“Analysis of the tomb’s disturbed contents is proceeding, but whether it belongs to Hephaestion or another historical figure remains a fascinating puzzle.”
The area of Amphipolis was where Alexander I decimated Xerxes’ retreating Persian army in 479 BC. Later (465 BC), Athens lost 10,000 initial colonists, when they were overrun by fierce Thracian locals. The colony was reimplanted in 437 BC, but soon attacked by Spartans in 424 BC. Their leader, Brasidas, although killed in battle, was hailed as a liberator and a local hero. Following Philip II’s seizure of Amphipolis in 358/357 BC, the city served as a forward military base for his, and later Alexander’s, eastward campaigns.
Visitors today can explore much of the Amphipolis hill and surroundings, as well as its excellent museum. Worth seeing are the Lion of Amphipolis; the city’s Classical-Hellenistic fortifications; the gymnasium; the Early Christian basilicas; a Byzantine/medieval watchtower (being restored); and the preserved pilings of a 2,500-year-old wooden bridge that spaned Strymonas River into the 19th century.
The two headless sphinxes above the entrance to the Kasta Hill tomb.
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
The newly unearthed Kasta Tomb, not yet open to the public, is dated to the last quarter of the 4th c. BC. Two marble (now headless) sphinxes flank its entrance, while two female caryatids support the doorway to the second chamber, where a polychrome mosaic depicts the Abduction of Persephone to the Underworld.
The third, innermost chamber, closed with a marble door typical of Macedonian tombs, contained five burials in a vault beneath its floor: an elderly (60+) woman, two middle-aged (35-45) men, a newborn and a fifth cremated individual, probably an adult. Analysis of the tomb’s disturbed contents is proceeding, but whether it belongs to Hephaestion or another historical figure remains a fascinating puzzle.
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01. [ ENGLISH ] The Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig - The BEST COLLECTION of PODCASTS and YOUTUBE VIDEOS for
01. [ ENGLISH ] The Amphipolis Tomb: Highlights From the Dig - The BEST COLLECTION of PODCASTS and YOUTUBE VIDEOS for
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