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A tomb Without a Name

For the last year and a half, the Amphipolis tomb has captivated the attention of Alexander the Great enthusiast across the globe. The progress has been slow but steady, as archeologists slowly uncover more facts. There is still much to be discovered but Archeology magazine reported on 1 October 2015 that they finally have a solid hypothesis about whom the grave site is for. “Archaeologist Katerina Peristeri claimed in a press conference yesterday that the vaulted tomb excavated last year in Amphipolis ‘was a funerary monument for Hephaestio.’[1] They believe that the massive tomb is a monument for Hephaestion due to the inscriptions on the walls. This theory still does not explain the five bodies found in the tomb and who was originally intended to be buried there. Andrew Chugg, a Cambridge University honours graduate and widely accepted as an expert on all things Alexander related, wrote an insightful article analyzing the arguments about regarding the original intents of the tomb. He informs us that the tomb was sealed prior 168BC, meaning the hypothesis that the skeletal remains could belong to Romans who later controlled the area is not possible and that writing on the blocks could be ancient graffiti due to the great variances in the handwriting, or even modern graffiti placed after the stones were revealed.[2]

While the excitement of the tomb may carry us forward in our wonder of what more is to come, there must be deductions made to put the evidence in a realistic perspective. Hephaestion was in fact Alexanders most loved companion; we learn this from Diodorus Suculus’ Library of History Book 16. Alexander had his generals and friends make likenesses of Hephaestion and wished to build temples and monuments in his honor.[3] The amount of time it would have taken to build a tomb like the one in Amphipoli would have taken much longer to build than Alexander was alive. So while the tomb may fascinate us all, we have to be careful before jumping to conclusions about for whom the tomb was made. For all we know it could be for someone completely unrelated to Alexander. As the mystery continues on its path I hope we can gain further insight into the life of the bones that remain there.

[1]No Author, Archaeology October 1, 2015

[2]Chugg, Andrew. "Did the Amphipolis Tomb Commemorate Hephaistion?" Greece Reporter. N.p., 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

[3]Diodorus, Charles Henry Oldfather, Charles Lawton Sherman, C. Bradford Welles, Russel M. Geer, and Francis R. Walton. Library Of History. Book 16, Chapter 114-115

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Amphipolis Tomb Excavation Ends, Labs to Determine Skeleton’s Identity

Greece ‘s General Secretary of Culture Lina Mendoni on November 14, said that excavation works at the Amphipolis tomb came to an end and the skeleton of the buried has been transferred to a laboratory in order to determine his or her identity.

Speaking to Mega TV, Mendoni said, “Excavations in the monument area have come to an end since they have reached the natural ground.” However, she said,…

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Amphipolis' Caryatids entirely uncovered, wearing "kothornoi" shoes.

Amphipolis’ Caryatids entirely uncovered, wearing “kothornoi” shoes.

The two caryatids found at the Kasta Tomb in Ancient Amphipolis were uncovered entirely by excavators, the ministry of Culture announced on Sunday, showing they are standing on marble bases and wearing shoes. The full height of each caryatid is 2.27 metres and they are wearing chitons – or full-length draped dresses, tied in the middle – and a long himation, or a shawl-like cover over their…