Kasta Tomb
The Kasta Tomb (Greek: Τύμβος Καστά), also known as the Amphipolis Tomb (Greek: Τάφος της Αμφίπολης), is the largest ancient tumulus (burial mound) ever discovered in Greece, and by comparison dwarfs that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, in Vergina.[2][3]
Alternative name
Amphipolis Tomb (Τάφος της Αμφίπολης)
Late 4th century BC[1]
1964–present[2]
Katerina Peristeri (Κατερίνα Περιστέρη)
Not accessible, excavations still under way
It is an ancient Macedonian tomb of the last quarter of the 4th c. BC, and is enclosed in the Kasta mound near the ancient city of Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in northern Greece. 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.[4] The inner tomb was first discovered in 2012 and entered in August 2014.[2]
The quality and artistic merit of the tomb contents indicate it contained important people. The remains of five people were found in the tomb.
Occupants[edit]
Initial public speculation that, due to its size and cost of construction, it could be the tomb of Alexander the Great was dismissed by experts when commenting on the published findings, as the available historical records mention Alexandria in Egypt as the final resting place of Alexander's body. Nevertheless, due also to Alexander's associations with the city it is thought likely to be the tomb of a close relation (Alexander prepared for campaigns here against Thrace in 335 BC and the port was used as naval base during his campaigns in Asia. After Alexander's death, his wife Roxana and their young son Alexander IV were exiled by Cassander and later murdered here[5]). Apart from the sheer size of the monument, some experts say it also bears the handprint of Dinocrates of Rhodes, the chief architect of Alexander the Great.[3]
In 2014, the skeletal remains of five people were unearthed inside a corresponding tomb located in the lower levels of the third chamber. The bodies interred within are those of a woman aged older than 60, two men aged between 35 and 45, a newborn infant, and a fifth person consisting of only a few cremated bone fragments.[6]
The excavation team argued that the tomb was a memorial dedicated to the dearest friend of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion,[7][8] based on three inscriptions which apparently link the tomb to Hephaestion. The ancient Greek word ΠΑΡΕΛΑΒΟΝ (meaning 'received') is written in the inscriptions, and next to it the monogram of Hephaestion.
Others argue that Olympias, mother of Alexander, was buried here.[9][10][11]
Discovery[edit]
In the 1970s, a building of 10 m (33 ft) 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.[4]
In popular culture[edit]
The board game Amphipolis, designed by Reiner Knizia, was published in 2015 and it is based on the location and findings of the Kasta Tomb.[20][21]
