Archaeologists making their way into third and final vault of Amphipolis tomb
Excavations at an ancient tomb discovered in August in Amphipolis, northern Greece, on Friday stirred more speculation into who may have been buried there as archaeologists worked to gain entry into a third chamber, revealed behind two life-sized marble statues of robed maidens, or caryatids.
Crews at the 2,300-year-old site on Kasta Hill will examine the structural integrity of the third entrance and of the chamber before entering what is believed to be the last section of the massive vault, which dates to the time of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).
Its size and grandeur have fueled widespread speculation as to whom it could have been built for, with some theories suggesting it could have been a general or high-ranking official. A technical team is also surveying the ground above the tomb in an effort to ascertain its exact dimensions.
Meanwhile, the archaeologist leading the Amphipolis dig on Friday played down concerns expressed by colleagues earlier in the week that the interest being shown in the progress of the excavation is putting too much pressure on crews at the site.
“We live in an age when information moves at a rapid pace and it is preferable that that it be correct rather than inaccurate,” Katerina Peristeri responded Friday, in writing, to an announcement issued on Thursday by the Association of Greek Archaeologists calling for less intensive coverage of the operation by politicians and the media.
