The Kasta Tomb, also known as the Amphipolis Tomb, is an ancient Macedoniantomb that was discovered inside the Kasta mound near Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in northern Greece in 2012 and first entered in August 2014. 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. The recently discovered tomb is dated to the last quarter of the 4th century BC. The tumulus is the largest ever discovered in Greece and by comparison dwarfs that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, in Vergina. The excavation team, based on findings unearthed at the site, argued that the tomb was a memorial dedicated to the dearest friend of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion.
Identity
It is not yet known who is buried in the tomb. Initial public speculation that it could be the tomb of Alexander the Great, due to its size and the estimated cost of construction, 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 the Great's body; it has been suggested instead that the occupant could either be a wealthy Macedonian noble or a late member of the Macedonian royal family. In November 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 35–45, a newborn infant, and a fifth person consisting of only a few cremated bone fragments. Further examination is underway with regard to dating the bodies, while a DNA cross examination is being conducted in order to compare them with those buried in neighboring tombs in the area. During a press conference at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, lead archaeologist Katerina Peristeri and head architect Michalis Lefantzis revealed the existence of three inscriptions which apparently link the tomb to Hephaestion, a Macedonian nobleman, general, and dearest friend of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greek word ΠΑΡΕΛΑΒΟΝ is written in the inscriptions, and next to it the monogram of Hephaestion.
Discovery
In the 1970s a building of 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.
Finds
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. Some of the findings have moved to the Archaeological Museum of Amphipolis. Archaeologists have so far unearthed:
Two marble sphinxes approximately tall that guard the main entrance to the tomb.
A fresco, paint still visible, that mimics an Ionianperistyle, on top of which the sphinxes sit.
Two female statues of the Caryatid type in the antechamber, which support the entrance to the second compartment of the tomb. The height of each Caryatid is. The Caryatids are on a pedestal tall, making the total height of the statues.
A marble door, typical of Macedonian tomb doors, broken into pieces in front of the doorway to the third chamber.
A mosaic— wide and long—in the second chamber, which seems to depict Persephone abducted by the god Pluto, 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. The depiction of the abduction of Persephone in the mosaic floor implies links with the cluster of royal tombs in Vergina, as a mural representing the same scene decorates one of the tombs where King Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, is buried.
The head of the eastern sphinx in the third and last chamber.
Fragments of the wings of the sphinxes in the third chamber.
An eight square metre vault and a marble door in the third chamber.
Seven architraves were found in the 2nd Chamber, and restoration is under development.
Burials
The skeletal remains of five individuals were found:
a woman over 60 years of age
two adult men, an elder and younger, between 35 and 45 years of age
a newborn infant
fragments of a cremated adult
The younger man showed signs of unhealed, possibly fatal wounds. Analysis of the skeletal remains is ongoing.
Precautions
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 ofWorld Heritage Sites as a "top priority".
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. €1.5 million is to be spent by the Region of Central Macedonia, €1.3 million is 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.
In popular culture
The board gameAmphipolis, designed by Reiner Knizia, was published in 2015 and it is based on the location and findings of the Kasta Tomb.
