Large Mosaic in Ancient Tomb Uncovered in Greece
Archaeologists digging through a vast ancient tomb in Amphipolis in
northern Greece have uncovered a floor mosaic that covers the whole area
of a room seen as the antechamber to the main burial ground.
The mosaic, 3 meters (10 feet) long and 4.5 meters (15 feet) wide,
depicts a horseman with a laurel wreath driving a chariot drawn by two
horses and preceded by the god Hermes. According to a Culture Ministry
announcement on Sunday, Hermes is depicted here as the conductor of
souls to the afterlife.
The mosaic is made up of pebbles in many colors: white, black, gray,
blue, red and yellow. A circular part, near the center of the mosaic, is
missing, but authorities say enough fragments have been found to
reconstruct a large part.
The ministry says that archaeologists have dated the mosaic to the last
quarter of 4th century B.C. (325-300 B.C.), consistent with their belief
the grave contains the remains of a contemporary of Alexander the
Great, the ancient Greek King of Macedonia, who conquered the Persian
Empire and reached present-day India, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in a
whirlwind campaign, from 334 to 323 B.C. The grave may be that of a
relative or general of Alexander's, archaeologists have speculated.
Alexander himself, who died in Babylon in present-day Iraq at age 32, in
323 B.C., is believed to have been buried in Egypt. But his tomb hasn't
been found.
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