1. 5th High School of Serres
Dringopoulos Panagiotis
Class : A2
Teacher :Thanasouda Evaggelia
THE KASTA TOMB
2. THE TOMB
The Kasta Tomb, also known as the Amphipolis Tomb, is an ancient
Macedonian tomb discovered in Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in
northern Greece in 2012 and first entered in August 2014. The tomb is
the largest burial monument ever discovered in Greece and by
comparison dwarfs the tomb of Philip II of Macedon, father of
Alexander the Great, in Vergina. The Tumulus Tomb of Amphipolis lies
on the hill of Kasta inside a 500-meter long surrounding wall of
marble and limestone. The Marble wall is almost a perfect circle 3
meters high with a cornice of marble from the Aegean Island of
Thassos. This great Tomb and the surrounding wall with its special
base and unique design is likely the work of the Architect Deinokratis,
who lived at the time of Alexander the Great. Deinokratis and was
Alexander's chosen Architect and also a very important person in the
time of Alexander. It is not yet known who is buried in the tomb. The
occupant could be a wealthy Macedonian noble ,a late member of the
royal family or even Alexander the Great.
3. Simulation of the tomb as it would be with the Amphipolis Lion on its
top
5. THE LION
Originally on the top of the Tomb there was a
great Stone Lion, the Lion of Amphipolis. The
Lion it's self is 5.3 meters high and had a stone
base that makes a total [with Lion] height of
15.84 meters. The sculpture who carved the two
entry Sphinxes is the same person that sculpted
the colossal Lion.
7. THE ENTRANCE & 1ST CHAMBER
The Entry of the Tomb is 13 steps down from the
surrounding Wall. The Entry Arch contains two
headless/wingless Sphinxes, amazing works of classic art
which are approximately 2m tall . In front of the Arch
and Sphinx Portal there is a Limestone wall protecting
and concealing the entire entry of this vast tomb. The
design of the Entry and surrounding wall are unique to
the ancient Greece world. The first chamber is 6m long
and 4.5m wide. Its spectacular floor just beyond the
Sphinx Portal opening is in great condition (considering
that it is 2300 years old) and was been constructed of
White Marble fragments set in Red mortar.
10. THE 2ND CHAMBER
The second chamber is 4,5 meters wide and 3,0 meters long.
Its entrance was found between two amazing female statues of
the Caryatid type which support the entrance to the second
compartment of the tomb. The height of each Caryatid is
2.27 m . The Caryatids are on a pedestal 1.40 m tall (4.5 ft),
making the total height of the statues 3.67 m The chamber
floor is covered with a pictorial mosaic in glorious colors and
detail. The mosaic covers the entire floor surface of the 2nd
Chamber. It is in white, black, grey, blue, red and yellow and
depicts 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 .
15. THE 3RD CHAMBER
The third chamber is 4.5 meters long and wide. Its marble door is broken.
The parts of it as well as the head of the eastern Sphinx (which height is
60cm) and fragments of the Sphinxes’ wings were found during the
excavation in the chamber. In front of the door, archaeologists found iron
and bronze nails. The walls have marble coating (just as in the other
chambers) but they are quite damaged. Then ,on 12 November, a grave,
which is made of limestone, was found 1.60 meters beneath the third
chamber floor. The outer dimensions are 3.23 meters by 1.56 meters and
inside the grave there is a hollow part 0.54 meters wide and 2.35 meters
long. It is estimated that the height of the grave was 1.80 meters. Also, the
total height from bottom to ceiling is 8.90 meters.
Archaeologists have informed journalists that inside the grave there was a
wooden coffin containing a whole skeleton. The implication of the coffin
derives from the fact that inside the grave there were about 20 iron and
copper nails and several coffin decorations made of bone and glass.
Everything else (such as golden items or weapons of the dead) was stolen.
Inside the grave, the human skeleton found was almost intact. The
skeleton will be transferred to a laboratory for a DNA test to determine the
sex and age of the dead.
19. UNESCO
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 of World Heritage Sites as a "top priority."
21. NOTHING HAS ENDED YET…
During the next months, excavations will be
continued. We have explored only a small part
of this huge tomb and archaeologists believe that
that there are many more thing to be found…
