THE KASTA TOMB

5th High School of SerresDringopoulos PanagiotisClass : A2Teacher :Thanasouda Evaggelia

THE TOMBThe 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.

Simulation of the tomb as it would be with the Amphipolis Lion on its top

The marble wall around the tomb

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.

The huge lion

THE ENTRANCE & 1ST CHAMBERThe 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.

The Sphinxes

The well-preserved floor of the 1st chamber

THE 2ND CHAMBERThe 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 .

The Caryatids

The almost intact face of the western Caryatid

Simulation of the two statues as they were 2300 years ago

The colourful mosaic

THE 3RD CHAMBERThe 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.

The head of the eastern Sphinx

The grave

Items found in the grave

UNESCOIn 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."

Simulation of all the chambers & the entrance

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…