According to a new study in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the occupant of a royal tomb (Tomb I) in Greece is Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedon. Ever since the royal tomb complex in Vergina—the site of ancient Aegae, the first capital of Macedonia—was excavated in 1977, the identities of the occupants have been debated. In the new study, the authors detail their examination of the bones of the male skeleton from Tomb I. They determined that the individual had a knee fusion, which is consistent with ancient sources that say Philip II walked with a limp. Tomb I also contained the remains of a woman and an infant. This is consistent with sources that record that Philip’s wife Cleopatra and her infant son, were both killed shortly after the king’s death, which allowed Alexander the Great to take the throne uncontested. The authors of the study conclude that Tomb I contains the remains of Phillip II of Macedon, his wife, and his infant son.
OFF-SITE LINK:
- https://arkeonews.net/the-identities-of-the-occupants-of-the-unspoiled-4th-century-bce-royal-tombs-at-vergina-in-northern-greece-have-been-identified/
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