[The Tomb of Philip II , The Father of Alexander the Great of Macedonia ] Phillip of Macedon ( 382~336 BC ), was King of Macedon from 359BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the Father of Alexander the Great and Philip III. On November 8, 1977, Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos found, among other royal tombs, an unopened tomb at Vergina , the capital city of Macedon. It is generally accepted that the site at Vergina was the burial site of the kings of Macedon, including Philip, but the debate about the unopened tomb is ongoing among archaeologists. The initial suggestion that the tomb might belong to Philip II was indicated by the greaves, one of which was shaped in a way consistent with fitting a leg having a misaligned tibia , Philip II was recorded as having broken his tibia. What is viewed as possible proof that the tomb indeed did belong to Philip II and that the surviving bone fragments are in fact the body of Philip II comes from forensic analysis of the remains of the skull. By wax casting the skull was reconstructed, showing apparent damage to the right eye caused by the penetration of an object , historically recorded to be an arrow. Disputations often relied on contradictions between "the body" or "skeleton" of Philip II and reliable historical accounts of his life and injuries, as well as analyses of the paintings, pottery, and other artifacts found there. ________________________________________ [References] Various authors, Arte dei Macedoni dall’eta Micenea ad Alessandro Magno, Bologna, 1988 G. Calcani, Il regno Di Macedonia in various authors, L’oro dei, Novara, 1992 Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Greece Bridgeman Art Library Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:47:35 +0000