VERGINA-THE TOMB OF PHILLIP II

The gold larnax of Phillip II (father of Alexander the Great) and his crown

Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia.  The place became known worldwide in 1977 when a Greek archeologist, named Manolis Andronikos, managed to discover the burial sites of the kings of Macedonia in ancient Greece, including the tomb of the king Philip II, who was the father of Alexander the Great. The tomb of Philip II is the biggest one in Vergina. Τhis monument belongs to the Unesco World Heritage list. Specifically it is considered as one of the greatest discoveries in 20^th century. In the burial chamber was found a marble sarcophagus, inside which was a gold larnax (=box) containing the ashes of the dead king and his crown. His weapons were also found as well as some ancient treasures that are now included in Vergina museum. 

The gold larnax  

The crown of King Phillip II

MYCENAE

The Mask of Agamemnon 

The Mask of Agamemnon named by Schliemann after the legendary Greek king of Homer's Iliad. This mask adorned one of the bodies in the graves at Mycenae. Schliemann took this as evidence the Trojan War was a real historical event. The mask of Agamemnon was created from one thick gold sheet, heated and hammered against a wooden background with the details chased on later with a sharp tool.

A Mycenaean boar’s tusk helmet

A Mycenaean boar’s (=uncastrated male pig) tusk (=ivory) helmet excavated from a tomb in Mycenae. Although it would not provide as good protection as a metal helmet, helmets such as these may have been worn by some leaders as a status symbol, or a means of identification.