Macedonia : Archaeology at Vergina, Greece

Encyclopedia Britannica:
Learn how Vergina, Macedonia received its name and see the ancient remains of this area.

Vergina is situated close to the site of ancient Aigai (or Aegae), once the royal capital of ancient Macedon, ruled by the Argead dynasty from about 650 BC onwards. The ruins of another Aigai, one of the Aeolian dodecapolis, lie 35 km S of Pergamon, by the modern Aiolis, Turkey.

The entrance to the "Great Tumulus" Museum at Vergina.
Archaeologists were interested in the hills around Vergina as early as the 1850s, knowing that the site of Aigai was in the vicinity and suspecting that the hills were burial mounds. Excavations began in 1861 under the French archaeologist Leon Heuzey, sponsored by the Emperor Napoleon III. Parts of the Macedonian royal palace of Palatista were discovered. However, the excavations had to be abandoned because of the risk of malaria.

In 1937, the University of Thessaloniki resumed the excavations. More ruins of the ancient palace were found, but the excavations were abandoned on the outbreak of war with Italy in 1939. After the war the excavations were resumed and during the 1950s and 1960s the rest of the royal capital was uncovered. The Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos became convinced that a hill called the "Great Tumulus" (in Greek, Μεγάλη Τούμπα) concealed the tombs of the Macedonian Kings. In 1977, Andronikos undertook a six-week dig at the Tumulus and found four buried chambers which he identified as hitherto undisturbed tombs. Three more were found in 1980. Excavations continued through the 1980s and 1990s. Andronikos claimed that these were the burial sites of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Andronikos maintained that one of the tombs was of Philip II, and another was of Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great. This has now become the firm view of Greek archaeologists and the Greek government, but some other archaeologists dispute this identification(Citation needed). Nevertheless there is no doubt that the site is of great archaeological importance.

The larnax (gold casket) which Andronikos identified as containing the remains of Philip II has a symbol of a sun or star on its lid, and this Vergina Sun has been adopted as a symbol of Greek Macedonia.

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[hoplitespao]

The only proof of skopians against greeks sorry hellens is '"fuck greeks". But in their history books they learn that their are descandant of macedonians they named their airport "alexander the great". Now they are building a 22meters statue of alexander the great. FYROM in the world are called macedonia and people begin to confused antic macedonians and slavomacedonians. What are we waiting to react against them? They steal our history. It's time to wake up brothers. Eλλάς

[divxakias]

• Macedonians spoke a dialect of the Greek language.

• Macedonians had Greek names.

• Alexander's name is Greek.

• Philip's name is also Greek.

• The regions of ancient Macedonia had Greek names.

• Macedonian architecture was same to the Greek architecture.

• Macedonians took part in the Olympic Games.

• Macedonians celebrated the same festivals as the rest of the Greeks.

• Macedonians worshiped the same Gods as the rest of the Greeks.

[loxandra2312]

@filip3aridej Poor fellow you really believe, you can rewrite our history, why do not stuck in your slavish ancestors, your kyrilish language and leave alexander the great in peace.

that are tales for ignorant people.

[tuff253]

@divxakias Dont forget they had the same greek calendars and they used the same greek currency, Drachma. So with all of these facts he must have been FYROM who were originally from Belurussia and Ukraine. Fucking Skojpian cock suckers.

[fan4fun4ever]

@filip3aridej haha Aleksandar,,,?what means that in ur slavic language,,?The right name is ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ.

Κnock knock,,,King Alexander A(5 c, B.C)of Macedonia ,the great great great grand parent of Alexander the Great,

participated in the Olympics...Get over it... Macedonia,Ancient & Modern Macedonians and ATG were and are Greeks.Thessaloniki,Macedonia,­Greece.

[ratzP]

@filip3aridej....Solun up ur Colon

[Joanne7u8]

YOU RE SO LAME! REALLY EVEN THE ANCIENT MAKEDONIAN COINS WERE IN GREEK LANGUAGE!

AND SECOND,ALEXANDER THE GREAT LIVED IN MAKEDONIA AND HE PARTICIPETED IN OLYMPIC GAMES,324 BC(JUST LIKE PHOELLIPUS HIS FATHER). AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ONLY GREEKS WERE ALLOWES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES,GREEK CITIZENS AND NO ONE ELLS.SO THE ANCIENT MAKEDONIA WAS A PART OF GREECE.GET L-O-S-T skopjans!

[1985LISS]

@divxakias FOrget that Greeks had looked down at them, If Alexander wasn't Greek then why would he make a great empire out of Greece!!!!!!!!!! The whole eastern world knows about it.  Only the west is trying to change history to cause Greece stress. They know the truth but just want to steal it because they are inferior!!!!!!

[jouvemin190]

ask monkeydonians 1)what alexander means 2)what fillipos means 3)what bucefalus means (horse of alexander) 4) why he called like that 5)what macedonia means 6)how they were calling their weapons and why? 7)who wrote about macedonia 8)who was alexanders teacher and what he taught him 9)whats the name af alexanders sister!!!! you wiil never get an answer!!!!! for the real answers jerks.... read a fucking book !!!!

[Georgios763]

@thepaperpeople

Of course he was Macedonian.

Macedonism = Hellenism.

Quite simple.

Ἔστι μὲν οὖν Ἑλλὰς καὶ ἡ Μακεδονία.

Strabo