| Archaeological Site of Aigai (mod. name Vergina)* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| The macedonian tomb known as the "Romaios tomb" from the professor who discovered it K. Vergina (in Greek Βεργίνα) is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Romaios. It is near the palace of Aigai and its importance is minor.
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| State Party |  Greece |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii |
| Reference | 780 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Vergina (in Greek Βεργίνα) is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia. As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Imathia (Ημαθία is one of the Prefectures of Greece. It is located in the west-central part of Macedonia ( Central Macedonia) Central Macedonia ( Greek: Περιφέρεια Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας Periféria Kentrikís Makedonías)is one of the thirteen peripheries The town became internationally famous in 1977, when the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos unearthed what he claimed was the burial site of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Manolis Andronikos (Μανώλης Ανδρόνικος ( October 23, 1919 &ndash March 30 1992) was a Greek Archaeologist Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ'
Vergina is about 13km south-east of the district centre of Veroia and about 80km south-west of Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek Macedonia. Veria (officially transliterated as Veroia, Greek Βέροια or Βέρροια also Φέροια in Classical Greek - Βέροια being Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe The town has a population of about two thousand people and stands on the foothills of Mount Pieria, at an elevation of 120m (360 ft) above sea level.
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History
The modern town of Vergina was founded in 1922 near the two small agricultural villages of Koutles (Greek: Κούτλες; Turkish: Kütles, Kütleş; Slavic: Kutlesh - Кутлеш) and Barbes (Greek: Mπάρμπες, Turkish: Barbeş, Slavic: Barbesh - Барбеш) previously owned by the Turkish bey of Palatitsi and inhabited by 25 Greek families in his employ as serfs. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Slavic dialects of Greece are the dialects of Bulgarian or Macedonian spoken by minority groups in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Bey is a Turkish title for "chieftain" traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups After the Treaty of Lausanne and the eviction of the Bey landlords, the land was distributed in lots to the existing inhabitants, and to 121 other Greek families from Bulgaria and Asia Minor after population exchange agreements between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The name for the new town was suggested by the then Metropolitan of Veria, who named it after a legendary queen of ancient Beroea (the modern Veria) who had supposedly lived in the vicinity. In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or Veria (officially transliterated as Veroia, Greek Βέροια or Βέρροια also Φέροια in Classical Greek - Βέροια being Veria (officially transliterated as Veroia, Greek Βέροια or Βέρροια also Φέροια in Classical Greek - Βέροια being
Archaeological finds
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. Léon Heuzey (1831 - 1922 was a noted French archaeologist and historian Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Parts of the Macedonian royal palace of Palatista were discovered. However, the excavations had to be abandoned because of the risk of malaria. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including 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. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most The Argead dynasty ( Ancient Greek:, the Argeads) was the ancient Greek ruling house of Macedon from about 700 (The ruins of another Aigai, one of the Aeolian dodecapolis, lie 35 km south of ancient Pergamon in ancient Aeolis, now in Turkey). The Aeolians (Αἰολεῖς were one of the three ancient Greek tribes A polis ( πόλις, pronunciation, in English-- plural poleis ( πόλεις, pronunciation, in English --is a City, a Alternative meaning the Aeolis region of Mars. Geography Aeolis was an ancient district on the western coast of Asia Minor
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 1940. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest 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. Manolis Andronikos (Μανώλης Ανδρόνικος ( October 23, 1919 &ndash March 30 1992) was a Greek Archaeologist A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves 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. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Andronikos maintained that one of the tombs was of Philip II, and another was of Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great and Roxana and this has now become the firm view of archaeologists and the Greek government. Alexander IV Aegus (in Greek, Ἀλέξανδρος Aἰγός &mdash 323&ndash309 BC was the son of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon Roxana ( Bactrian, Persian: Roshanak; Bactrian definition literally "luminous beauty" Persian definition "the dawn" was a
The museum and the artifacts
The museum which was inaugurated in 1993 was built in a way to protect the found tombs, exhibit the artifacts and show the tumulus as it was before the excavations. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Inside the museum there are four tombs and one small temple the "Heroon" which was built as the temple of the great tomb of Philip II. A heroon - ἡρῷον (plural heroa - ἡρῷα also called heroum, was a shrine dedicated to an ancient Greek or Roman hero and was The two most important graves were not sacked and contained the main treasures of the museum.
- The tomb of Philip II was discovered in 1977 and was separated in two rooms. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The main room included a marble sarcophagus and in it was the golden larnax made of 24 carat gold and weighing 11 kilograms. Inside the golden larnax the bones of the dead were found and a golden wreath representing 313 leaves and 68 fruits of oak tree which weighs 717 grams. In the room were also found the golden-ivory panoply of the dead, the burial bed on whom he was burned and silver utensil for symposia. The ivory burial bed is a masterpiece of microsculpture. In the antechamber there were another sarcophagus with another smaller golden larnax and in it the bones of a woman in a golden-purple cloth and a golden diadem decorated with flowers and enamel. There was one more partially destroyed by the fire burial bed and on it a golden wreath representing leaves and flowers of myrtle. Above the doric order entrance of the tomb there is a wall painting measuring 5. 60 metres which represents a hunting scene.
- In 1978 another burial site was also discovered near the tomb of Philip. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) It was slightly smaller than the previous and was not sacked too. It was also arranged in two parts but only the main room contained a cremated body this time. On a stone pedestal was found a silver hydria which contained the bones and on it a golden wreath representing oak branches. A hydria is a type of Greek pottery used for carrying water The hydria has three handles There were also utensil and weaponry. A narrow frieze with a chariot race decorated the walls of the tomb. The tombs belongs to Alexander IV of Macedon son of Alexander the Great and Roxana. Alexander IV Aegus (in Greek, Ἀλέξανδρος Aἰγός &mdash 323&ndash309 BC was the son of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Roxana ( Bactrian, Persian: Roshanak; Bactrian definition literally "luminous beauty" Persian definition "the dawn" was a
The other two tombs were found sacked. The "tomb of Persephone" was discovered in 1977 and although it contained no valuable things found, at its walls was found a marvellous wall painting showing the abduction of Persephone by Pluto. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld The other tomb was discovered in 1980, is heavily damaged and may have contained valuable treasures while it had an impressive entrance with four doric columns. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) It was built in the 4th century BC and the archaeologists believe that the tomb belonged to Antigonus II Gonatas. The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. Antigonus II Gonatas (lit "knock-knees" ( Greek Αντίγονος B΄ Γονατᾶς ca
Vergina Sun
On the lid of the larnax of Philip II there a symbol of a sun or star and this Vergina Sun has been adopted as a symbol of Greek Macedonia. Interpretations of the symbol The significance of the Vergina Sun is unclear It became the subject of international controversy in 1991 when the newly independent Republic of Macedonia used the symbol on its flag. The Republic of Macedonia (Република For the flag of the region of Greece called Macedonia, see Flag of Macedonia (Greece. This outraged Greek public opinion, which saw the use of the symbol as an insult to its historical heritage and implying a territorial claim on Greece. In 1995 the Republic of Macedonia was forced to change its flag.
See also
External links
- Official website of the archaeological site
- Official website of the Museum
- http://whc.unesco.org/sites/780.htm
- http://www.kzu.ch/fach/as/aktuell/2000/04_vergina/verg_09.htm
- http://www.kzu.ch/fach/as/aktuell/2000/04_vergina/verg_04.htm
- http://users.forthnet.gr/the/vangel/grepap.pdf
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