THE tomb that has been discovered at Kasta Hill has been described by the former Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, as an "extremely important find", and by chief archaeologist at the site, Katerina Peristeri, as being of "global interest". There are a couple of reasons for this belief. Firstly, the tomb has been dated to the era of Alexander the Great. Secondly, it has many features that have also been identified at another Macedonian royal tomb at Aigae (whose modern name is Vergina).
In this section of your study we will take a look at the evidence for why the tomb's discovery has caused so much excitement. As well, we will look at the tomb itself for what it can reveal to us about the nature of ancient Macedonian religion, death and burial rites.
The entrance to the tomb was only discovered in 2014. At the time of writing this, excavation and investigation is still continuing, with an intensified focus on conservation and preparing the site for tourists. As such, most of the information regarding the site was being filtered through the Greek Ministry of Culture in the form of press releases and interviews early on. This means that much of the reporting and discussion of the finds has been online through media reports and the blogosphere. For the purpose of our study, however, this is okay because it will present you with a good opportunity to develop a more savvy awareness of Internet research and how to distinguish between those websites that are trustworthy and those that are not. You should revisit the page on Internet Sources if you are unsure about how to judge any of the websites you visit.
For a summary of the findings at the tomb, click here.
In this section of your study we will take a look at the evidence for why the tomb's discovery has caused so much excitement. As well, we will look at the tomb itself for what it can reveal to us about the nature of ancient Macedonian religion, death and burial rites.
The entrance to the tomb was only discovered in 2014. At the time of writing this, excavation and investigation is still continuing, with an intensified focus on conservation and preparing the site for tourists. As such, most of the information regarding the site was being filtered through the Greek Ministry of Culture in the form of press releases and interviews early on. This means that much of the reporting and discussion of the finds has been online through media reports and the blogosphere. For the purpose of our study, however, this is okay because it will present you with a good opportunity to develop a more savvy awareness of Internet research and how to distinguish between those websites that are trustworthy and those that are not. You should revisit the page on Internet Sources if you are unsure about how to judge any of the websites you visit.
For a summary of the findings at the tomb, click here.
Death and Burial Rites
Before proceeding, it will be useful for you to have some background understanding of the kinds of artefacts associated with ancient ritual and religious belief, as well as ancient Greek burial practices.
* Read Bradley, p. 34, and summarise the types of artefacts that can be used to study ancient religious belief.
* Read the article from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
* Complete the following activities.
1. Write notes from the reading about what the Greeks believed about death and the necessity of burial.
2. Explain each of the three parts of the burial custom; prosthesis, ekphora and interment (burial). Copy and paste appropriate images, with captions, to support your notes.
3. Explain, with close reference to the article, how the Greeks ensured that the deceased would not be forgotten.
Before proceeding, it will be useful for you to have some background understanding of the kinds of artefacts associated with ancient ritual and religious belief, as well as ancient Greek burial practices.
* Read Bradley, p. 34, and summarise the types of artefacts that can be used to study ancient religious belief.
* Read the article from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
* Complete the following activities.
1. Write notes from the reading about what the Greeks believed about death and the necessity of burial.
2. Explain each of the three parts of the burial custom; prosthesis, ekphora and interment (burial). Copy and paste appropriate images, with captions, to support your notes.
3. Explain, with close reference to the article, how the Greeks ensured that the deceased would not be forgotten.