Ancient Amphipolis door discovery points to Macedonian-era tomb, excavator

The marble double-leaf door leading to the third chamber of the Kasta tomb in the Ancient Amphipolis excavation site provides further evidence that the hill being excavated "contains a magnificent funerary complex that belongs to the end of the 4th century BC," the height of the Macedonian kingdom's era, chief excavator Katerina Peristeri told ANA-MPA on Thursday.

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She added it was too soon to tell who was buried there, but confirmed that excavations and work to support the monument were continuing.

Fragments of the original marble door, which included imitations of nails on wooden doors, were found along with evidence on the frame of one of the door jambs. The door leaves are made of white marble from the northern Aegean island of Thassos and measure 1.5 metres wide and 14 cm thick.

Commenting on the findings, Culture Secretary General Lina Mendoni said, "Amphipolis, from its very founding by Athenians was a prosperous city with a lot of natural resources, the reason that Athenians chose the site to begin with as a colony, and its significance continued to the Byzantine and post-Byzantine era."
The ministry was not the discoverer of Amphipolis, she reiterated, but has been involved in the site for many years, as proven by the EU-funded works at the ancient gymnasium and the Byzantine tower, which have absorbed about two million euros she said, in National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds. "The publicity and promotion of this specific monument, and its existence, is a wonderful opportunity for the developmental future of this area, a unique environment, and a rich cultural resource that can contribute significantly to the local and national economy," she added.