Macedonian Tomb Mystery Deepens: Where Is King Philip II Buried?

A caller survey questions the certainty of the occupant’s individuality of Tomb I successful Vergina arsenic being that of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

A caller survey published successful the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports reintroduces the statement surrounding the last resting spot of Philip II of Macedon, the begetter of Alexander the Great, by scrutinizing the skeletal and contextual grounds of the Vergina tombs’ (Tomb I and Tomb II) occupants.

It is argued that immoderate of the astir influential claims related to the identities of the individuals interred successful the tombs are scientifically and methodologically unsustainable, and particularly questionable present is the thought that Tomb I whitethorn location Philip II.

The find of the royal tombs—Tomb II being among them—beneath the Great Tumulus astatine Aigai (modern Vergina) successful 1977 fundamentally reshaped the past of past Macedonia. Tomb II was recovered to beryllium lavishly furnished and untouched by looters. It was rapidly hailed arsenic the resting spot of Philip II, the begetter of Alexander the Great. Yet, contempt archetypal scholarly consensus, this has since go 1 of the astir contested theories successful classical archaeology.

The lawsuit for Tomb II arsenic Philip II’s tomb

The superior statement successful favour of Tomb II lodging Philip II has agelong centered connected the carnal trauma observed successful the antheral skeleton. A fused tibia accordant with a terrible limb wounded and a skull exhibiting trauma adjacent the close oculus socket are apparent. These injuries correlate strikingly with humanities accounts. Philip is known to person mislaid an oculus to an arrow and suffered a important limb coiled during his lifetime.

Moreover, the regalia buried alongside the remains included a aureate larnax adorned with the Vergina Sun, ceremonial armor, and a royal diadem. These items align with expectations for a Macedonian king of Philip’s stature. The find of a likewise adorned pistillate successful the antechamber, perchance 1 of Philip’s wives, further strengthened the theory. She is commonly thought to beryllium Cleopatra Eurydice.

The situation from Tomb I

Despite these evident correlations, a arguable 2015 survey led by Antonis Bartsiokas reanalyzed the skeletal remains successful Tomb I, starring the authors to place pathological features. In particular, they noted genu stiffness (ankylosis) that they argued much convincingly matched the humanities grounds of Philip II’s injuries.

The authors suggested that Tomb II apt contained the remains of Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s half-brother and successor, and his woman Eurydice II. This statement gained traction owed to the comparative younker of the pistillate remains successful Tomb II. It was determined that she was astir eighteen years aged astatine death, which could beryllium a apt lucifer for Eurydice II. Additionally, the elaborate burial could bespeak the posthumous royal honors bestowed upon Philip III and Eurydice during the turbulent succession situation aft Alexander’s death.

Marble bust thought to picture Philip II of Macedon. Credit: Richard Mortel / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

The caller study: Reassessing the technological ground

The new study takes purpose astatine the methodological ground of these earlier reinterpretations. In particular, it questions the reliability of linking circumstantial skeletal traits to humanities figures fixed the variability successful trauma healing and fossilization processes. The wide deficiency of individualized bony profiles for past Macedonian royals besides complicates identification. The researchers stress that galore erstwhile assertions connected matching injuries oregon diseases trust connected circular reasoning and are based connected lone selective and hence insufficient readings of archaeological data.

It is argued that the carnal grounds from Tomb I does not enactment the decision that its occupants were Philip II and Cleopatra Eurydice. This is particularly existent erstwhile considering the mediocre preservation of the tomb. The secondary disturbance of the tomb further complicates the matter. Instead, it is reaffirmed that Tomb II remains the astir plausible campaigner for Philip II’s burial owed to its funerary discourse and artifact assemblage. However, the authors of the survey halt abbreviated of issuing a definitive identification.

A aureate crown recovered successful the burial tombs astatine Aegae, oregon Vergina. Credit: Tilo 2005/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

Implications and continuing uncertainty

The question of who lies buried successful the royal tombs of Vergina speaks to broader issues successful the mentation of elite burials successful antiquity. It highlights the situation of matching archaeological information with humanities texts. This is particularly truthful successful a discourse successful which dynastic narratives were often shaped by politics, propaganda, and retroactive myth-making.

While the recognition of Tomb II arsenic Philip II’s last resting spot remains compelling, it is acold from settled. The newest publication to the statement urges caution successful making hasty speculations, arsenic the grounds reminds scholars to measurement it not lone successful presumption of likelihood but to besides gully connected antecedently established factual facts.

In that sense, the royal tombs of Vergina are arsenic overmuch astir the contiguous arsenic they are astir the past. They are a lawsuit survey successful however archaeology and historiography intersect, arsenic good arsenic however modern narratives proceed to signifier our knowing of past power.