1. 5th High School of SerresDringopoulos PanagiotisClass :
A2Teacher :Thanasouda EvaggeliaTHE KASTA TOMB
2. The TombThe Kasta Tomb, also known as theAmphipolis Tomb, is
an ancient Macedonian tombdiscovered in Amphipolis, Central
Macedonia, innorthern Greece in 2012 and first entered in
August2014. The tomb is the largest burial monument everdiscovered
in Greece and by comparison dwarfs thetomb of Philip II of Macedon,
father of Alexanderthe Great, in Vergina. The Tumulus Tomb
ofAmphipolis lies on the hill of Kasta inside a 500-meter long
surrounding wall of marble andlimestone. The Marble wall is almost
a perfect
3. Simulation of the tomb as it would be with the Amphipolis
Lion on its top
4. The marble wall around the tomb
5. The LionOriginally on the top of the Tomb there was agreat
Stone Lion, the Lion of Amphipolis. The Lionit's self is 5.3 meters
high and had a stone base thatmakes a total [with Lion] height of
15.84 meters.The sculpture who carved the two entry Sphinxes isthe
same person that sculpted the colossal Lion.
6. The huge lion
7. The entrance & 1st chamberThe Entry of the Tomb is 13
steps down from thesurrounding Wall. The Entry Arch contains
twoheadless/wingless Sphinxes, amazing works ofclassic art which
are approximately 2m tall . Infront of the Arch and Sphinx Portal
there is aLimestone wall protecting and concealing the entireentry
of this vast tomb. The design of the Entry andsurrounding wall are
unique to the ancient Greeceworld. The first chamber is 6m long and
4.5m wide.Its spectacular floor just beyond the Sphinx
Portalopening is in great condition (considering that it is
8. The Sphinxes
9. The well-preserved floor of the 1st chamber
10. The 2nd chamberThe second chamber is 4,5 meters wide and
3,0meters long. Its entrance was found between twoamazing female
statues of the Caryatid type whichsupport the entrance to the
second compartment ofthe tomb. The height of each Caryatid is 2.27
m .The Caryatids are on a pedestal 1.40 m tall (4.5 ft),making the
total height of the statues 3.67 mThe chamber floor is covered with
a pictorialmosaic in glorious colors and detail. The mosaiccovers
the entire floor surface of the 2nd Chamber.It is in white, black,
grey, blue, red and yellow and
11. The Caryatids
12. The almost intact face of the western Caryatid
13. Simulation of the two statues as they were 2300 years
ago
14. The colourful mosaic
15. The 3rd chamberThe third chamber is 4.5 meterslong and
wide. Its marble door isbroken. The parts of it as well as thehead
of the eastern Sphinx (whichheight is 60cm) and fragments of
theSphinxes wings were found duringthe excavation in the chamber.
Infront of the door, archaeologistsfound iron and bronze nails.
The
16. The head of the eastern Sphinx
17. The grave
18. Items found in the grave
19. UNESCOIn response to the magnitude of the finds,
theauthorities of Central Macedonia have requestedand were granted
a heavy 24-hour police guard ofthe dig site, and have also begun
procedures to havethe Kasta Tomb included in UNESCO's list ofWorld
Heritage Sites as a "top priority."
20. Simulation of all the chambers & the entrance
21. Nothing has ended yetDuring the next months, excavations
will becontinued. We have explored only a small part ofthis huge
tomb and archaeologists believe that thatthere are many more thing
to be found