Scientist Claims Ancient Tunic Belongs to Alexander the Great

Researchers believe they have found a tunic that once belonged to him. Alexander the Great Among the artifacts found in the royal tombs in Vergina, Greece, it also sparked controversy in the archaeological field.

The find, led by Antonis Bartsiokas of Greece’s Democritus University of Thrace, could provide a rare concrete link to the legendary event. macedonian king. Clothing described in the description Journal of Field ArcheologyIt consists of a purple-dyed cotton fabric with layers of whitish Huntite mineral and is known as mesoleucon sarapis.

“It is very rare in archaeology to find the find itself, its ancient description and picture,” Bartsiokas said. news week. “We have all three here and the detection of Alexander’s sarapis is certain.”

Several features point to the royal importance of the tunics. Cotton, a material foreign to ancient Greece, was imported from Persia, and purple dye was reserved for the use of the elite.

The garment was discovered in Tomb II, alongside a golden scepter, oak wreath and crown of Persian origin, and depictions of Persian gazelles on the frieze of the tomb. The researchers used advanced techniques such as gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine what the tunic is made of.

The research team also made bold claims about the tomb’s occupants. Using a variety of testing techniques and historical references, we found that Tomb I was found in Tomb II. They suggest it contains the remains of Philip. Alexander’s father; Tomb II houses Alexander’s half-brother Philip III; and Tomb III contains Alexander’s teenage son, Alexander IV.

Discovered in 1977 near the town of Vergina, the royal tombs are part of an ancient urban complex that once served as the capital of Macedonia, one of the most assertive and expansionist kingdoms of antiquity. The discovery revealed that the tomb belongs to Alexander II’s father. It was run by Manolis Andronicos, who died in 1992, claiming that it belonged to Philip.

However, the findings are debated in the archaeological community. According to Greece, Stella Drougou, a retired professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a former excavator at the site, dismissed the claims as “unfounded” and contradictory to previous excavation data. newspaper ProtoTheme.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the findings, Bartsiokas said, “The archaeologists on duty are not biological anthropologists, and the basis for identifying the graves is skeletal remains. Therefore, physical anthropology is not something they can fully grasp.”

He added: “The other main problem they have is that they don’t publish in peer-reviewed journals, so their work is not reliable, whereas all my articles on Vergina are in peer-reviewed journals. Their reputation is also at stake.”

James Romm, author and professor of classics at Bard College The Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Struggle for His Empire, It offered a more nuanced look. While suggesting that Bartsiokas’ theories may be legitimate, he told The Guardian: New York Times this resistance stems from “a combination of respect for Philip II and respect for Andronicus.”

However, Romm cautions that some aspects of Bartsiokas’ interpretation, particularly regarding the tomb’s frieze, are “more difficult to defend.”

The presence of Alexander’s tunic in the tomb of his half-brother remains unexplained, but researchers believe it was discovered in the tomb of Alexander III after Alexander’s death. He thinks it might be related to Philip’s successor.

The location of Alexander the Great’s final resting place is unknown.

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Reference

Bartsiokas, A. (n.d.). Identification of the Sacred “Kiton” (Sarapis) of Pharaoh Alexander the Great in Tomb II in Vergina, Macedonia, Greece. Journal of Field Archeology, 0(0), 1–13.