Ptolemy
06-12-2006, 06:41 AM
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/aegae.htm
I. Over-view of site of Vergina:
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/aegaemap3.JPG
Aegae
Touratsoglou, Macedonia: History; Monuments; Museums, 1998
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/aegaemap.JPG
Map of Aegae: plan by G. Gatsios-A. Saayah
S. Drogou and C. Saatsoglou-Paliadeli, Vergina: Wandering through the Archaeological Site, 2nd ed. Athens
1. The Palace
2. The Theater
3. Temple of Eucleia
4. Public Buildings
5. The Rhomaios Tomb
6. Hellenistic House
7. Temple of the Mother of the Gods
8. The Great Tumulus
9. The Cemetery of the Tumuli
10. Bella Tombs
11. The Acropolis
A. Aegae (modern Vergina, a village founded in 1923) was a walled town (fortifications seem to date from the fourth century BCE) on the edge of the Macedonian plain, at foot of Pierian mountains. The center of the ancient city was built on seven terraces on the slope to the south of cemetery. The Palace on the hill (to the south-east of the modern village) is now dated to mid fourth century BCE. Just below the palace is the theater. Nearby are the agora [market place] and in it the Temple of Eucleia. Not far off, to the east, is the temple of the Mother of the gods. Further down the hill are numerous tombs, including the Rhomaios tomb and the "Eurydice Tomb." (Both of these tombs are of the type called “Macedonian.” This term refers to vaulted chamber tombs, not to the mere fact that the tomb was built by or for Macedonians. So far twelve such tombs have been found at Aegae.) Also in this area are a group of rich female burials from the late archaic and classical periods. To the east of the modern village, is an Iron Age Cemetery (Cemetery of Tumuli), another set of Macedonian tombs (the tombs of the Bella Tumulus). Some private houses have now been excavated. Aegae's propserity peaked during the 4th century BCE. In the early third, a number of buildings were destroyed, possibly as a consequence of looting by Pyrrhus' Gaulic mercenaries in 276. The city suffered heavier destruction at the time of the Roman conquest in 168, but it continued to have inhabitants until the first century CE when some natural disaster ended human habitation of the ancient city.
B. Within the modern village was once the Great Tumulus. It was constructed in part from rubble of destroyed grave stelai [grave stones] . From the hundreds of fragments, about 67 grave markers have been restored with about 38 inscriptions. They date from the fifth to early third century B.C. In form the stelai are like others from the Greek world; some are painted, some carved in relief. Those commemorated on the stelai seem to have come from quite a variety of social strata. The Great Tumulus covered several earlier mounds, three and possibly four tombs (all likely royal), and a structure often called a heroon (this was an above ground structure). The Great Tumulus was 13 m. high and about 110 m. in diameter. A modern protective roof (a shelter in the shape of a tumulus) now covers all these remains and contains a museum (displays the finds from the royal tombs) and memorial to the excavator, Andronicos.
II Cemeteries:
The ancient capital was surrounded by extensive cemeteries used for nearly a thousand years. Many burials are early (10th-7th century BCE); these lie primarily to the east of the modern village. Burials from the high point of the power of the Macedonian kingdom (late 6th century BCE-4th century BCE) are present and very rich. Many are presumably royal since Aegae was the traditional burial place of Macedonian kings. A smaller number of tombs, more of them simple, come from the period from the 4th century until the middle of the 2nd century BCE when Roman conquest abolished Macedonian monarchy. Recently 500 new graves have been excavated.
Cemetery of the Tumuli: Covers an area about 1 square kilometer (between modern villages of Vergina and Palatitsia) and has more than 300 small mounds. These belong to the early Iron Age (1000-700). A smaller number date to the Hellenistic period (4th- 2nd century BCE). Obviously this area was inhabited throughout this period. Originally few graves were found from 600-400 BCE, but recent finds have changed that. The mounds are often grouped, probably along clan lines. They are the burials of a society with marked social divisions. Each tumulus contains multiple burials( 5-15) and both men and women. Male burials tend to have iron weapons, particularly swords and knives. Female burials have jewelry, typically bronze fibulae of various types. Some female burials contain objects that may relate to roles they played in religion or society in general (diadems, "axes"). Typically a row of stones defined the circle of the tumulus. Most burials are inhumation not cremation.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergcemoftum.jpg
Cemetery of Tumuli
After the 7th century, burials were more scattered, mainly to the west. There are a number of rich burials from the late 6th and fifth centuries, particularly those separated from the rest of the cemetery by a stream. Here there is a cluster of 9 tombs: 4 large pit tombs (c. 540-470), 3 very large cist graves (2 from the 5th century, 1 from the 4th), and two Macedonian type tombs (the Rhomaios tomb and the "Eurydice" Tomb). All but one of the cluster was looted and all but one appear to have been female burials. Some believe that these burials are of royal women.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergweappyr.JPG
Weapons taken from funeral pyre, c. 550-525 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom2.JPG
Gold "roundels" with wild animals, female burial c. 540-530 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom5.JPG
Triple double ax, from female burial
S. Drogou and C. Saatsoglou-Paliadeli, Vergina: Wandering through the Archaeological Site, 2nd ed. Athens
Close to the center of the cluster of female archaic burials was the unlooted tomb of the "Lady of Aegae" or "Lady with a Scepter." It was a very large pit burial--4 meters wide, 5 meters long and 5 meters deep--that contained a wooden tomb (cistus). West of the pit, on a trivet outside the cistus, was a bronze cauldron and bronze jug and cup--all probably used in funerary rites. Inside the cistus was the dead woman, richly dressed in gold and surrounded by valuable grave goods: a bronze hydria, 13 bowls (12 bronze, 1 gilded with silver and inscribed), a glass unguentarium, a model iron cart decorated with gold bands, iron spits, a hollow silver "wand," a silver and gold tubular object, about 6 terra cotta busts (protomes) of a goddess. Even the soles of her shoes were covered with silver. On the right of the dead woman were fragments of a wooden scepter, decorated with gold and amber. Kottaridi interprets this as a sign that the woman held priestly office.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom7.jpg
"Lady of Aegae" c. 500 BCE: she worse a chiton and a heavier peplos and then an epiblema (a kind of over garment). At least one of these items was dyed purple. At her shoulders, fibulae fastened either the peplos or the chiton
Pandermalis, Alexander the Great: Treasures from an Epic Era of Hellenism, 2004
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom4.JPG
Gold earrings from tomb of "Lady of Aegae" or "Lady with Scepter"
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom1.JPG
Protomes from Archaic female burial "The lady with the scepter" c. 500 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchxoan1.JPG
Clay head of xoanon from another burial of woman c. 480 BCE.
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom3.JPG
Bronze vessel, 525-500 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
Later burials, including simple cist graves and Macedonian type tombs are also present.
I. Over-view of site of Vergina:
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/aegaemap3.JPG
Aegae
Touratsoglou, Macedonia: History; Monuments; Museums, 1998
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/aegaemap.JPG
Map of Aegae: plan by G. Gatsios-A. Saayah
S. Drogou and C. Saatsoglou-Paliadeli, Vergina: Wandering through the Archaeological Site, 2nd ed. Athens
1. The Palace
2. The Theater
3. Temple of Eucleia
4. Public Buildings
5. The Rhomaios Tomb
6. Hellenistic House
7. Temple of the Mother of the Gods
8. The Great Tumulus
9. The Cemetery of the Tumuli
10. Bella Tombs
11. The Acropolis
A. Aegae (modern Vergina, a village founded in 1923) was a walled town (fortifications seem to date from the fourth century BCE) on the edge of the Macedonian plain, at foot of Pierian mountains. The center of the ancient city was built on seven terraces on the slope to the south of cemetery. The Palace on the hill (to the south-east of the modern village) is now dated to mid fourth century BCE. Just below the palace is the theater. Nearby are the agora [market place] and in it the Temple of Eucleia. Not far off, to the east, is the temple of the Mother of the gods. Further down the hill are numerous tombs, including the Rhomaios tomb and the "Eurydice Tomb." (Both of these tombs are of the type called “Macedonian.” This term refers to vaulted chamber tombs, not to the mere fact that the tomb was built by or for Macedonians. So far twelve such tombs have been found at Aegae.) Also in this area are a group of rich female burials from the late archaic and classical periods. To the east of the modern village, is an Iron Age Cemetery (Cemetery of Tumuli), another set of Macedonian tombs (the tombs of the Bella Tumulus). Some private houses have now been excavated. Aegae's propserity peaked during the 4th century BCE. In the early third, a number of buildings were destroyed, possibly as a consequence of looting by Pyrrhus' Gaulic mercenaries in 276. The city suffered heavier destruction at the time of the Roman conquest in 168, but it continued to have inhabitants until the first century CE when some natural disaster ended human habitation of the ancient city.
B. Within the modern village was once the Great Tumulus. It was constructed in part from rubble of destroyed grave stelai [grave stones] . From the hundreds of fragments, about 67 grave markers have been restored with about 38 inscriptions. They date from the fifth to early third century B.C. In form the stelai are like others from the Greek world; some are painted, some carved in relief. Those commemorated on the stelai seem to have come from quite a variety of social strata. The Great Tumulus covered several earlier mounds, three and possibly four tombs (all likely royal), and a structure often called a heroon (this was an above ground structure). The Great Tumulus was 13 m. high and about 110 m. in diameter. A modern protective roof (a shelter in the shape of a tumulus) now covers all these remains and contains a museum (displays the finds from the royal tombs) and memorial to the excavator, Andronicos.
II Cemeteries:
The ancient capital was surrounded by extensive cemeteries used for nearly a thousand years. Many burials are early (10th-7th century BCE); these lie primarily to the east of the modern village. Burials from the high point of the power of the Macedonian kingdom (late 6th century BCE-4th century BCE) are present and very rich. Many are presumably royal since Aegae was the traditional burial place of Macedonian kings. A smaller number of tombs, more of them simple, come from the period from the 4th century until the middle of the 2nd century BCE when Roman conquest abolished Macedonian monarchy. Recently 500 new graves have been excavated.
Cemetery of the Tumuli: Covers an area about 1 square kilometer (between modern villages of Vergina and Palatitsia) and has more than 300 small mounds. These belong to the early Iron Age (1000-700). A smaller number date to the Hellenistic period (4th- 2nd century BCE). Obviously this area was inhabited throughout this period. Originally few graves were found from 600-400 BCE, but recent finds have changed that. The mounds are often grouped, probably along clan lines. They are the burials of a society with marked social divisions. Each tumulus contains multiple burials( 5-15) and both men and women. Male burials tend to have iron weapons, particularly swords and knives. Female burials have jewelry, typically bronze fibulae of various types. Some female burials contain objects that may relate to roles they played in religion or society in general (diadems, "axes"). Typically a row of stones defined the circle of the tumulus. Most burials are inhumation not cremation.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergcemoftum.jpg
Cemetery of Tumuli
After the 7th century, burials were more scattered, mainly to the west. There are a number of rich burials from the late 6th and fifth centuries, particularly those separated from the rest of the cemetery by a stream. Here there is a cluster of 9 tombs: 4 large pit tombs (c. 540-470), 3 very large cist graves (2 from the 5th century, 1 from the 4th), and two Macedonian type tombs (the Rhomaios tomb and the "Eurydice" Tomb). All but one of the cluster was looted and all but one appear to have been female burials. Some believe that these burials are of royal women.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergweappyr.JPG
Weapons taken from funeral pyre, c. 550-525 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom2.JPG
Gold "roundels" with wild animals, female burial c. 540-530 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom5.JPG
Triple double ax, from female burial
S. Drogou and C. Saatsoglou-Paliadeli, Vergina: Wandering through the Archaeological Site, 2nd ed. Athens
Close to the center of the cluster of female archaic burials was the unlooted tomb of the "Lady of Aegae" or "Lady with a Scepter." It was a very large pit burial--4 meters wide, 5 meters long and 5 meters deep--that contained a wooden tomb (cistus). West of the pit, on a trivet outside the cistus, was a bronze cauldron and bronze jug and cup--all probably used in funerary rites. Inside the cistus was the dead woman, richly dressed in gold and surrounded by valuable grave goods: a bronze hydria, 13 bowls (12 bronze, 1 gilded with silver and inscribed), a glass unguentarium, a model iron cart decorated with gold bands, iron spits, a hollow silver "wand," a silver and gold tubular object, about 6 terra cotta busts (protomes) of a goddess. Even the soles of her shoes were covered with silver. On the right of the dead woman were fragments of a wooden scepter, decorated with gold and amber. Kottaridi interprets this as a sign that the woman held priestly office.
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom7.jpg
"Lady of Aegae" c. 500 BCE: she worse a chiton and a heavier peplos and then an epiblema (a kind of over garment). At least one of these items was dyed purple. At her shoulders, fibulae fastened either the peplos or the chiton
Pandermalis, Alexander the Great: Treasures from an Epic Era of Hellenism, 2004
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom4.JPG
Gold earrings from tomb of "Lady of Aegae" or "Lady with Scepter"
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom1.JPG
Protomes from Archaic female burial "The lady with the scepter" c. 500 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchxoan1.JPG
Clay head of xoanon from another burial of woman c. 480 BCE.
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
http://people.clemson.edu/%7Eelizab/vergarchwom3.JPG
Bronze vessel, 525-500 BCE
Stamatopoulou and Yeroulanous, Excavating Classical Culture
Later burials, including simple cist graves and Macedonian type tombs are also present.