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The Ministry’s general secretary Lina Mendoni told journalists that the skeleton was found in fragments, but most of it has been found. The skull was located outside of the burial opening, while the pelvis bone, which could indicate the deceased’s gender, was found in pieces. In conjunction with the fact that no burial offerings have been found, it is believed that the tomb was probably open to the public and looted in the past.
Civil engineer Dimitris Eglezos told journalists that the artificial opening beneath the tomb\s third chamber, where the skeleton was discovered, was constructed prior to the dome[vault] itself. There is no indication, so far, as to the time difference between the construction of the opening and the tomb. Additionally, the yard [peribolos] surrounding the tomb[mound] was likely destroyed in the post-Roman era, with various pieces later used for other purposes.
During the press conference it was also announced that coins were found during the excavations bearing the face of Alexander the Great, along with other coins dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.

18 Nov 2014
Culture Ministry official Lina Mendoni says it could take more than eight months for experts to complete test on the human remains found in the ancient tomb being excavated in Amphipolis, northern Greece.
The ministry’s general secretary told Skai TV that authorities have not yet assigned the task of conducting the tests to a university or other organisation.
Mendoni said that most of the field work at Amphipolis has been completed but that archaeologists still had plenty of work ahead in terms of assessing what has been found at the site.
Archaeologists are discussing the possibility of comparing the DNA of the remains from the tomb in Vergina of Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, with the remains found in Amphipolis.
Mendoni said the challenge was no easy one as the bones found at Amphipolis had been burned [ This is contradicted elsewhere. Published photos seem to show unburnt bones. Perhaps this a misprint/mistake and should read "Vergina"] and the remains at Vergina were discovered more than 50 years ago [ Actually not true. Andronikos excavated the “Philip Tomb” in 1977/78, just 37 years ago] when conservation procedures were less thorough.[We have discussed the likely difficulties of recovering DNA from cremated remains earlier.]
The grave was found 1.60 metres beneath the third chamber floor. The outer dimensions are 3.23 metres by 1.56 metres and inside the grave there is a hollow part 0.54 metres wide and 2.35 metres long. It is estimated that the height [actually internal length, which some have described as the height of the occupant] of the grave was 1.80 metres. Also, the total height from bottom[of the grave] to ceiling[vault of chamber 3] is 8.90 metres.
Archaeologists have announced that inside the grave there was a wooden coffin containing a whole human skeleton. The implication of the coffin derives from the fact that inside the grave there were about 20 iron and copper nails and several coffin decorations made of bone and glass.[ No wood survives]
Inside the grave, the human skeleton found was almost intact. The skeleton will be transferred to a laboratory for a DNA test to determine the sex and age of the dead.



- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/11 ... YPwmJ.dpuf

Reporters asked several questions on the identity of the skeleton found and the condition it was found in. “The bones were found inside and outside the burial pit,” said General Secretary of Culture Lina Mendoni. “The skull was quite some distance [ A foot? A metre? More?] away from the pit, the lower jaw was just outside the pit and the largest part of the skeleton was inside the pit. A close look shows that the legs and arms are almost intact, rib bones and parts of the spine as well as the pelvic bones are in fragmentary condition, therefore it is impossible for archaeologists to say if they belong to a man or a woman.” -
See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/12 ... UcMdz.dpuf

Nov 30
Katerina Peristeri who led the excavation process at Amphipolis Tomb and head of the Antiquities Ephorate in Serres, northern Greece spoke about the excavation. Meanwhile, ministry officials noted that this will be the final press conference regarding the excavation, as archaeologists are now ready to begin their research.
Peristeri made special reference to the time that her team found the Caryatids, expressing her emotions. She noted that according to her assessment when the tomb chamber that hosted the Caryatids filled with sand, one of the beams fell, thus destroying the face of the magnificent statue.
- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/11 ... 0w64q.dpuf

Xenophon wrote:For some lighter entertainment, see Andrew Chugg/Taphoi's recent article ( the seventh !!) in the "Greek Reporter" in his unrelenting efforts to champion his increasingly unlikely postulation that the occupant is Olympias !! The unsupported assertions and Eric Von Daniken style arguments are most entertaining !!

This completes a perfect explanationfor the remarkable simultaneous defilement and scrupulous sealing up of this astonishing tomb.

agesilaos wrote:That coins of 2nd century BC were within the tomb, explodes the whole fantasy. The sealing was much later than Kassandros' reign. Nor does the usual cod linguistic explanation wash, covering the body with three handfuls of earth sufficed for a ritual, hence the dread of dying at sea, Aeneas' helmsman gets a long lament in the Aeneid, I think.

Where did it say the mosaic had to be pre 300BC?

Efstathios wrote: The city is linked with various events, but maybe the most notable one regarding the hellenistic period was that it was where the fleet was costructed (by Hephaestion) and the base from which Alexander started both
his campaigns. Also, the lion was looking to the South East, towards Persia maybe, thus indicating someone that was at Alexander's campaign.

agesilaos wrote:Antogonas Gonatas is known to have had a cult at Rhamnous near Athens and Philip V had a cult name 'Soter' making it likely that the Antigonids were the object of ruler-cults just as much as the contemporary Lagids, Seleukids and Attalids (not to mention other divinised dynasts on Kypros and other islands)

This links to Chaniotis essay on the ruler cult; https://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife ... rulers.pdf

Once one lets go of the suppose 323-300 dating a much more plausible context arises, more in line with the numismatic, 3rd century BC, evidence and the more developed mosaic technique. The Athenian hymn to Demetrios also praises him for taming the Sphinx! The Aetolians in this case, but clearly an analogy open to any raiders - Gonatas defeated the Gauls at Lysimachaia. Possibly an explanation of the sphinxes, as a dynastic badge rather than his personal one; I do not believe the skeleton is Gonatas, the knees would have given it away!