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Who Is Buried In the Largest Tomb Ever Found In Northern Greece?

schwit1 writes Excitement continues to build as archaeologists dig deeper into a massive tomb discovered two years ago in northern Greece. "This past weekend the excavation team, led by Greek archaeologist Katerina Peristeri, announced the discovery of two elegant caryatids—large marble columns sculpted in the shape of women with outstretched arms—that may have been intended to bar intruders from entering the tomb's main room. "I don't know of anything quite like them," says Philip Freeman, a professor of classics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The curly-haired caryatids are just part of the tomb's remarkable furnishings. Guarding the door as sentinels were a pair of carved stone sphinxes, mythological creatures with the body of a lion and the head of a human. And when archaeologists finally entered the antechamber, they discovered faded remnants of frescoes as well as a mosaic floor made of white marble pieces inlaid in a red background." Archaeologists believe this tomb is connected somehow to Alexander the Great and could very well be the burial site of one of his relatives or close allies.

6 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Who is buried by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Grant?

  2. Caryatide expert here by MRe_nl · · Score: 4, Funny

    Caryatide number two seems to have been hit in the face by a Rod of Smiting.

    --
    "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
    1. Re:Caryatide expert here by invid · · Score: 4, Funny

      DM: "You walk into an underground chamber. At the other end of the chamber is a large chest with a lock. On either side of the chest is a marble pillar carved into the shape of a woman. The woman on the left has a sword and the woman on the right has a battle ax."

      Thief: "I take out my lock-pick and walk to the--"

      Magic-User: "Don't move! Those statues are going to come to life!"

      Thief: "What makes you think that? That sounds quite unlikely to me."

      Magic-User: "You're new around here, aren't you?"

      --
      The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
  3. Re:When is too soon? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    How long do they have to be dead before we dig them up and take their stuff?

    1 / expected value of loot to be found.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  4. Earl of Elgin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    So, how long until the British show up to claim their due?

  5. They're not caryatids! by Chas · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're Weeping Angels! Don't blink!

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    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!