Athens: Archaeologists are still trying to identify the owner of the tomb found in Greece recently.
The excavations are being carried out in Casta hill, the site of the ancient city of Amphipolis where Alexander the Great had ruled, Xinhua reported.
Last weekend, when two caryatids (sculpted female figures) sculptures were unearthed, anxiety over the identity of the deceased buried in the monument escalated.
All the discoveries made since last month – a sculpted five-metre high lion sculpture, two sphinxes, two caryatids – indicate that the owner of the tomb was very important and from Alexander’s inner circle.
History and archaeology professor in University of Cyprus Theodoros Mavraganis believes that the tomb belongs to Hephaestion, one of the closest friends of Alexander, with whom he had been brought up.
Another assumption implies that the burial place belongs to one of Alexander’s admirals named Nearchos, who was associated with the ancient city and was exiled there by King Philip II.
The third assumption is that Alexander’s Persian wife Roxana, and his son Alexander IV, were buried in the tomb. They were banished to Amphipolis and murdered there in around 310 BC.
According to historical records, two members of the royal family who died in Amphipolis in the late fourth century BC were Olympiad, Alexander’s mother and his sister Kassandra, the possible owners of the tomb.
Though Alexander himself was believed to have been buried in Egypt in 323 BC, there are those who believe that this is his tomb.