19th Annual Student Research Conference
Interdisciplinary
The Vergina Tombs: The Royal Burial Tomb of Philip II of Macedon?
Kristin N. Hohmeier
Prof. Martha L. Rose and Dr. Steven Reschly, Faculty Mentors
In 1977, Manolis Andronicos, a professor at the University of Thessaloniki, discovered Macedonian Royal tombs at Vergina. These discoveries were an important find for Greek archaeology and a historical goldmine for the study of Macedonian culture, and became the subject of ongoing controversy as to whose remains were in the tombs. Andronicos believed he discovered the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, but other scholars disagree. The museum that houses the tombs is magical, and one must be careful not to fall under the spell of its glamorous claims that the tombs’ occupants have conclusive identities. My research explores the Royal Tombs at Vergina to unravel the historical context of the members of the Macedonian dynasty, the tombs themselves, and the main arguments of some of the scholars involved in the debate in order to understand the controversy the Royal Tombs at Vergina have created.
Keywords: Archaeology, Greece, Philip II, Alexander the Great, Macedonia, royal tombs, controversy, Manolis Andronicos
Topic(s):Study Abroad
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 58-2
Location: OP 2115
Time: 3:00