History

Aigai served as the first capital of the Argead dynasty, the ruling house of Macedon, until the capital was moved to Pella in the 4th century BC. Even after the transfer, Aigai retained its sacred status as the traditional burial place of Macedonian kings — a practice continued for centuries. The city itself was largely destroyed by the Galatians in 279 BC, but the cemetery continued in use. It was covered by a large artificial mound, the Great Tumulus, whose purpose as a royal burial site was forgotten over subsequent centuries.

On 8 November 1977, the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos of the University of Thessaloniki broke through the roof of a four-chambered tomb of exceptional quality in what he later described as the most dramatic moment of his career. The main chamber was intact and unlooted — an extraordinarily rare circumstance for any ancient Greek tomb, let alone one of royal quality. The chamber contained a golden larnax decorated with the 16-pointed star of Macedon, holding cremated human bones wrapped in a purple cloth interwoven with gold thread, alongside a gold-and-iron diadem, an iron and gold sword, silver cups, bronze vessels, and ivory-inlaid wooden furniture.

The identification of the tomb as Philip II’s rests on anatomical and archaeological evidence: examination of the cremated bones identified a healed cut wound to the right eye socket, consistent with the historical record of Philip II’s blinding by an arrow at the siege of Methone in 354 BC; the individual was approximately 40–50 years old at death, consistent with Philip II’s age (46) when assassinated in 336 BC; and the quality and nature of the grave goods are consistent with the wealthiest known ruler of the period.