Alexander the Great-era tomb's chariot to HELL: Latest images of mystery mosaic shows Persephone being driven to the underworld

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As the world waits to see whether one of Alexander the Great’s relatives lies in a mysterious tomb in north Greece, experts have now revealed the entirety of a newly-excavated mosaic.

It shows the myth of Persephone riding in a chariot, where she is being abducted and taken to Hades.

The find in Amphipolis, in northern Greece, adds weight to archaeologists’ suspicions that the burial mound could hold the remains of the mother or wife of Alexander the Great – or even perhaps an important military man.

The entirety of a newly-uncovered mosaic in a mysterious Greek tomb in Amphipolis has been revealed. It shows Persephone being abducted by Pluto (pictured), who according to the ancient tale, is taking her to the underworld aboard a chariot

Experts have so far uncovered huge statues guarding the tomb, which they say suggests the site could be the final resting place of Alexander the Great’s mother.

Now the Greek Ministry of Culture have showed off the rest of the mosaic, after revealing parts of it last week.

The mosaic measures 15 feet (4.5 metres) by 10 feet (3 metres) and covers the whole floor of a room, which is thought to be the ante chamber to the main burial room at Amphipolis.

The female figure in it is Persephone - daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter – who is wearing a white robe and riding in a chariot, according toThe Greek Reporter.

The imposing mosaic of Pluto driving a chariot (pictured) has been uncovered in the largest antique tomb ever found in Greece. The find in Amphipolis in northern Greece adds weight to archaeologists’ suspicions that the burial mound could hold the remains of a family member of Alexander the Great

Experts say the scene shows her being abducted by Pluto and being led to the underworld. She goes on to become queen of Hades for half of every year.

Hermes, the messenger to the gods, is seen guiding the chariot to the underworld.

The scene, based on ancient Greek myths, was popular for illustrating tombs at the time and a mural on a similar theme is found in another royal tomb at Aiges, nearby.

The mosaic is composed of tiny pieces of white, black, blue, red, yellow and grey stone to form an image of a chariot drawn by two white horses, driven by a  Pluto - a bearded man wearing a crown of laurel leaves.

It is being protected with layers of Styrofoam and a temporary wooden floor, while archaeologists work on revealing the tantalising contents of the next chamber. 

The mosaic dates from the fourth century BC, matching dating of the other finds, which are from the time of Alexander the Great. 

The tomb was first unearthed in early August. There is widespread speculation over who was buried at the site - from Roxana, Alexandra's Persian wife to Olympias, the king's mother, to one of his generals. 

In Greek mythology, Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter. The tale in which she is carried off to live in the underworld with Pluto, has inspired many great works of art, such as a statue by Gian Lorenze Bernini (left) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (right) who chose to depict her with darker hair

The mosaic is composed of tiny pieces of coloured stone to form an image of a chariot drawn by two white horses, driven by Pluto wearing a crown of laurel leaves. Hermes, the messenger of the gods in ancient Greece, stands in front of the chariot, (pictured) according to experts from the Greek Culture Ministry

Experts have so far uncovered huge statues guarding the tomb, an intricate door, which they say suggests the site could be the final resting place of Alexander the Great’s mother. The exterior of the vast structure is shown

A number of scholars believe that the presence of female figures, known as caryatids, show that the tomb belongs to a female.

Writer Andrew Chugg, who has published a book on the search for the legendary leader's tomb, as well as several academic papers, told The Greek Reporter that sphinxes guarding the tomb are decorated in a similar way to those found in the tombs of two queens of Macedon, including the king’s grandmother.

In Greek mythology, Hera, the wife of Zeus, is depicted as the mistress of the sphinx. As the Macedonian kings of at the time of Alexander identified themselves with Zeus, Mr Chugg thinks their queens may have been associated with the mythical creature.

He goes on to explain that the sphinxes guarding the tomb are most similar to a pair at Saqqara, which is thought to be the site of the first tomb of Alexander the Great - whose body, it is thought, was moved around after his death. 

The mosaic (pictured) measures 15 feet (4.5 metres) by 10 feet (3 metres) and covers the whole floor of a room, which is thought to be the ante chamber to the main burial room at Amphipolis

Experts believe the ancient mound, situated around 65 miles (100km) from Thessaloniki (shown on the map) was built for a prominent Macedonian in around 300 to 325BC.

He also points out that the facades of the tombs of Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II and Alexander IV, are similar to the façade of the lion monument found, which was thought to have originally stood atop the mystery tomb.

In addition to this there are also similarities between the Serres paving and rosettes and those found inside Philip II’s.

A number of scholars believe that the presence of female figures, known as caryatids (pictured) show that the tomb in the Amphipolis region of Serres belongs to a female - probably Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias

An expert listed a number of features such as caryatids and sphinxes that indicate the tomb belongs to a woman. He thinks it was most likely built for Alexander the Great's mother because the caryatid female figures are probably Klodones - the priestess of Dionysus. A close-up of their sandals are pictured

With all this, he believes the grand burial was built for Olympias or Alexander the Great’s wife, Roxane, who are both thought to have died at Amphipolis around the same time as the tomb's construction in the last quarter of the 4th century BC.

Mr Chugg thinks it was most likely built for Olympias because the caryatid female figures are probably Klodones – the priestess of Dionysus.

Greek writer Plutarch said in a biography about Alexander the Great that his mother consorted with the priestess.

Details of a sculpted female figure, known as a Caryatid, is seen inside a site of an archaeological excavation at the town of Amphipolis, in northern Greece on the right and feathers can be seen on one of the two large stone sphinxes (pictured left) which sit beneath a barrel-vault topping the entrance to its main chamber

In it, he writes that Philip II dreamt that he closed Olympia’s womb with a lion seal, which perhaps explains the lion statue thought to have been placed on top of the mysterious burial mound.

Experts have previously suggested that the tomb belongs to one of the king’s officials. There are hopes that despite looting, a body may still remain inside the burial mound.

During recent excavations, archaeologists have discovered fragments of a broken marble door which lead to the third chamber of the tomb . They have also discovered iron and bronze nails as well as a large hinge.

They say that the evidence follows the standard form of a Macedonian tomb, GreekReporter.com reported.

Experts believe the ancient mound, situated around 65 miles (100km) from Thessaloniki, was built for a prominent Macedonian in around 300 to 325BC. 

Here, archaeologists work outside a site of the tomb in Amphipolis, in northern Greece

Access to the third chamber was made possible after experts unearthed two sculpted female figures, known as Caryatids, last month.

By removing a large volume of soil, behind the wall bearing the two sculpted female figures, they were able to uncover the next chamber.

Until now, experts had only partially investigated the antechamber of the tomb and uncovered a marble wall concealing one or more inner chambers.

During initial observations, the archaeologists found that the level of sandy soil in the third chamber is lower than in the previous two chambers.

 This tweet shows the topography of the tomb and land around it

Speculation continues about who the mysterious ancient tomb recently unearthed in Greece belongs to, with one academic now suggesting Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias (etched in a coin from 316BC) was buried there

Following months of excavation, a team of researchers has made their way into the third chamber of what's been dubbed Alexander the Great's tomb, in the Amphipolis region of Serres. Access was possible through a wall that was only recently uncovered (pictured)

The dome structure has been weakened, as a result of losing a large amount of earth, and the researchers found the arched dome of the third chamber is on the verge of collapse, due to 'deep and extensive cracks' on either side.

Before the discovery of the Caryatids, it was feared the ‘incredibly important’ tomb dating to the time of Alexander the Great had been plundered in antiquity.

Archaeologists said that a hole in the decorated wall, and signs of forced entry, indicated it had been looted.

But the discovery of the female sculptures gave fresh hope that some treasure may have survived, after all.

On the left, an expert works on painstakingly removing the soil surrounding a large sculpture of a Caryatid - a female that takes the place of a column to support a building. Details of the body of a sphinx are pictured right, including its feathered wings and muscular body

Clockwise from top right shows two headless, marble sphinxes found above the entrance to the barrel-vaulted tomb, details of the facade and the lower courses of the blocking wall, the antechamber's mosaic floor, a 4.2-metre long stone slab, and the upper uncovered sections of two female figures. The second and third chambers, not pictured, have not yet been explored

The Caryatids are made of marble and support an inner entrance into the tomb.

They feature the same sculpting technique used for the heads and wings of two sphinxes found guarding the main entrance of the tomb last month.

‘The structure of the second entrance with the Caryatids is an important finding, which supports the view that it is a prominent monument of great importance,’ the Culture Ministry said.

The face of one of the Caryatids is missing, while both figures have one hand outstretched in a symbolic move to push away anyone who would try to violate the tomb.

Archaeologists have said that the Amphipolis site appears to be the largest ancient tomb ever discovered in Greece at 1,935ft (590m) wide.

Archaeologists unearthed two sculpted female figures, known as Caryatids, (pictured) as they dug deeper at the site in the northeast of Greece. The half-bodied statues made of marble have thick hair covering their shoulders and are wearing a sleeved tunic

The paw of one of the sphinxes guarding the tomb is pictured. Experts say that all the artefacts uncovered so far, suggest it is a tomb typical of the Macedonian style

Mr Chugg thinks the tomb was most likely built for Olympias (illustrated) because the caryatid female figures are probably Klodones - the priestess of Dionysu, whom she is said to have communicated with in a story

Two months ago, pictures emerged of a pair of sphinxes guarding the grave's main entrance beneath a large arch and experts said that most of the earth around the mythical creatures had been removed to reveal part of a marble lintel with frescoes.

The historian Diogenes Laertius said that Laomedon was banished by Alexander the Great's father, Philip II but returned to Macedonia when Alexander took the throne.

After governing a province in Syria after Alexander's death, he was captured by Nicanor when the empire broke up.

The story goes that he managed to escape to Caria, where he was promised the city of Amphipolis. So if his remains - or evidence that the final resting place is his - are found in the tomb, it could play a role in proving tales of the past.

‘The excavation will answer the crucial question of who was buried inside,’ Mr Samaras said.

Archaeologists who fear that few treasures and clues to its owner may remain in the tomb, said that part of a stone wall that blocked off the subterranean entrance was found to be missing, while the sphinxes, which were originally six feet (two metres) high, lack heads and wings. 

Archaeologists were hopeful that an ancient mound in northern Greece could hold the remains of a senior official from the time of Alexander the Great. They discovered that its entrance is guarded by a pair of sphinxes (pictured) but last month warned that signs of forced entry indicate it was plundered in antiquity

WHO WAS ALEXANDER THE GREAT? 

Alexander (statue pictured) was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BC, and died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BC

Alexander (statue pictured) was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BC, and died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BC

Alexander (statue pictured) was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BC, and died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BC

Alexander III of Macedon was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BC.

He died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BC.

Alexander led an army across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt claiming the land as he went.

His greatest victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela, now northern Iraq, in 331 BC, and during his trek across these Persian territories, he was said to never have suffered a defeat.

This led him to be known as Alexander the Great.

Following this battle in Gaugamela, Alexander led his army a further 11,000 miles (17,700km), founded over 70 cities and created an empire that stretched across three continents.

This covered from Greece in the west, to Egypt in the south, Danube in the north, and Indian Punjab to the East.

Alexander was buried in Egypt.

His fellow royals were traditionally interred in a cemetery near Vergina, far to the west.

The lavishly-furnished tomb of Alexander's father, Philip II, was discovered during the 1970s. 

Chief archaeologist Katerina Peristeri said that the monument being uncovered is a unique tomb, not just for Greece but for the entire Balkanic peninsula, and described it as being of ‘global interest’.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras added the discovery ‘is clearly extremely important’.

Alexander, who started from the northern Greek region of Macedonia to build an empire stretching as far as India, died in 323 B.C. and was buried in Egypt.

His fellow royals were traditionally interred in a cemetery near Vergina, to the west, where the lavishly-furnished tomb of Alexander's father, Philip II, was discovered during the 1970s.

But archaeologists believe the Amphipolis grave, which is surrounded by a surprisingly long and well-built wall with courses of marble decorations, may have belonged to a senior ancient official.

Dr Peristeri argued the mound was originally topped by a large stone lion that was unearthed a century ago, and is now situated around 3 miles (5km) from the excavation site.

Geophysical teams have identified there are three main rooms within the huge circular structure.

In the past, the lion has been associated with Laomedon of Mytilene, one of Alexander's military commanders who became governor of Syria after the king's death.

A paper sponsored by Harvard University that was published 70 years ago hints that this might be the case and that Laomedon worked as a language interpreter and sentry during the king's Asian campaigns, GreekReporter.com said.