2,400-year-old tomb with gold treasures unearthed in Greece. See what looters missed
Walking into the ruins of an ancient tomb in southern Greece, archaeologists inadvertently joined a centuries-long tradition. The 2,400-year-old tomb had seen all manner of visitors from mourners to looters to worshippers — and each group had left its mark.
Archaeologists excavated a T-shaped tomb in ancient Tenea last fall as part of ongoing research at the site, Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sports said in a March 10 news release.
The structure had two main parts: a narrow corridor and a central burial chamber, a common arrangement for ancient Greek tombs, officials said. Photos show what the corridor looks like while walking through and what the rectangular chamber looks like from above.
Inside the burial chamber, archaeologists found one larger sarcophagus filled with animal bones and five stone coffins, the ministry said. The graves had been disturbed, but researchers could still identify one as an adult woman.
The structure had been used as a tomb up until the fourth century when it was filled in and abandoned, archaeologists said. Soon after, in the ancient Roman era, looters breached the tomb's roof and looted the burials — but they didn't take everything.
Archaeologists found a wide variety of artifacts inside the 2,400-year-old tomb, including a gold ring with a semi-precious stone, two gold coins and several gold leaves from a wreath. Photos show these treasures.
Other finds included coins dating from 300 B.C. to 300 A.D., glass beads, bronze jewelry and bread crumbs. A photo shows some of these artifacts, including the bright red bread crumbs.
The tomb also began being used as a ritual site during the ancient Roman era, archaeologists said. Excavations found pottery from this period, lamps and several clay fingers left as offerings.
Archaeologists suspect the 2,400-year-old tomb became associated with healing and may have been part of a larger ceremonial complex, but the specifics remain a mystery.
Excavations at ancient Tenea finished in October but are expected to continue in the future.
The ruins of ancient Tenea are on the outskirts of the village Chiliomodi and a roughly 60-mile drive southwest from Athens.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sports.
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