Researchers recently announced in a study the discovery in a Greek tomb of a tunic that they suspect was worn by Alexander the Great, one of the greatest conquerors of Antiquity.
Researchers believe they have found a piece of clothing that may have belonged to Alexander the Great. The purple and white tunic was discovered in a royal tomb in Vergina, in the north of Greecethey indicated in their article published in Journal of Field Archaeology.
A “sarapis” missed
Alexander the Greator Alexander III of Macedon, was a king of Macedonia born in 356 BC. BC in Pella and died in 323 BC. BC in Babylon. Known to be one of the greatest conquerors of antiquityhe created an empire that stretched from Greece to India in the space of about ten years.
“An unidentified material was found in the royal tomb II of Verginain Greece, in the golden ossuary with the bones of the male occupant and her golden crown. Physical, chemical and microscopic analyzes have shown that it isa cotton textile dyed purple“ thanks to a rare and precious pigment called the purple of Tire and streaked with a white banddescribed the team led by Professor Antonis Bartsiokas from the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
These characteristics correspond to historical descriptions from the Persian “sarapis”, a sacred tunic adopted by Alexander the Great after his victory over King Darius III in 331 BC. AD “The most precious object of Antiquity”according to the authors.
“This sarapis is also represented in the frieze of Tomb II on the sixth hunter, identified as Alexander”they specified in their article.
But who lies in this grave?
The Royal Tomb II of Vergina, where the tunic was discovered, is traditionally attributed to Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. She could ultimately be that of Philip III Arrhidaea, half-brother of the king of Macedonia. This hypothesis is based on analyzes of bone remains and funerary objects, notably clothing, which could have belonged to Alexander the Great and been inherited by Philip III.
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