Archaeology Magazine - September/October 1978 - 38

the fragments of a small
gold and ivory statuette,
probably a Nike. Careful
examination convinced
me that all these pieces
belonged to the shield,
which originally had a
wood and leather frame
with ivory and gold
decorations, and handles
with fine relief figures in
gilded silver; he flying
gold and ivory Nike
must have been its
emblem. Such a unique,
precious and sensitive
work would need
protection; the bronze
The ivoryhead identified
object could then be its
as King Philip II.
cover. Undoubtedly,
The ivoryhead identified
such a shield was not
as Alexanderthe Great.
used in battle and was
probably ceremonial. Next to the shield
deceased was not a commoner. Moreover, there
we found the iron helmet of the deceased, with
was another unique object: circular in shape and
the typical crest of the Macedonian helmet and
the figure of Athena in relief on the front. This is
section, with its ends inserted into a small
the first Macedonian helmet ever recovered. At a
cylindrical piece; it was decorated all over with
distance from the objects we located the cuirass
lozenges and, on the small additional piece, with
with its back facing up. It was made of iron sheets
relief imitating the knot of a ribbon and hair
covered with leather and cloth. Its decoration
locks. In all probability this is a diadem made of
cortsisted of three golden bands on either side and
gold and silver. It is similar to those seen in the
on its periphery. In the front part were six gold
portraits of several Hellenistic rulers: Attalos III
were
of
in
the
lower
lion heads and its flaps
Pergamon, Antiochos III of Syria, Antigonus
part
of Macedón; even Alexander the Great
was
Gonatas
There
made of more than fifty gold strips.
was
also, in an undetermined position, a rectangular
depicted with such a diadem, for example, in
the
A
in
relief.
portraits of Rossie Priory, England and in the
gold plaque with the figure of Athena
Museum of Fine Arts. This interpretation
Boston
sword was found in the area between the cuirass
then leads us to the inevitable conclusion that
and the helmet. Its sheath, made of wood and
of
semicircular ivory ends, was tied by a series
the deceased had been royalty. A preliminary
of the other remains reveals a long
examination
golden bands, and was decorated with gold
cylindrical object, poorly preserved, whose core,
palmettes.
in
their
wonderful
and
These weapons, unique
according to the chemical analysis was some kind
of bamboo. The outside of this object was covered
manufacture and decoration, testified that the
with cloth and gold in alternating layers; it seems
almost unavoidable to interpret it as a scepter. All
this was fascinating, yet frightening to us for one
simple reason. The date of all our finds was
between 350 b.c. and, at the latest, 325 b.c. From
359 to 336 b.c., however, there was only one king
in Macedón, Philip II, remembered not only as
the father of Alexander the Great but also for
consolidating the Macedonian kingdom and
establishing its hegemony over Greece in 338 b.c.
Alexander, who succeeded Philip in 336 b.c. and
reigned until 323 b.c. died and was buried outside
of Macedón." Thus, we are almost forced to the
The head of Silenos(left) and the head of
startling conclusion: if the deceased had been a
Heracles (right) from silver vessels.
king, he was Philip!

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Archaeology Magazine - September/October 1978

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