November 8, 1977, Dr. Manolis Andronikos, Professor of Archeology at the University of Salonika, discovers the Tomb of Philip II of Macedon in Vergina. Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, was assassinated in 336 B.C. and buried with all the trappings of a member of the Macedonian Royal House. Philip’s tomb was lost to history but over 1,600 years later, Dr. Andronikos began searching for it in 1962 in Vergina, Macedonia, Greece.
His digs revealed many tombs and artifacts, but on November 8, 1977, after digging seventeen feet down, struck a large tomb. The tomb was believed to be that of Philip II of Macedon. Further research was performed including carbon dating and the location of ivory heads found on the tomb floor that resembled known images of Philip II and his son, Alexander.
Silver and gold ornaments and weapons, goblets, shields, paintings, and, most importantly, a marble sarcophagus containing a gold casket with the bones believed to be Philip, were also found. Although the finding of Philip’s tomb, which was one of the greatest discoveries of our time, his son, Alexander’s tomb still remains elusive. Dr. Andronikos passed away on March 30, 1992, in Thessaloniki, Greece.