Greek workers were in the process of excavating tunnels for a new subway system in the Mediterranean’s second largest city - Thessaloniki - and they stumbled upon almost 1,000 graves. The state archaeological authority said Monday that some were filled with gold treasures, and the graves themselves dated from the first century B.C. to the 5th century A.D.
Ancient treasures include jewelry, coins and various pieces of art from the city that was founded around 315 B.C. and flourished during the Roman and Byzantine eras.
Most of the graves (886) were just east of the city center in what was the eastern cemetery during Roman and Byzantine times. Those graves ranged from traces of wooden coffins left in simple holes in the ground, to marble enclosures in five-room family mausoleums.
A separate group of 94 graves were found near the city’s train station, in what was once part of the city’s western cemetery. More findings were expected as digging for the Thessaloniki metro continues. Digging started in 2006 and the first 13 stations are expected to be done by the end of 2012.
This makes you wonder when a cemetery crosses the line from ’sacred burial ground’ to ‘treasures that represent ancient civilizations.’
Subscribe By Feed Reader
Subscribe By Email
Add to Technorati
Recent Comments