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The tomb on the Amphipolis site, about 100 km (65 miles) from
Greece's second-biggest city Thessaloniki, has been hailed by
archaeologists as a major discovery from the era of Alexander
the Great. They say it appears to be the largest ancient tomb to
have been discovered in Greece.
The marble head, slightly damaged on the nose, has curls falling
on the statue's left shoulder and traces of a reddish color.
"It is a sculpture of exceptional art," the ministry said,
adding that fragments of the two sphinxes' wings were also
found.
Excavations, which began in 2012, have not yet determined who is
buried in the tomb. They have uncovered an intricate mosaic
depicting the god Hermes as the conductor of souls to the
afterlife. Made up of colored pebbles, it covers the floor of a
room thought to be the antechamber to the main burial ground.
Culture ministry officials have said that the monument appears
to belong to a prominent Macedonian from the 300-325 B.C. era.
(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Larry King)
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