BREAKING - Culture Ministry Releases Photos of the Amphipolis skeleton (VIDEO + PICS)

For many months now, Greeks and friends of Greece from all over the world have been captivated by the discoveries at the ancient Amphipolis tomb. Everyone has been anxiously waiting for news on the who the "occupant" of the burial site is. It looks like we have to wait just a little longer.

credit newsit

credit newsit

On Saturday, lead archaeologist Katerina Peristeri released photos of the skeleton that was discovered at the Amphipolis tomb in northern Greece for the first.

During a press conference at the Greek Ministry of Culture, she said that scientists still do not know who the occupant of the tomb is.

     “We do not know yet who the occupant of the tomb (is),” she noted but she nonetheless presented the first photos of the skeleton found at the tomb.

Reviewing the dig’s progress from the beginning and up until now, she said that the excavations began in 2012 and were based on the local rumour that the “Queen’s tomb” was hidden beneath Kasta Hill.

As she began the presentation, she also revealed that the Kasta Tomb was destroyed by the Romans in the 3rd Century AD. According to her, the Romans destroyed the enclosure of the tomb in the 3rd century AD.

     “We even found traces of an ancient crane used to destroy the enclosure” Peristeri told reporters.

She also said that many of the missing pieces of the magnificent mosaic which depicts the Abduction of Persephone have been discovered and her team has already begun reconstructing the damaged middle part.

She then presented a photo of a marble beam from the architrave above the Caryatids, which -she noted- destroyed the head of one of the statues when it collapsed.

(This last statement certainly refutes all the theories by many archaeologists that are not involved in this dig about vandalism being committed at the tomb).

In her expert opinion, the Lion of Amphipolis was located on top of the Tomb (hill) because fragments of the ancient base of the statue were found in the surrounding area.

Immediately after this was stated renowned UK archaeologist Dorothy King retweeted the story and said that she was “glad they failed”.

Everyone in the room was also stunned to discover that her team unearthed a good amount of coins, which she said date to the 2nd century (or from the time of Alexander the Third). She said along with the coins, various pottery items were also unearthed, but these items have yet to be presented to the public. When reporters asked her for more details about the coins, quite strangely she replied that the coins were in a stage of being processed.

A little later architect Michael Lafatzis took the stand and stated that the British attempted to transfer at least 1,000 pieces of the Amphipolis tomb’s enclosure and the Lion of Amphipolis to London in 1916, much like they did with the Parthenon Marbles.

Lafatzis, who heads the schematic designs of the ancient tomb, told reporters that British troops were ready to transfer the pieces and the magnificent statue but had to put off from doing so because they were suddenly attacked by Austrian and Bulgarian troops.

He also revealed that locals in the area were hiding priceless artefacts from the tomb in their homes!  

    “Amphipolis residents have apparently been returning pieces of the tomb’s enclosure, which they secretly kept in their homes” Lafatzis stated.