Meanwhile, the Macedonian Tomb of Judgment, we discovered, is only open by appointment, but the telephone number only goes to a fax machine. I know "lazy" is a word used to describe government employees generally, but I will be undeterred. It will give me a reason to return, maybe with my lock pick set.
On the main road, where the speed limit is 80kph, there is another tomb. This one was nominally closed to the public as well; however, there was a segment of fence which had already been removed to "permit" visitors. After guiding Randall to drive the car into an olive grove turnoff, we then crossed the road and climbed over and through the growth.
In these tombs, the bones are buried after the funeral pyre, along with the resources for the afterlife. This could include the deceased clothes/jewelry, weapons and tools, as well as a banquet and possibly the spouse (usually the surviving wife), all of which would also be burned before being entombed. The inside of the tomb is painted with scenes of the life of the individual, while the outside façade has painted details on the columns, lintels and triglyphs. This tomb had been looted in antiquity, and much of the paint has worn away, but it was fascinating to see remnants of the painted interior.
We ended with the Tomb of Philip II, which was part of a cluster of other tombs known as the Royal Tombs of Aigai, and a veritable treasure trove of wealth, ritual, and color, but unfortunately, they forbade any photography, so I will be acquiring Macedonian Treasures: A Tour through the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai, by Angeliki Kottaridi, if anyone is interested, or there is a pretty good 3 minute video on YouTube (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b3xFaaDDP0o) which gives a tantalizing overview. So for now, I leave you with this painting:
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