Vergina

The archaeological site at Vergina in northern Greece has been identified as Aigai, the first capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon and the traditional burial place of its royal dynasty. Its most significant discovery came in 1977, when the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos uncovered a cluster of unlooted royal tombs beneath a large earthen mound, one of which is widely, though not universally, identified as the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, based on the grave goods and skeletal remains found inside. The tombs are built in the vaulted Macedonian chamber-tomb style, with monumental facades imitating temple architecture despite being constructed entirely underground and covered by earth, a distinctive Macedonian funerary building form. The site also includes the remains of a large royal palace and a theater, both important for understanding the architecture of the Macedonian court in the fourth century BC. Vergina was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.