Has the tomb of Roxane and young Alexander been located?

This is a very tempting assumption, but so far this is all there is. Recent excavations in Amphipolis, Greece, have unearthed a particularly large burial mound that might lead to the very tomb of Roxane, the Bactrian wife of Alexander the Great, and that of their son, Alexander IV.

[picture from The News Network Archaeology]

After the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon, Roxane gave birth to their son. The dead king’s generals decided that the boy should share the Macedonian throne with Alexander’s (simple-minded) half-brother Arrhidaeus, who received the name of Philip-Arrhidaeus. But the everlasting bickering of these generals and their immense lust for power eventually led to the murder of the 12-year-old Alexander IV and of his mother. According to what filtered through history, the two victims were buried here in Amphipolis.

Archaeologists have found a circular, 3 meter high precinct with a perimeter of about 500 meters surrounding a tomb, which apparently has not yet been excavated due to the serious lack of money. Greece’s economy does not allow any further investigation for the time being, although the place is known since 1965 as Kasta Tom. There is no indication so far as to the identity of the tomb’s owner(s).

I can understand that the work is being stopped pending financial contribution but on the other hand I am afraid that the mound might fall in the hands of illegal diggers and tomb robbers as most sites cannot be secured properly. Let’s hope for the best.