Possible Burial Site of the Attalids at Pergamon

The news sounds very promising! The burial site of the Attalid kings may have been located inside a huge mound next to the ancient city of Pergamon, modern Bergama. The hilltop is known as Yigma Tepe, where the first excavations took place two centuries ago and were abandoned.

[Picture from Archaeology News Network. Credit:DAI-Pergamongrabung/A. Weiser]

The mound is impressive enough with its height of 31 meters and diameter of 159 meters indicating that it was meant to be a monument for a very important person or even persons. This theory is also based on the location, right next to the famous Great Altar and on the western side of the Temple of Athena. So far, it has been dated to the 2nd century BC.

At the start of this excavation season, archaeologists will conduct geophysical surveys and seismic prospecting to obtain all possible information about the underlying structure before starting digging.

Pergamon has been a grand and well-defended city for many centuries, known for its opulence and a vast number of temples, sanctuaries, and palaces. Its location was so well chosen that even Alexander the Great did not consider attacking it but marched around it instead to isolate the city. 

After his death, his general Lysimachos by then King of Thrace, chose Philetairos of Pergamon to secure his share of Alexander’s treasury. As expected, this Philetairos used it in 281 BC to found his own kingdom. Twenty years later, he left his realm to his nephew Eumenes I who ruled from 263 to 241 BC. After Eumenes, this splendid city fell into the hands of his heir, Attalus I (241-197 BC). 

The Attalid rulers were allies of Rome, much to the discontent of Philip V and Perseus of Macedonia, who fought over this wealthy territory during the three Macedonian Wars. Thanks to their support for the Seleucids, the Attalids were rewarded with extended possessions in Asia Minor. By 188 BC, the Pergamon Empire had grown considerably and outshone all others, certainly as far as Hellenistic art was concerned. 

The last Attalid ruler, Attalus III, surrendered Pergamon to the Romans in 133 BC when it became the capital of their Provincia Asia.