Project for a virtual Museum of Alexander the Great in Vergina

The renewed excavations around the Royal Palace of ancient Aegae and the adjacent theater seem to have reached completion (see: At last, the Palace of Aegae reopens to the public).

For many years, this area was widely neglected by tourists because the remains offered a rather poor idea of the wealth and beauty the Palace once displayed. Besides, it stood in the shadow of the marvelous exhibition space inside the Great Tumulus where the unlooted grave of Philip II was discovered in the 1970s as well as the tomb of a young prince attributed to Alexander IV, the son of Alexander the Great.

However, Vergina (the modern name for Aegae) has much more to offer because the ancient city was widespread. In an attempt to connect the many known elements of Aegae, a new building has been constructed to become the entrance to what is called the Polycentric Museum. This space will house the statues and sculptures that were unearthed in the many sanctuaries of the city. It will also be used for temporary exhibitions and, most importantly, it will contain a virtual museum named “Alexander the Great: from Aigai to the World” – a true honor to their world-famous citizen! Please also read the update The Palace of Aegae/Vergina in full glory.

Honestly, it is about time that all the hitherto discovered remains are truly put on the map and disclosed to the general public. Many of the tombs and sanctuaries were off-limits for years and the recent financial crisis that hit Greece did not help. It was important for Aegae to be recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which eventually led to an EU funding of 4.5 million euros. Finally, the proud citizens of Vergina consider that their city played an important role in European civilization. Nicely said, but it was Alexander’s doing and not the work of Aegae or Pella!

However, their argumentation does not really matter. What really counts is the fact that by now all the known elements of Aegae are finally brought together, for they are many!

Take for instance the Sanctuary of Eucleia from the 4^th century BC with the grave of Eurydice, Alexander’s grandmother that was always closed to the public. It further consists of a small temple from Hellenistic times, two Stoas, and at least three other burial sites of high-placed people. Another Sanctuary was dedicated to Cybele, the mother of the gods, of which very little remains. Not much has been disclosed about the excavations in and around the private houses from the Hellenistic era, and only part of the city walls have been exposed.

The attention of archaeologists was focused mainly on the great number of necropolises (see: More Royal Tombs found at Aegae) located to the east of the Great Tumulus containing the grave of Philip. Here we find several clusters of necropolis, such as the cluster of the Queens, the cluster of the Temerid dynasty, the cluster of Heuzy and Bella, the general cemetery of the tumuli (apparently still to be investigated further), the archaic necropolis and the necropolis from the classical period. They certainly have their work still cut out!