One of the sphinxes' heads found at Kasta tomb in Ancient Amphipolis
A marble head discovered at the Kastas Tomb excavation in Ancient Amphipolis, northeastern Greece, on Tuesday belongs to the eastern sphinx found at the entrance to the tomb, the ministry of Culture said.
The head measures 0.60m high, the nose is slightly chipped and it has a polos (head cover). The ministry said there is a clean break at the bottom of the neck that shows a perfect fit with the sphinx. The head is carved with wavy locks containing traces of red paint and held by a thin band. The hair would appear draped over the sphinx's left shoulder. Fragments of the sphinxes' wings were also found.
The ministry also announced it was excavating the entrance to the fourth chamber at the tomb with a trial trench (2x2m, 0.45m deep). This area revealed two fragments of the western doors, with dimensions 0.89m x 1.49m/1.30m x 0.15m each.
The northern section of the marble threshold - whose total area is 2.15m x 1.6m x 0.25m - was also uncovered. The threshold has indents to set the metal runners for the marble doors. There appears to be a floor of whitewashed limestone. Archaeologists found some of the floor's limestone slabs on either side of the threshold.
From trench evident, it appears that the floor settled in the eastern part, while in the west the floor is destroyed and its slabs have caved in; some of these which have fallen into the previous (third) chamber will be removed in the next few days, the ministry said.
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