Greek tomb may contain Alexander the Great’s tunic, new study suggests

A fabric fragment discovered in a royal tomb in Greece could be the remains of a tunic once worn by Alexander the Great, according to recent claims by professor emeritus Antonis Bartsiokas of the Democritus University of Thrace. Found in a tomb near Vergina, a place historically linked to the Macedonian royal family. Bartsiokas now believes that this garment did not belong to Alexander’s father, Philip II, as previously thought, but to Alexander’s half-brother Philip III Arrhidaeus. Arrhidaeus assumed the title of king after Alexander’s death, although his ability to rule was limited by mental disability.

Debate about the inhabitants and origins of the grave

The discovery was published in Journal of Field Archaeology. The discovery of the garment was made in 1977 in a gold casket in a tomb traditionally associated with Philip II. However, Bartsiokas claims that this tomb actually houses the remains of Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice, basing his conclusion on historical data, wall art in the tomb, and an analysis of the garment itself. The tunic, he claims, may have originally belonged to Alexander, but was passed to Arrhidaeus after Alexander’s death, symbolizing continuity within the royal line. Tests by other scholars had previously shown that the fabric, dyed purple and containing layers of cotton and huntite, resembled garments worn by Persian kings, lending weight to Bartsiokas’ argument.

Scholars’ mixed reactions to the findings

Experts have responded with varying opinions on Bartsiokas’ claims. Senior researcher Hariclia Brecoulaki of Greece’s National Hellenic Research Foundation disputed Bartsiokas’ identification of the garment as a tunic, suggesting instead that it is more similar to a scarf used to wrap bones. In addition, Athanasia Kyriakou, director of the Vergina excavation project at Aristotle University, noted that Bartsiokas had not directly examined the materials and criticized the findings as speculative.

Other scholars offered cautious support. Professor Susan Rotroff, a classics scholar at Washington University in St. Louis, found Bartsiokas’ conclusions plausible, noting that the garment’s cotton fibers fit a timeline after Alexander’s Persian conquests. Richard Janko, a professor of classical studies at the University of Michigan, described the research as intriguing, but emphasized that cotton may have reached Greece via trade routes accessible to Philip II.

The debate over the identity of the tomb’s inhabitants continues, but Bartsiokas’ hypothesis has led to renewed discussion about the artifacts and their historical significance in connection with Alexander the Great.