Agios Athanaios Macedonian tombs NW, Macedonian tomb in Agios Athanasios, Greece.

The Agios Athanasios necropolis comprises three earthen tumuli holding four Macedonian tombs and numerous ancient and Byzantine burials. Macedonian Tomb III, the main monument, lies 12 m below the centre of the principal mound; its 5 m wide, 5.2 m high limestone facade imitates marble and carries a painted frieze of a symposium, two soldiers with sarissas and shields, and a pediment with two griffins around a golden phiale.

The three tumuli were documented from the mid-1960s and excavated intensively in the 1990s. Macedonian Tomb III, cut 12 m below the centre of the main mound, dates to the late 4th century BC and was looted in antiquity. Its finds include a quarter-stater of Philip II, ivory bed fragments, an iron cuirass, a Phrygian helmet and greaves, pointing to an elite cavalryman.

The facade of Tomb III carries a 35 cm painted frieze of a symposium, with two Macedonian soldiers flanking the door below shields bearing a Gorgon and a thunderbolt. Inside, a projecting band alternates bucrania and rosettes on black, and traces of a shield painting remain on the rear wall.

Plan your visit in advance since access hours vary throughout the year and the site may have limited opening times. A guided tour with specialists enhances understanding of the archaeological details and makes the experience more worthwhile.

Tomb III's facade carries two painted Macedonian soldiers with sarissas and causia caps, each beneath a shield: a Gorgoneion on pink at left, a thunderbolt on red at right. Inside, a quarter-stater of Philip II and ivory bed fragments were found, alongside an iron cuirass, Phrygian helmet and greaves.