In 1977, Greek archaeologist
Manolis Andronikos started excavating the Great Tumulus at Aegae and found that two of the four tombs in the tumulus were undisturbed since antiquity. Moreover, these two, and particularly Tomb II, contained fabulous treasures and objects of great quality and sophistication. Although there was much debate for some years, Tomb II has been shown to be that of Philip II as indicated by many features, including the
greaves, one of which was shaped consistently to fit a leg with a misaligned tibia (Philip II was recorded as having broken his tibia). Also, the remains of the skull show damage to the right eye caused by the penetration of an object (historically recorded to be an arrow). The most recent research gives further evidence that Tomb II contains the remains of
Philip II. File:Grobowiec Filipa II Macedonskiego.jpg|Great Tumulus of Aegae File:Facade of Philip II tomb Vergina Greece.jpg|The tomb of Philip II of Macedon at the Museum of the Royal Tombs in
Vergina File:Philip II larnax vergina greece.jpg|The golden
larnax and the golden grave crown of Philip
Palace of Aigai The most important building discovered is the monumental palace. Located on a plateau directly below the acropolis, this building of two or perhaps three stories is centred on a large open courtyard flanked by Doric colonnades. On the north side was a large gallery with a view of the stage of the neighbouring theatre and the whole Macedonian plain. The palace was sumptuously decorated, with mosaic floors, painted plastered walls, and fine relief tiles. The masonry and architectural members were covered with high-quality marble stucco. Excavations have dated its construction to the reign of Philip II, even though he also had a palace in the capital,
Pella. It has been suggested that the building was designed by the architect
Pytheos of Priene, known for his work on the
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and for his views on urban planning and architectural proportions. The theatre, also from the second half of the 4th century BC, was closely associated with the palace. Nearly 30 large columns that surrounded the palace's main
peristyle have been reconstructed, some towering to a height of 25 ft. The frieze on the peristyle's southern section has also been reconstructed. Over 5,000 square feet of
mosaics depicting a range of scenes, including the ravishing of
Europa and motifs from nature have been carefully conserved. The Palace of Aegae is the largest building of classical Greece and is the location where
Alexander the Great was proclaimed king in 336 BC. The site of the palace lost significance for Macedonian Royalty after it (and the rest of the city) was burned down in 168 BCE after the
Battle of Pydna, despite the city remaining for another three centuries. A landslide in the first century AD preserved what was left of the ruins, leaving about 3–4 m of soil on top of the monument. The Palace of Aigai reopened to the public in January 2024 after an extensive 16 year restoration. ==See also==