Posted on 02/12/2006 9:55:49 AM PST by Pharmboy
Greek archaeologists said on Sunday they had discovered the largest underground tomb in Greek antiquity in the ancient city of Pella in northern Greece, birthplace of Alexander the Great.
The eight-chamber tomb rich in painted sculpture dates to the Hellenistic period between the 3rd and 2nd century BC and offers scholars a rare glimpse into the life of nobles around the time of Alexander's death.
"This is the largest, sculptured, multi-chambered tomb found in Greece, and is significant in that it is a new architectural style -- there are many chambers and a long entrance arcade," the chief archaeologist at Pella, Maria Akamati, told Reuters.
Akamati said that the tomb, accessible through a 16-meter long entrance, was uncovered in an agricultural plot bordering the ancient cemetery of the capital city of the Macedonian kingdom.
Until now, the largest chambered funeral tomb found in Greece contained up to three chambers.
Intact, inscribed tombstones, with the names of the owners still visible, and a vast array of rich artifacts including jewelry, copper coins and earthen vases, led archaeologists to the conclusion that the tomb belonged to a noble family.
"This was a very rich family. This is rare as the cemetery is full of plebeians (commoners)," said Akamati. "We actually learned the names of the owners from the tombstones."
Akamati said at least seven to eight family members had been buried in the chambers, but the tomb had most likely been plundered over generations as luxury personal artifacts were missing.
But the painted plaster of the chambers, with red, blue and white dyes, was still evident on the walls, said Akamati.
The ancient city of Pella was part of the Macedonian kingdom, ruled by Phillip of Macedon, and later by his son Alexander the Great, where he was born in 356 BC and spent his childhood years before setting off to conquer the known world.
The tomb dates to the period after Alexander's death, Akamatis said, which was marked by mass power struggles and intrigues by the royal family and Alexander's generals battling for control of his empire.
And on a side note, the greatest dessert I ever had was Macedonian Tumumblas (sp?). Anyone have a recipe?
Pluck yer magic pinger, SC, we've got a live one here...
Looked all around--nothing. Seems like they're playing this one pretty close their vests.
Aha! I found the recipe...
Board: International Recipes at Recipelink.com
From: Halyna - NY 1-9-2005
RE: ISO: looking for a Macedonian recipe called Tulumbi, its a f...
This is the only English language recipe I could find on the Internet.
Tulumbi/Tulumbi (English)
For 30 tulumbi:
5 eggs
25g flour (3 tbsp)
5g salt (1 tsp)
250g olive oil
50g sugar (1/4 cup)
1/2 lemon 300ml water (30dl)
Mix the water, sugar, oil and salt in a saucepan, bring to the boil.
Add the flour and mix well with a wooden ladle until the mixture comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Transfer the mixture into another vessel and allow to cool.
Add the eggs one at a time to the cooled mixture and then knead the dough thoroughly. Place the mixture (or portions thereof) in a piping bag with a wide star shaped tip.
Pipe mixture into saucepan containing hot oil, cutting the tulumbi to desired length. Cook until golden in colour. Cook 4 to 5 tulumbi at a time depending on the size of the saucepan.
Make a sugar syrup with 6 cups of water and 3 cups sugar and juice from half a lemon, bring syrup to boil for 8-10 minutes, and then allow to cool.
Place cooked tulumbi into the syrup for 5-10 minutes. Remove tulumbi from syrup and drain. Place on fresh plate ready for serving.
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Sounds like a Churro soaked in syrup.
The new tomb found last week in the VAlley of the Kings and now this! Fantastic!
But, ironically in the age of cellphone cameras, NO FREAKIN' PICTURES!!!
Still waiting for the pictures of Atlantis that divers find every year, too.
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