We leave the beautiful Prespa area and head eastwards to Lefkadia to visit the Macedonian Tombs. This agricultural area is scattered with many tombs from the Macedonian period 3rdC BC. Not many of them are open to the public but we managed to visit the one known as the Tomb of Judges. It has been given this name because of the frescoed façade which shows Aiakos and Rhadamanthys who were the judges of Hades. The tomb is very well preserved and kept behind thermally sealed doors.
Our guide was very kind to us and allowed us to see another of the tombs, this one called the Tomb of Palmette, named because of the Flower cornices and the flower paintings.
From the tombs we headed to Ancient Pella, this was the capital city of Macedon (410 BC), the birthplace of Alexander the Great, and he was also schooled here by Aristole.
King Archelaos' Palace contains many fine pebble mosaics, some of which are now housed in the local museum.
The public baths and ceramic workshop area has been well excavated. The Macedonians had a very similar heating arrangement to the Roman Hypocaust system.
The beautiful mosaics of the Lion Hunt and Dionysis riding a panther are housed in the well laid out museum. Just looking at the ceramic water bottle backpack made my back twinge! The ceremonial gold burial wreaths armour and jewellery made a stunning display.
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