Skeleton discovered in Alexander the Great-era tomb in Amphipolis may belong to Hephaestion

Alexander the Great-era tomb in Amphipolis

A skeleton has emerged from the Alexander the Great-era tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece, according to a news announcement by the Greek Ministry of Culture on Wednesday.

At least one archaeologist has suggested that the remains, if male, could belong to Hephaestion, a close friend and possible lover of Alexander the Great -- or someone like him.

Archaeologists led by Katerina Peristeri found the human remains in a box-shaped grave. The 10.6 by 5.1-foot limestone burial was found at about 5.3 feet beneath the floor of the third chamber in the massive tomb site.

Within the limestone grave, the archaeologists unearthed the remains of a wooden coffin, along with iron and copper nails, bone and glass fragments - most likely decorative elements of the coffin.

Amphipolis tomb

"Parts of the skeleton were found scattered within and outside of the grave. Obviously, an anthropological investigation will be carried on the remains," the Greek ministry of culture said in a statement.

According to Dorothy King, a classical archaeologist not involved in the excavation, the fact that the bones were found in and out of the sarcophagus, suggests the tomb was looted.

However, she noted the finding points to the deceased being someone uniquely important.

"A burial like this in a sarcophagus, a whole body rather than a box with ashes, is unusual in Macedonia," King told Discovery News.

According to the scholar, most people who died abroad were buried in foreign land and only very important people like Alexander and Hephaestion, Alexander the Great's close friend and possible lover, were embalmed to be returned.

"I think that if the bones are male, they are most likely to be those of someone like Hephaestion," King wrote in her blog.

"The remains show that the sarcophagus was very elaborate and made of precious materials, as the sources say his funerary cortege was," she added.