Following a 20-year excavation in northern Greece, a Greek archaeologist could potentially have made one of the biggest discoveries of his career, with claims to have found the tomb of Aristotle.
According to a report by The New York Times, Konstantinos Sismanidis made the announcement on Thursday 26 May during an address at a conference in Thessaloniki.
While Mr Sismanidis did say that there was “no proof”, he supported his claim by adding that there were “strong indications, as certain as one can be”.
“We had found the tomb,” he said.
“We’ve now also found the altar referred to in ancient texts, as well as the road leading to the tomb, which was very close to the city’s ancient marketplace within the city settlement.”
The tomb was unearthed in the ancient village of Stagira, where the philosopher was born in 384 BC. It was found to be in a structure, which the archaeologist believes was erected in Aristotle’s honour following his death.
Despite the lack of proof, there were a number of characteristics which support the idea that it is in fact Aristotle’s, including the location with a panoramic view; its centred position on a square marble floor; and the estimated time of its construction, believed to date back to the commencement of the Hellenistic period.
All these factors have lead Mr Sismanidis to the conclusion “that the remains of the arched structure are part of what was once the tomb-shrine of Aristotle.”
Aristotle continues to be a significant figure in Western philosophy. A student of Plato, he played a crucial role in the formation of the basis of modern logic, while his metaphysics were taken on board by Christian theologians.