The lead archaeologist at the Amphipolis excavation, Katerina Peristeri, reiterated this week that the “mystery” of the 2,300 year-old burial complex of Amphipolis, northern Greece, will be solved through the scientific study of the historical phases of the tumulus.

In an interview published by the Sunday weekly “Real News”, she said the missing pieces of the archeological puzzle can only be completed through research at the monument itself, and not through the skeletal remains found inside.

“We need to focus on the monument, and not on the bones, which for me don’t mean much. You can’t document the time frame from a skeleton. For me, bones are meaningless. They disorientate the research,” she said, adding that the site itself is where the answers should be sought.

“It is a burial complex with a unique ecumenical character because it has cultural elements from Macedonia, Asia and Egypt,” she said. “It is certain that it was commissioned for a very important person. All these tons of marbles cost huge amounts of money in order to be moved from (the nearby island of) Thassos to Amphipolis.”

She spoke of the enormous damage to the tomb from looters who plundered everything while searching for treasures in the burial chamber. She said the skeletons don’t mean much as they may be sacrificial remains or even the bones of looters. She said skeletal material had already been found in more than one place.

Meanwhile, she says search is still continuing at Amphipolis. “I’ll search around, to the side, everywhere,” she says, adding that she was surprised that not even a trace of valuable objects were found at Amphipolis. “It may be at some other point. Perhaps there is another tomb nearby,” she said.