Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai, Vergina

The Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai is located 75 km west of Thessaloniki, Greece, centered around the royal tombs built by the ancient Kingdom of Macedon at Aigai [1]. The underground museum containing the burial cluster of Philip II of Macedon began construction in 1993 and was inaugurated in 1997 [1]. The tombs and other archaeological sites of Aigai were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 because of its exceptional architecture and testimony to the transition between city-states and empires in European civilization [1]. Among the objects found in the tomb of Philip II were a golden larnax emblazoned with the sixteen-rayed "Sun of Vergina" on its lid, containing the king's bones, an intricate gold burial wreath, a silver and gold diadem with Heracles knot, silver and bronze vessels from the funeral feast, and carved ivory ornaments from the funeral couch [1].