Archaeologists attempting to reach the next chamber in the Amphipolis tomb have struck a wall of dirt. After cleaning and exposing the mosaic floor in the third chamber, it seems that entering the fourth chamber – or hallway – will take longer than expected. Removing the tons of earth that block the entrance to the next chamber will be difficult; the now-exposed mosaic needs to be protected. Archaeologists surmise that, beyond the dirt wall, the burial monument will have some sort of downward slope. This passage perhaps leads to an anti-chamber, or a main chamber where the tomb’s occupant is likely to be found. 600,000 Euros and Counting Minister of Culture and Sports Kostas Tasoulas recently gave the Greek Parliament a cost analysis of the Amphipolis excavation project. 390,000 euros have been provided by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and 50,000 by the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. The National Bank of Greece has donated 150,000 euros to the project. Excavations have been ongoing since 2010. The Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator S.A. has donated 35,000 euros to the effort, while Hellenic Petroleum has contributed 25,000. These funds have not yet been disbursed. The minister released the figures after Independent Greeks MP Nikos Nikolopoulos demanded them in a parliamentary session, citing a newspaper report claiming excavation costs have been exorbitant. The MP said that his voters want to have a realistic estimate of the excavation costs.
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