The ministry has released a new announcement today, as we expected. The newest thing they inform us about is that they have gradually removed the soil from the space behind the caryatids, reaching the floor. What they revealed is the biggest part of a pebbled floor that covers the whole space there (the dimensions given are 4.5 m width and 3 m. length). This can be seen in Image 1.

The floor is made of small white, black, grey, blue, red and yellow pebbles. What’ s depicted on the floor? A chariot drawn by two white horses, driven by a bearded man wearing a laurel wreath on his head (Image 3). In front of the chariot appears the figure of Hermes, the Olympian god, son of Zeus (Image 4). The depiction is surrounded by a decorative design as a frame, as you can see in Picture 2./p>

The depiction is an excellent piece of art, as the figures and the horses are depicted in great detail and there is an excellent harmony in the combination of the colors. It has been created at the latest quarter of the 4th century BC. The mosaic is damaged in the center, as you can see, but many of the missing pieces have been found in the soil above and, in the next days they will attempt to restore it.

The floor has not been fully revealed, as its western and eastern parts are still covered with soil, so the excavation work is being continued there.

Two thresholds have also been found, the first between the caryatids’ bases and the second just in front of the doorway that leads to the third chamber (Images 5, 6). The second threshold is made of marble. Finally, the announcement says that the researchers have found two more pieces of the marble door that led to the third chamber, as we have already informed you in amphipoli-news.com.

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