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A cloth fragment discovered in a royal tomb in Greece could be the remains of a tunic once worn by Alexander the Great, according to recent claims by Professor Emeritus Antonis Bartsiokas of Democritus University of Thrace. Found in a tomb near Vergina, a site historically tied to Macedonian royalty, this garment is now believed by Bartsiokas to have belonged not to Alexander’s father, Philip II, as previously thought, but to Alexander’s half-brother Philip III Arrhidaeus. Arrhidaeus assumed the title of king after Alexander’s death, though his capacity to rule was limited by a mental disability.
Debate Surrounding the Tomb’s Occupants and Origins
The discovery was published in Journal of Field Archaeology. The discovery of the garment was made in 1977 within a gold chest in a tomb traditionally associated with Philip II. However, Bartsiokas argues that this tomb actually houses the remains of Arrhidaeus and his wife, Eurydice, basing his conclusion on historical records, wall art in the tomb, and an analysis of the garment itself. The tunic, he asserts, may have originally belonged to Alexander but was passed down to Arrhidaeus upon Alexander’s death, symbolising continuity within the royal lineage. Testing by other scholars had previously shown that the cloth, dyed purple and containing layers of cotton and huntite, resembled garments worn by Persian kings, adding weight to Bartsiokas’ argument.
Scholars’ Mixed Responses to the Findings
Experts have responded with varied opinions on Bartsiokas’ claims. Senior researcher Hariclia Brecoulaki of Greece’s National Hellenic Research Foundation disputed Bartsiokas’ identification of the garment as a tunic, suggesting instead that it more closely resembles a scarf used to wrap bones. Additionally, Athanasia Kyriakou, director of the Vergina excavation project at Aristotle University, noted that Bartsiokas had not directly examined the materials and criticised the findings as speculative.
Other scholars provided cautious support. Professor Susan Rotroff, a classics scholar at Washington University in St. Louis, found Bartsiokas’ conclusions plausible, noting that the garment’s cotton fibres align with a timeline after Alexander’s Persian conquests. Richard Janko, a classical studies professor at the University of Michigan, described the research as intriguing but emphasised that the cotton may have reached Greece through trade routes accessible to Philip II.
The debate over the identity of the tomb’s occupants continues, but Bartsiokas’ hypothesis has spurred renewed discussion on the artefacts and their historical significance in connection with Alexander the Great.
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A simulated extraterrestrial message sent from Mars to Earth in 2023 was decoded in June by Ken Chaffin and his daughter, Keli Chaffin, through nearly a year of persistent efforts. Created as part of “A Sign in Space” project by the SETI Institute, the message displays five formations of amino acids, though its meaning remains unclear. Daniela de Paulis, SETI’s artist-in-residence and a licensed radio operator, designed the project with other international scientists and artists to explore what an alien signal might resemble.
Signal Reception and Decoding Process
In May 2023, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter transmitted a signal intended to simulate an alien message. This was captured by three Earth-based observatories: the Allen Telescope Array in California, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in Italy. Released online, the raw data allowed citizen scientists worldwide to engage in decoding efforts through a community forum. Decoding required the Chaffins to use cellular automata algorithms on what appeared to be a “starmap” of white pixels, eventually revealing clusters representing amino acids.
Interpreting the Message
The Chaffins’ discovery is confirmed by the project team to represent amino acids, essential molecules in life forms. However, no interpretation has been provided for why these particular configurations might have been chosen. De Paulis and her team maintain that understanding the message’s intent is left to those examining it, in part to mimic a real-life scenario of receiving an alien transmission without guidance.
Open Interpretation and Ongoing Exploration
This simulation invites global citizen scientists to theorise about the message’s significance. Speculations range from life-forming compounds assembling in space to a simple extraterrestrial greeting. De Paulis plans to document public interpretations in a forthcoming book, recognising the difficulty in reaching a universal consensus on its meaning. Ken and Keli Chaffin, while uncertain about the precise intent, have voiced enthusiasm over their role in exploring this unique cosmic message.
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alien signal, amino acids, space communication, extraterrestrial life, citizen scientists, decoded message, cosmic puzzle, space signal, SETI, ExoMars, Mars mission
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