By examining dusty bones pulled from the bottom of an ancient tomb, researchers say they’ve identified the remains of King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, in a tomb in Vergina, Greece, along with his wife and a child.
The discovery, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, corrects a decades-long case of mistaken identity.
“A nearly 40-year-old mystery concerning the Royal Tombs of Vergina has finally been solved that puzzled historians, archaeologists, and physical anthropologists,” the team of European researchers wrote.
Philip II was assassinated in 336 BC, and his young wife and newborn son were killed shortly thereafter, according to historical accounts, but it’s been unclear what happened to the king’s remains.