The Dovecote Billed as Archimedes' Tomb

The Dovecote Billed as Archimedes' Tomb

The cave in Sicily's Grotticelle necropolis, often said to be the resting place of Archimedes, may instead have a very different past. Although believed to be where the famous ancient mathematician may have been buried after his death, there are signs that point to a very different origin for this cave, ostensibly built as a dovecote during the late Roman Republic.

Hidden in the heart of Siracusa's Grotticelle necropolis, a man-made cave, long suggested as the Tomb of Archimedes, may in fact tell a very different story of the past. Although believed to be where the famous ancient mathematician Archimedes may have been buried after his death, the sources suggest that it is improbable that it is his tomb and it was almost certainly built centuries after his death, during the late Roman Republic.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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