The tomb at Dolno Lukovo – architecture and decoration

Abstract

The tomb near the village of Dolno Lukovo was found during rescue excavations in 1992, and it is remarkable for its architecture and, especially, its decoration. It consists of a burial chamber almost quadrangular in plan, with south facing entrance, an antechamber opened to the south and a dromos whose length is not defined. The chamber and the antechamber are built on a crepidoma made from nicely cut marble slabs of various sizes. The chamber has a pitched roof, consisting of four pairs of solid lime blocks. The antechamber is narrower and lower than the chamber. Each of the walls is made from two lime blocks with a rusticated frontal face. The roof is similar to the one of the chamber but it consists of two pairs of blocks. The dromos is made from local crushed stones bound by clay. Its walls are leaning outwards probably to support the soil cover of the mound. The interior of the tomb near the village of Dolno Lukovo was covered with mortar plaster. Small pieces of it have survived and have been found in situ.