Ancient tomb unearthed in Greece

The remains of what was thought to be the tomb of Alexander the Great was found in 1995

ATHENS, Greece -- An ancient tomb believed to be part of a war memorial from the time of Alexander the Great has been discovered in Greece.

The Macedonian tomb, dates back to Hellenistic times, about 330-150 BC, the Greek culture ministry said on Tuesday.

"Such buildings are rare," the ministry said in a statement. "The monument is of special archaeological importance not just for the Epirus (region) but the whole of Greece."

The tomb measures 2.28 by 2.35 metres and is part of a larger memorial which includes an open-air yard and a store-room.

It was discovered in September near the northern Greek town of Ioannina. Archeologists say it was located on an ancient road leading from the western coastline to the Epirus region.

But the ministry said it appeared that the building had been looted by antiquities smugglers and contained no artefacts.

The tomb is close to the Dodoni oracle, where ancient worshippers hoped to receive prophesies from the god Zeus, and which Jason visited on his mythical quest for the golden fleece.