When was the last time you watched an intellectually stimulating movie? Or came across a picture or an idea that made you want to learn more? I’ve decided to fill in the void by creating my own think tank–going through old books at night, thinking about old trips, discovering classics I’ve never read. Would you like to join me? Shall we make this the winter of the brain? Because if we’re going to survive as a species, we need to start thinking deeply again.

I want to share with you a story I’m looking back upon by studying its pictures. It’s a story that should have you looking up photos on the internet when you’re done reading. It’s replete with discovery and treasure, mystery and intrigue:

Nestled in the foothills of the Pierian Mountains in northern Greece, the town of Vergina lies about 50 miles north of Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. There, at the end of a street in town, lies a big mound, completely unremarkable from the outside.

The man who discovered this mound in 1976 is a Greek archaeologist by the name of Manolis Andronikos and he’d been digging in the area for forty years. Mounds are always of interest to archaeologists in areas replete with ancient history; they frequently cover something old and intriguing underneath.

Adronikos and his team believed there was something important beckoning them to this particular mound and they began to carefully dig. He said at the time, “My colleagues were gathered all around. I kept digging, and soon I was sure I was happy. I had found the first untouched Macedonian tomb. That night, like all the following nights, it was impossible to sleep for more than two or three hours.”

In the days that followed, they realized they had stumbled upon something fantastic, although they weren’t sure what it was exactly. But eventually they came across a solid gold tomb, a discovery that made their hearts stop. They lifted the golden cover. And then they saw something that was impossible to imagine–an all-gold coffin with an imposing star on its cover. They took it out of the sarcophagus, laid it on the floor and opened it. “Everyone’s eyes were wide open, and our breath was cut short: the burnt bones were clearly placed in a carefully formed pile, still holding the color from the purple that once enveloped them. And in the corner a heavy gold wreath of leaves and acorns covered them. We closed the precious shrine, covered it carefully and placed it in the inner corner of the cabin…”

What they had found was an intact pair of royal tombs from the fourth century BC which contained many objects of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as several wall frescos.

Inside the tomb were two caskets of human bones, which have been proven to be the remains of the parents of Alexander The Great–King Philip II (382-336 BC) — who had conquered all of Greece — and his fourth wife Olympia.

Visitors to the site where the burials were found, can see the treasures of the tombs firsthand. And it is a site to behold. Rather than removing the objects, they built the museum underground within the tomb, so upon entrance you are your own archaeologist going below to discover the ancient site for yourself. The interior is remarkly done, keeping the mystery and realism of being underground while still presenting as a world class museum.

The objects inside are beyond description; only pictures will do it justice. According to Macedonian customs, the King’s body had been cremated and the remaining bones washed in wine before being wrapped in a purple cloth which in turn was carefully placed inside a golden chest or “larnax,” together with his royal crown made of gold oak leaves. This larnax is on ostentatious display, proudly showing its 7.820 kilograms of pure hammered gold. The Macedonian sun with 16 rays can be seen on the top lid, and a band of rosettes filled with blue enamel runs around the box between reliefs of palmettos and lotus buds. The vertical ends of the chest are also decorated with rosettes and end in legs of lion paws.

Other objects in the underground museum include Philip’s armor, including a sword and a shield, silver and bronze vessels from the funeral feast, and carved ivory ornaments.

If you ever plan to visit Greece, and even if you don’t, there’s no denying the beautiful legacy so many ancients have left for us to discover. Greece is largely a “BC tour,” meaning everything you see was built long before the birth of Christ, and a lot of it has to be left to your imagination. Except for King Phillip’s tomb. Because it was never discovered by looters, there’s still a lot of beauty to behold.