Archaeologists say they've discovered Aristotle's tomb

STAGIRA, Greece, May 26 (UPI) -- For 20 years, scientists have been excavating the archaeological site of Stagira in northern Greece. On Thursday, they announced their most significant discovery yet: the tomb of Aristotle.

Archaeologists presented their discovery of the 2,400-year-old tomb to attendees of the Aristotle 2400 Years World Congress, a conference organized by the Interdisciplinary Center for Aristotle Studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The discovery has been reported by several Greek news sites.

Aristotle, perhaps history's most famous philosopher, was born in the ancient Macedonian city of Stagira in 384 B.C.

The newly unearthed tomb features a nearby altar and marble floor. It is covered by a mounded dome. Pottery and gold coins were also recovered from the dig site.

As this point, the hypothesis that the tomb belongs to Aristotle is based only on its grandiosity and location -- atop a hill in the city of the philosopher's birth.

"I have no hard proof, but strong indications lead me to almost certainty," archaeologist Kostas Sismanidis told ZME Science.

Since a significant portion of the tomb was destroyed during the reign of the Byzantine Empire, it's likely no new evidence directly linking the tomb to Aristotle will be found.