Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-11-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Tomb and skeleton discovered at ancient Amphipolis

[02] PM Antonis Samaras: The government will complete its four-year term

[03] Greek economy grew 1.7 pct in Q3

[04] FinMin Hardouvelis sends letter to lenders on Greece's positions

[05] Tender for Greek offshore oil drillings published in EU Gazette

[01] Tomb and skeleton discovered at ancient Amphipolis

According to the Culture ministry, 1.60 m below the stone-flagged floor level in the third chamber of the tomb, excavators found a large box-shaped tomb with scattered iron and copper nails as well as bone and glass coffin ornaments. Bones were also found inside and outside the tomb.

More specifically, the Culture ministry said that the excavation in the third chamber unearthed a tomb with external dimensions 3.23m x 1.56m x 1m. Excavators also found supporting elements that lead to the assumption that the tomb was 1.80 meters high.

Inside the tomb, excavators found a built-in space to receive a wooden coffin measuring 0.54m x 2.35m. The total height of the third chamber is 8.9 metres from the top of the chamber's ceiling to the bottom of the excavated trench.

According to the ministry announcement, parts of the skeleton of the deceased were found both inside and outside the tomb. The genetic material will be processed by experts, while all the necessary tests will be conducted.

The tomb cluster at Kasta hill was a public project, which was constructed with the largest quantity of marble found so far in a tomb in Macedonia. This characteristic coupled with its dimensions make the monument a unique one. It is an exceptionally expensive construction, the ministry said, adding that it was unlikely the full cost was assumed by private funds alone. The monument appears to be for someone considered a hero and worshipped as such at the time. The deceased was a prominent figure, which explains the uniqueness of the tomb, it said.

The ministry is studying about 500 fragments of the structure scattered around and identified as belonging to the peribolos, or surrounding wall, of the tomb in order to determine the further progress of the restoration works. About 100 of these pieces were salvaged from the nearby Kerkini Lake, where the water company, commissioned to build a dam in the area, had transferred them in 1936.

Culture Minister Costas Tassoulas on November 22 will hold a press conference at the Amphipolis Museum on the progress of the excavation. The head excavator Katerina Peristeri on November 29 will present the results of the excavation in Athens.

[02] PM Antonis Samaras: The government will complete its four-year term

The premier said that there is enough time to complete the first phase of the revision by June 2016, then begin the second phase with the next Parliament, as the Constitution provides.

The Constitution's revision is yet another reason to have a smooth election for president of the Republic, he said, in the beginning of 2015 so that the process is not interrupted and young Greeks are allowed to develop their dreams freely with the help of a modern and innovative Constitution.

By 2017, he said, Greece should have a new Constitution, which will bring great changes to Greece for the better, as it will "acquire new national vision without the fog of instability, tossing about and lack of governing." He also called on all powers to help elect a new president and to contribute to the constitutional revision so that "everything proceeds faster, more smoothly and more democratically."

[03] Greek economy grew 1.7 pct in Q3

[04] FinMin Hardouvelis sends letter to lenders on Greece's positions

According to sources, the letter outlined the latest figures regarding the implementation of the current budget (a primary surplus for second consecutive year), as well as the structural changes implemented or to be implemented. The government considers that there will be no fiscal gap in 2015 and that no changes in social security funds, mass layoffs and the issue of low VAT rates are required.

The Finance Ministry wants the current evaluation to be concluded as soon as possible and then proceed with an agreement on the "day after" with the ESM credit line.

[05] Tender for Greek offshore oil drillings published in EU Gazette

This means that interested oil companies will have to submit their bids by May 2015, within six months after the publication of the tender. This will be followed by an evaluation of the bids over a period of three months and another three months of negotiations. The successful bidders will be announced in November 2015.

The tender involves 20 sea areas, known as blocks, of a size between 1,801 to 9,543 square kilometres delineated in areas where the depth of the sea allows drilling. The data collected by seismic research in 2012 in these areas and any data collected over time is available in data rooms for investors in Athens, Oslo, Singapore and Houston.

Earlier in the year, three more tenders were announced for the areas of Arta and Preveza in western Greece, Aetoloakarnania in central Greece and the Northwestern Peloponnese. These tenders have tighter timetables for their completion, with deadlines at three months (instead of six). The winning bids for these tenders will be announced in August 2015.

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