Since the impressive combination of burials, wagons and horses is unique in Greece, the Ministry of Culture decided in November 2003 to create an exhibition centre in the area of the tumulus.
The managing agency for the creation of the exhibition area is the Fund of Credits Management for Archaeological Projects (a legally incorporated independent trust under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture) and the funding itself comes from the Ministry of Culture. The president of the academic committee for the ‘Research, Protection and Enhancement of the finds of the burial mound of Mikri Doxipara-Zoni, Prefecture of Evros’ is Diamantis Triandafillos, honorary Ephor of Antiquities.
Work continues with the conservation of the wagons and the grave-goods. In order to preserve the dramatic image of the excavation which impressed every visitor, three-dimensional scanning has already been undertaken of the cremations, wagons and horses. Accurate replicas at life size made of a special powder, glue and resine have been constructed based on the scanning data with the aid of special software. Then they are assembled together and coloured by hand in order to achieve the look of copper, soil and iron. The replicas will be placed in the correct relationship to each other and the original objects will be placed nearby in special display cases after conservation and restoration. The wagons will, in this way, be reassembled in accordance with the evidence from the excavation. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full graphic display which will help the visitor to transport him or herself back in time to the period when the tumulus was constructed. The daily life of the inhabitants of the area and particularly the rituals and customs associated with death will thus become more comprehensible.
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Currently only the replicas from wagon E have been placed on the ground after the originals were removed in order to be conserved at the excavation laboratory. The removal of the elements from wagon 'B has revealed new impressions of wooden and metal artifacts that appeared at a lower level which are now in the process of being studied and catalogued.
The architectural proposition for the creation of an exhibition and the reconstruction of the tumulus has already been accepted by authorised by the Greek Central Archaeological Council and the final project blue prints are also on the way.
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The excavation and the findings in the tumulus of Mikri Doxipara - Zoni are already well known thought Greece and abroad. Visiting has always been free not only for the residents of the surrounding areas but for everyone. The number of visitors in the site increases daily. Apart from isolated visits we have had many schools, clubs, military units and many others.
