The Mycenaean (Achaean) civilisation (1600-1100 BC) is one of the oldest and most interesting civilisations that ever existed on the territory of modern Greece. This civilisation had an undeniable influence on the subsequent development of ancient Greek culture and occupies a special place in literature and mythology, including the works of Homer.
One of the largest and most important centres of the Mycenaean civilisation was undoubtedly the ancient city of Mycenae, from which, in fact, the culture later received its name. It was also the site of the royal residence, as well as the tombs of the Mycenaean kings and their retainers. In Greek mythology Mycenae is well known as the kingdom of the famous Agamemnon, who led the legendary Trojan War.
The ruins of the once majestic Mycenae lie about 90 km southwest of Athens in the northeastern Peloponnese near the small village of the same name and today are an important archaeological and historical monument.
History of archaeological excavations
The first excavations of ancient Mycenae were carried out as early as 1841 by the Greek archaeologist Kyriakis Pittakis. It was then that the famous Lion's Gate was discovered - a monumental entrance to the acropolis, built from four huge monolithic blocks of limestone and named for the huge bas-relief depicting two lions above the entrance. The lion gates, as well as fragments of the impressive fortress walls (their width in some places reached 17 m), built in the so-called "cyclopean" masonry, are well preserved and even today, after more than three thousand years, amaze with their monumentality.
The real furore was made by archaeological work, which began in the 1870s under the auspices of the Archaeological Society of Athens and the leadership of Heinrich Schliemann. During the excavations (both inside and outside the fortress), a number of burials in shaft and dome tombs were discovered with an incredible amount of all kinds of funerary gifts, among which especially impressive was the huge number of various items made of gold. However, the architecture of the tombs was also of great interest, perfectly illustrating the skill of the ancient architects. Perhaps the best preserved to this day, perhaps, the tombs of Clytemnestra and Atreus. The tomb of the latter dates back to the XIV century BC and is a two-chamber tomb with a corridor-dromosom (length - 36 m, width - 6 m), leading to the domed room (where the body of the king rested) with a small side aisle, which also revealed a number of burials. Above the entrance to the tomb was a huge 9-metre high stone slab weighing about 120 tonnes. How the ancient craftsmen managed to install it is still a mystery. The Tomb of Atreus, or the Treasury of Atreus, is the most grandiose domed structure of the time and one of the most important architectural monuments of the Mycenaean civilisation.
In the following decades, archaeologists have repeatedly returned to the excavations of the legendary Mycenae and found many more different structures, among which are the remains of the palace complex located on top of the hill. More recently, the so-called "lower city" has also been excavated. A detailed study of the results of archaeological excavations has allowed to significantly lift the veil of mystery over the mysterious Mycenaean civilisation.
The famous "Mycenaean gold" (including the so-called golden "mask of Agamemnon", XVI century BC. ), as well as many other unique ancient artefacts found during the excavations of Mycenae, are now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
On a side note
- Location: Mycenae
- Opening hours: daily, June - November from 08.00 to 19.00, November - March from 08.30 to 15.00.
- Tickets: adult - 3 euros, under 21 years old - free..
