Classical Civilisation - Archaeology: Key Sites

How is Mycenae geographically placed?

• Built on hill 40-50m above sea level

• Perimeter of 900m

• Hills north/south

• Ravines surrounding hills

• Spring 400m away

• Plains to south

• View to sea

How were Mycenaean walls built?

• Limestone piled up from nearby

• Gaps filled with more limestone

• Inner core of earth/rubble

What are the features of the walls?

• Massive stones, believed Cyclops built walls

• Stones placed on rollers or ramps

• Wall followed contours of hill

What are the four types of arches?

• Post and lintel (looks like a temple arch)

• Corbelled (bending as it goes up)

• Triangular

• Semicircular

What are the features of the lion gate?

• Corbelled arch

• Limestone slab, carved relief

• 8.25m high wall

• 20 tonne lintel

• Area of 3m²

• Holes to close

What are the features of the lion sculpture itself?

• Lions over a metre tall

• Minoan column separates

• Paws on altar, faces to front. Lions majestic, not fearsome

• Altar below, with column shows power

How did the bastion work to defend the city?

The attacking enemy are funnelled towards the gate via the ramp and are attacked from above

What did the gate allow defenders to do?

• Hurl missiles down

• Tire attackers with uphill approach

• Narrow entrance limits attacker numbers

• Attackers more visible from hill

• Lions may intimidate

• Funnel for killing

What was the palace and megaron?

Palace - on Acropolis, central, away from walls. Rooms for royals, two floors minimum

Megaron - Central hall, used for worship, feasts, cooking, throne room, poetry performance, meeting

What was Grave Circle B?

• Despite name, older than Circle A (discovered second)

• 200m east of Mycenae

• 26 graves, 14 shaft, 12 cist. 24 bodies in shaft graves, 6 family

• 17th-16th century BCE

• Enclosed by 28m diameter stone wall

• Over half very rich

• Men have carved stelai, women uncarved

• Tomb of Clytaemnestra built over 300 years later

What was Grave Circle A?

• Similar in size and wall

• Around 16th century BCE

• Next to lion gate

• Many shaft graves (deeper than Circle B) containing 9 women, 8 men, 2 children

• Many precious objects

• Elaborately carved stelai over burials

What was the Tomb of Clytaemnestra? (she was the wife of Agamemnon)

• Partially destroys GCB

• 13m diameter, 13m high

• Robbed before rediscovered in 1950s

What was the Tomb of Aegisthus? (lover of wife of Agamemnon)

• One of earliest tholos tombs

• 13.96m diameter

• West of lions’ gate

• Top collapsed, open to air

• Investigated by British and then Greek archaeological services

What was the Treasury of Atreus? (named for Agamemnon’s father)

• Immense treasure

• 14m wide

• 13.5m high

• Robbed before rediscovered

What buildings are found on the western wall of Mycenae?

• Workshops and houses of nobles (rich objects, frescoes)

• Granary (jars of carbonised wheat)

What is used as a secondary exit?

The postern gate and sally port, can be used to escape if main gate inaccessible

Who was the main person who helped excavate Mycenae?

Heinrich Schliemann

What are the geoographical features of Tiryns?

• Citadel

• Sea 2km southwest

• Hills to east, southeast

• Built on hill, 18m above sea level

• Surrounded by plains

What do the walls consist around Tiryns?

• Built by Cyclopes

• 400m long, 45-100m wide

• Originally 10m high, now 7m

• Mostly straight, west wall curved

• Ramp on east side

What does the main gate consist of?

• Approach from ramp

• 3m high and wide like Mycenae gate

• Pivot hole, slots in gate to lock

• Killing box

What were the galleries?

• Built into outer walls, corbelling to form vaulted roof

• Some 30m long

• Rooms leading off

• Extended by adding loop, area with buildings

What did the palace include?

• Highest part of Tiryns

• Had its own walls

• Grand entrace to Megaron

What did the Megaron include?

• Central hearth, four wooden pillars around, stone bases still there

• Small platform for throne

• Floor with marine life images

• Walls plastered, frescoes of rich women, hunting scene

• Around: apartments, colonnades, limestone floor, holes to drain

• Two staircases to a second floor

What is found half a mile from Tiryns?

• Tholos tomb, 6m tall and 6m wide

• 1.5m entrance

• Massive blocks hold entrance

• Large round stone inside, possible altar

Where do we get our evidence of Troy from? Also discuss reliability.

The Iliad, though it often contradicts evidence. Possibly several wars merged

What evidence is there for and against Troy VI being Homer’s Troy?

For:

• Destroyed 1250 BCE (Trojan War around 1200)

• Rich, large houses

• Stone walls over 7m high (Iliad: “high walls of Troy”)

• Wall towers

• Thriving city

Against:

• Archaeology suggests earthquake, not fire destroyed Troy VI

What does Troy VII consist?

• c. 1300 to 950 BCE

• Two layers: VIIa destroyed around 1190 BCE and VIIb survives for later

What evidence is there for and against VIIa being Homer’s Troy?

For:

• Large towers

• Crowded houses built together - Trojans fleeing?

• Storage jars in ground for food

• Large fire at end of siege

• Partial human remains

• Bronze arrowheads near walls - siege?

Against:

• Not as rich as Iliad describes

• Sunken jars may just be lack of space