Key sites

Why is it called the Mycenaean age?

Named after the city of Mycenae in Greece

what does the general term ‘the mycenaean age’ describe?

the time when many separate independent cities in the Greek world were powerful

What did these cities have in common?

Similar culture, buildings and administration and palaces at the heart of them

Did Greece exist at the time of the Mycenaeans?

NO

What is the date range of the Mycenaean age and what period is this part of?

1600BC - 1150BC (Bronze age)

What was the Minoan age and when was it?

A civilisation based on Crete that influenced neighbouring areas 3500BC - 1400BC

What are the dates of the early period and what is it known for?

1600BC - 1400BC Burials were made in shaft graves

What are the dates of the palatial period and what is it known for?

1400BC - 1250BC Great palaces were thought to have reached their peak

What are the dates of the late period and what is it known for?

1250BC - 1150BC Palaces seem to have come under more attacks before suddenly being abandoned or destroyed

What were the Dark Ages?

A period where we have no written records at all from this period. We know very little about life at this time but we know of a large population decline.

Major event of 1675

First burials in Grave Circle B at Mycenae

Major events of 1600

First burials in Grave circle A at Mycenae and destruction of Akrotiri

Major event(s) of 1400

Start of major building at Mycenaean sites, treasury of Atreus built, development of Tiryns, end of Minoan age

Major event(s) of 1375

Shipwreck of Ulu Burun

Major event(s) of 1350

Tombs of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus built, cyclopean walls built

Major event(s) of 1300

Western wall of Mycenae strengthened, eastern gate and place built at Mycenae

Major event(s) of 1250

Further strengthening of walls and defences of Tiryns, building of galleries at Tiryns, lion gate built, destruction of Troy VIIa, decline of major Mycenaean sites

Major event(s) of 1200

Destruction of Troy VI, damage to Mycenae from fire

Major event(s) of 1075

Fire and destruction of Mycenae

Who did the Greeks believe first founded Mycenae?

Perseus

Who is thought to have helped build Mycenae and why?

Cyclopes as the Greeks believed that no human could build such huge structures without help

What is Agamemnon’s role in the Trojan war?

Led an army gathered from lots of Greek cities and islands against Troy

How did Agamemnon die?

Winds weren’t changing so sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia which upset his wife. He also married Cassandra of troy which angered Clytemnestra so in revenge she and her lover Aegisthus murdered him in the bathtub.

Why was Mycenae an ideal location (hill)?

Built on a hill, 40-50m above surrounding plain so easily defendable

Why was Mycenae an ideal location (surroundings)?

Hills to N and S and ravines surround the plains on three sides

Why was Mycenae an ideal location (spring)?

Spring less than 400m away which supplies water throughout year

Why was Mycenae an ideal location (sea)?

15km from the sea

What is a citadel?

‘little city’ - an ancient city built on higher ground and defended by walls

Who excavated Mycenae?

Heinrich Schliemann - 1822 - 1890

What is the epithet used to describe Mycenae?

Rich in gold

What were sally parts used for?

Secret passages from which defenders could rush out and attack unsuspecting enemy soldiers

What are the drawbacks of the southern sally port for defensive?

Visible from a distance and only 2.5m wide so couldn’t ‘rush’ out

What is the technique of corbelling?

method of spanning a gap between 2 structures - at the top of both sides of the gap, increasingly larger blocks of stone would be placed one on top of the other until they joined at the top

what structures at Mycenae used corbelling?

passage leading to underground cistern, roof of treasury of atreus, lion gate and sally ports

Where was the underground cistern located in Mycenae?

Next to the northern sally port - passage goes under the perimeter wall to the cistern - 18m below ground level

How did the cistern make Mycenae more of a defensive fortress?

Collected water through series of slay pipes in roof with water coming from nearby spring. So if attackers tried to cut off water supply, Mycenaeans could secretly get to supply of water to enable them to hold out for a lengthy period

When were the walls first built at Mycenae?

1350Bc - Palatial period

When were the walled area enlarged and why

1250Bc - late for defence

Why were they cyclopean?

12m tall and 3-7.5m thick. Sometimes 10-14m thick. Each block weighs 2 tonnes

What were the walls made of?

Blocks of limestone piled on top of each other - smaller pieces of limestone filled in the gaps

When was the lion gate built?

1200BC - late

What is impressive about lion gate entrance?

Lintel is 20 tonnes, uphill path creates imposing entrance, corbelling of arch, area around the gate made of conglomerate which is shinier and smoother than limestone

What is depicted in the corbelled archway above gate?

2 lionesses with their front paws on 2 alter - minoan column above altars

Symbolism of lion gate carving

Lions = power, altar = piety, columns = culture

What is the benefit of the bastion layout?

easy to surround and rain missiles on enemy

Who was the mythical founder of Tiryns?

Proitos whose brother was Acrisius whose grandson was Perseus

What other famous figure was king of Tiryns?

Eurystheus

Where is Tiryns located?

In Peloponnese, 10 miles from Mycenae, build on hill 18m above land surrounding, close to the coastline

What might Tiryns’ connection with Mycenae be?

Port/lookout post for Mycenae due to coastline or rival power

How big is the citadel of Tiryns?

300m long and between 45m and 100m wide

How does Homer refer to Tiryns in the Iliad?

‘surrounded by walls’

When were the first fortification cyclopean walls built?

1400 BC

When were the fortifications enlarged>

13th century BC

What does the development of the fortification walls suggest about Mycenaean culture?

Needed further defence = suggest growing tension

How are the fortification walls similar to those at Mycenae?

Thought to have been built by Cyclopes whom Proitos had brought in from Turkey to complete the task

What was impressive about the walls and entrance at Tiryns?

Up to 8m to 10m high and 13m thick. Gate was 3m high and 3m wide so similar to lion gate

How did the double entrance ways provide further defence?

Long passage between main and second gate meant that enemies could be trapped and easily attacked with objects from above

What was a megaron?

Central hall in the palace used for banquets, worship and meetings

What did the megaron contain?

A central hearth surrounded by 4 wooden pillars and towards east side was a small platform for the kings throne

How was the megaron decorated?

The floor was plastered and had images of octopi and dolphins. The walls were covered in plastered with frescoes of rich ladies and a hunting scene and a bull leaping

What makes the rest of the palace impressive?

Surrounded by apartments and colonnades for the rulers. bathroom with floor made of polished limestone slabs. drilled holes in bathroom floor for drainage. at least 2 staircases which allowed for a second storey to some bits of the megaron

What is the construction technique that the galleries were famous for?

Corbelling - created vaulted roofs, some up to 30m long

What were the galleries used for?

leading off galleries were a large number of rooms. maybe used for extra protection or storage of food

where were they built and what does this provide further evidence for?

built into outer walls so also 13th BC. provided further support of a turbulent period where citadels needed to stockpile food due to siege. outer walls were cooler to store food

what is a tholos tomb

‘beehive’ style tomb - large in the shape of an igloo

How was the tholos tomb constructed?

Corbelling

Where does our knowledge of Troy come from?

The Iliad by Homer

Who was it excavated by?

Heinrich Schliemann

Do we believe there was a trojan war?

Nope

How old does Troy I date back to?

3000BC

Which two Troy’s do archaeologists believe could've been THE Troy?

Troy VI and Troy VIIa

Argument for Troy VI - destruction

Destroyed around 1250BC, Trojan war was dated to 1200BC

Argument for Troy VI - rich

Seems to have been a rich city with many large houses like Homer’s Troy

Argument for Troy VI - walls

Stone walls over 7m high, Iliad refers to high walls of Troy

Argument for Troy VI - towers

Walls had towers like towers of Troy in Iliad

Argument for Troy VI - population

Extended over a large area with a population of around 10000, indicates a thriving city like in the Iliad

Argument against Troy VI

Archaeologists believe it was destroyed in an earthquake, not a fire like in the Iliad (Homer describes fleeing from flames)

Argument for Troy VIIa - towers

Large towers like in the Iliad

Argument for Troy VIIa - housing

Single storey houses were crowded together and built quickly - fits with idea of emergency housing during the war

Argument for Troy VIIa - jars

Storage jars found sunk deep into ground so maybe food was being stored during siege

Argument for Troy VIIa - destruction

Destroyed by a large fire like Homer describes in the Iliad

Argument for Troy VIIa - remains

Partial remains of humans found, maybe killed in warfare

Argument for Troy VIIa - findings

3 bronze arrowheads found, indicates battle

Argument for Troy VIIa - year

only around 30-49 years after Troy VI so fits in with time slot of Trojan war

Argument against Troy VIIa - housing

Houses crammed together so maybe city wasn’t rich unlike Homer’s Troy

Argument against Troy VIIa - jars

Sunken jars may allude to lack of space they had to keep food or keeping food cool, not siege