MYCENAE

Early Period

1600-1400BC

first burials In Grave circle B&A (1676BC/1600BC)
Akrotiri destroyed (1600BC)
start of major building, T of A built, development of T, end of Minoans

Palatial period

1400BC-1250BC

Ulu Burun ship wreck (1375BC)
Tombs of C and A built, walls built (1350BC)
W walls of M strengthened, E gate and palace built (1300BC)
strengthening of T, galleries, Troy vii destroyed (1250BC)

Later period

1250BC - 1150BC

Try V1 destroyed, M fire damages (1200BC)
M ended, internal battle/invasion (1150BC)
Greece falls to Roman Empire (146BC)

Mycenae-Walls

-cyclopian
-corbeled
-900m long
-7.5m wide
-only around the palace in 1350BC
-boulders are 2 tonnes
-limestone

(worried about defence, attacked a lot, war state, good architects)

Mycenae-Sally Ports

-corbeled
-2.5m wide
-used for escape
-2 gates (N/S)

(war state, tactical, aggressive, planners)

Mycenae-Tombs of Aegisthus (Clytemnestra)

-W of city
-beehive/tholos
-triangular relief
-stone bricks
-13m high walls
-roof collapsed in 1951 (looted)
-A\=1400bc
-C\=1250bc

(protected/protected royals, strived for protection)

Mycenae-Tomb of Atreus

-45ft high
-gold and treasure
-decorated
-dromos
-triangular relief
-columns
-1300-1250bc
-50ft wide
-for royals
-largest tools for 1000yrs until pantheon

(protected/protected royals, strived for protection)

Mycenae-Water Cistern

-99 steps
-18m down
-near N sally port
-secret, underground, fresh water source
-corbeled

(planned ahead, attacked a lot)

Mycenae-Grave circle A

-in city
-6 shaft graves
-16thc-BC

-death mask of Agamemnon
-gold Kylix
-Lion/Bull ryton
-diadem
-bronze sword
-lion hunting scene dagger

Mycenae-Grave circle B

-200m E of city
-28m wide
-17thc-BC
-found in 1952
-cist graves

-ducks head vessel
-death mask
-jewellery

Mycenae-Lion Gate

-1600 to 1100BC
-10ft wide
-3m tall
-main entrance
-2 alters
-carved, conglomerate limestone
-20 tonne lintel
-minoan columns
-metal lion heads
-lions were 3m tall

(superstitious, artistic, attacked a lot, strong defence, 1st animalistic sculpture in Europe)

Tiryns Mythical founder

Perseus (Proistos - his grandfather)
Heracles birthplace

Mycenean civilisation

-1675-1150BC (after Minoan)
-controlled the sea and Crete passed to them
-'masters of the c and ship building'-Odyssey
-from Asia
-HEROIC AGE
-bronze makers
-culture dominated Greece, Asia, Augeans

similarities between Minoans and Mycenae

-traded with Egypt and Syria
-controlled the sea

Mycenae-safety

-cyclopian walls 12m high
-on hill 50m high
-steep ravines
-fertile soil
-cistern
-sally ports
-top of large valley looking out to c (50m above)
-bastions in the wall
-'M of broad streets'
-centre of civilisation
-peaked in 1300BC

Mycenae-notes

-only Acropolis foundations remain
-strong cultural presence
-centralised political system with king
-commercial ties to the Mediterranean
-militaristic attitude
-relied on crafting/architecture/trade
-flourished in 1300BC
-fortified
-past Attica
-"Mycenae of broad streets"
-900m circumference
-self sufficient/stable
-was destroyed eventually
-poor lived out side walls but could get jobs inside

Mycenae-palace

-on the top of the acropolis
-all roads lead to it
-water supply
-fertile land
-rock quarry
-9 tholos tombs
-temple around it
-large terraces for storage

Tiryns

-10 miles from Mycenae
-administrative/economic/artistic/military
-cult centre for Hera,Athena,Heracles
-destroyed by Argos
-strong hold in Hellenistic times
-8m high walls, arched galleries, frescos (youth jumping bull)
-founded by Pursues grandfather (Proitos)
-Heracle's birthplace

Tiryns and Mycenae

similarities:
outer walls
citadels at top
near the sea
bastions
storage
places\=key ft, most protected, throne room, courtyard
cyclopian walls

differences:
walls M\=12m high/T\=10m high
T closer to sea
storage M\=terraces/T\=galleries
M\=one main gate,grave circles, flat top
T\=3 gates, killing boxes, ramp, curved wall, graves 1/2 mile down

Tiryns-walls

-1st building phase
-strengthened in 13thc-BC
-"surrounded by walls"-illiad
-cyclopian
-10m high
-upper city has its own

Tiryns-W wall

-curved
-stairway and corridor
-storage rooms and water
-for defence

Tiryns-Megaron

-central hall for king
-for worships, banquets, meetings
-grand entrance
-central hearth surrounded by 4 columns

Tiryns-palace and throne room

-East of Megaron
-frescos of ladies, hunts,dolphins
-4 wooden pillars
-for Wanax residence
-25.5m long
-throne
-prodomos

Tiryns-cyclopean ramp

-main approach on E side
-47m long
-4.7m wide

Tiryns-gates

-3m wide
-bar
-attackers trapped in long passage between 2 gates \= killing box
-fortified in 13thc-BC

Tiryns-E gate

-1300bc
-created later
-created due to expansion

Tiryns-upper city

palace
own defensive walls
1st building stage
administrative, economic, artistic, military centre of region

Tiryns-Galleries

-in outer walls
-30m long
-corbeled to created vaulted roof
-rooms lead off it
-used for viewing/storage

Troy-10 years to invade

-good fortification
-walls were 'largest in the world' ' impenetrable' \= Homer
-big army
-pitched battles
-Illium\=Troy
-large walls \= 'inpenetrable'
-walls manned

(sacked 1200BC and H sings about it in 800BC so could be rumours)

no protection for attackers on plains

Troy-dates

sacked \= 1200bc
destroyed \= 1250bc
Homer wrote about it \= 800bc
Mycenae collapsed \= 1100bc (dark age)

Troy - discovery

1) 1864 Calvery identified Hissark as location
2) 1868 Schliemann met Calvert with faith in the Odyssey and site was excavated 1870-73
3) 1893 Dropfeld took over
4) Blegen took over 1932-38

Troy-Schliemann

-German businessman/novice archaeologist
-inspired by Illiad
-Calvert found location (Hissark)
-1870 arrived at Troy
-2 possible sites
-excavation began in 1870
-started in hill using pickaxes (X)
-found 4/9 versions in 3yrs
-found 'gifts of the gods' not Priam's as too early
-lied

Troy-Dropfeld

-took over excavations in 1893
-found all 9
-thought 6th was homers

Troy-Blengen

-took over excavations in 1932
- found out there was 46 phases and war in 1250BC
-ended in 1938

Troy 6-VI

1700-1270BC
HOMERS TROY

mid Bronze Age
important acropolis of time
walls
planned houses
big leap in techniques and fortification
evacuations by Doerpfeld (1890)
7m high walls
ended in fire
rich, big houses
towers
10,000 population
trojan war

Troy 7-VIi

1270-1200BC

lots of storage (jars in ground covered with heavy stone to store l/s as emergency supplies)
improved plans and techniques
Cincinnati Uni think it was Homers Troy
bronze arrow heads and human remains found
large towers
one storey houses
ended in fire

Homers Troy

VI
-7m walls
-destroyed in 1250BC and war was in 1200BC
-large, rich houses
-large SA
-10,000 population

VII
- 3 bronze arrow heads found and human remains
-large towers
-1 storey houses \= crowded, built in short time
-storage jars in ground
-fire destroyed it

Megarons

At:
Mycenae
Tiryns
Troy

oculus in roof
colourful
minoan architectural order, red brick and roof thats tiled
highest part of city

Function\=dining, eating (Od.), meeting, living 1/4 for king, guests, poetry, sacrifices, councils

Life\=simple, repetitive, luxury, hierarchy

King Alcinous palace

courtyard, dromos, round hearth, Wynax throne, 4 circular columns

Grecian great hall

-rectangular
-fronted by 2 column porch
-open central hearth with oculus
-colourful
-fire brick and wood walls
-special approach and axis

Function\=poetry, feasts, worship, sacrifice, formal, royal functions, council guests

Burial-customs shown in Homers epic poem

-rick buried with jewellery
-buried clothed
-drink offerings (cups found)
-meals eaten (shells found)
-sacrifices (2 horses found at Marathon)
-steles placed
-bodys bride in same area
-clay caskets

Burial-Prothesis

-females lamented
-everyone involved
-payed respects
-open casket
-art made on burial eg. tiles
-though of as a process not sad/scary

Graves-cist

shallow pit dug, stones placed at bottom, body curled, grave goods

Graves-shafts

1500BC
grave circles, buried 2.5-12m deep, body on back, stele placed, had perimeter wall, multiple burials in same chamber, grave goods, shows respect as more significant

Graves-Tholos and Chamber tombs

14c-BC
big, hard to build (digging out hill, corbeling), out of city walls made to show importance, honoured dead, showed status, building started in life time, dromos, lintel, vaulted, dome roof, triangular relief, treasure, drystone walling

Graves-Tholos reasons

built to:
show pff elites status
show off city status/architectural/technical ability
honour/house dead
alter for rituals
express artistic licence
fashionable
monumental
stopped in 1200 as civilisation collapsed

Grave Circle A-death mask of Agamemnon

16c-BC
hammered gold sheets and repousse, showed dead face to hour him

Grave Circle A-gold cup

Kylix
gold, repousse, libations, drinking essential in after life

Grave Circle A-jewellery

gold (beads\=gems,amber,ivory,gold), decorative, not worn just made for dead, for important females,hammering, repousse, granulation, moulds used to create images (eagles), shows effort put in

(necklace, diadem, octopus brooch\= male, links them to travelling and being c faring)

Grave Circle A-Ryton

Lion\=16c-BC, wine pouring vessel, silver and gold, granulation, repousse, for kings, still had wine poured for them in after life)

Bull\=silver with gilded golden horn and a decorative plate, inherited bull from Minoans

some fro decoration e.g Ostrich egg ryton (could make them in other shapes)

Grave Circle A-sword

16c-BC, bronze, griffins, gold, silver, niello, hunting dagger, ornamental, shows trade/hunting links, inlay, trade evidence

Grave Circle A-Pylix

16th CBC
example of metal work
storage box
hexagonal shape
12 plates of gold with filigree borders
repousse
rare as wooden
held cosmetics or jewellery

showed
-lion chasing deer
-spirals
-antelope by palm trees
-cattle

Grave circle B-duck head vessel

for female, rock crystal, handle in shape of duck head, used for cosmetics, from Crete rock crystal quarries, burial good for females vs men shown

Grave circle B-death mask

not as intricate as Agamemnons, bronze, in worse state, depicted persons face

Grave circle B-jewellery cross

hammering, gold, hung round neck,a females burial good

hellens

greek world

Theogony

birth of the gods

how was M safe?

-large 8m thick cyclopian walls \= impossible to get over or through
-on acropolis with steep ravines \= see attacks, hard to get up
-fertile soil and water cistern \= could survive inside for long periods of time
-corbeled sally ports \= could escape/ attack from them

age of the heroes - Mycenaean age

1675BC-1150BC
control of Crete passed down from Minoans

M and M \= traded with Egypt and Syria, were wealthy, controlled c

Mycenaean \= from Asia, copied Minoans, skilled in Bronze , masters of C, ship builders, H poems

Minoans \= create 1st script called Linear A, 1st Hellenic civilisation on Crete, protected travellers from pirates, introduced ship building, traded pottery for metal, ended suddenly (fire or earthquakes)

what do M ruins tell us

founded my Pursues
King Agamemnon
Cyclopian walls - believed in myth
most famous for tombs and treasure found by Schliemann

Troy ruins

3000BC \= 1st settlement
1600BC \= 1st construction stage of citadel
1300BC \= height of importance, palace, aqueducts
1200BC \= citadel ruined, remains occupied, sent warriors to Paltaia battle
600BC \= cult worship centre for Hera, Athena, Hercules, became Hellenistic strong hold
468BC \= destroyed by Argeians