Cities of the Mycenaean age

Where is the palace located in Mycenae and why is it there ?

It is at the top as they are war orientated so it would be harder for people attacking to get to as well as this you can see attackers from afar

What were sally ports ?

A gap in the city’s outer wall where men rushed out through them to surprise enemies

Where were sally ports located ?

There was a north and south sally port

What was the northern sally port like ?

It was a secret passage going under the wall to a cistern 18m under the ground

What was the southern sally port like ?

It was wide 2.5m and can be seen form a distance

How were the sally ports built ?

Using corbelling

What does the Mycenaean cistern suggest ?

Evidence for siege warfare

What were the walls around Mycenae like ?

They were between 5.5 and 7.5m thick and 12m high

However the walls were shorter around the lion gate

What were the walls of Mycenae built out of ?

limestone blocks with no mortar instead small bits of limestone filled gaps between blocks

How were the blocks moved in Mycenae ?

moved on rollers and others on earth ramps

What was structure of the walls like in Mycenae ?

Big blocks made up the visible parts of the wall and the inner core of the wall is made of earth and rubble

What was the main entrance to the city of Mycenae ?

The lion gate

What was the lion gate area made of ?

Conglomerate shinier and smoother than the limestone of the normal walls

What does the lion gate look like ?

* the opening was a 3m square
* there are holes for the door and bar that would have locked the gate
* There were 2 lions paws resting on alters but heads missing
* columns are above the altars

What style are the columns above the alters on the lion gate ?

They are in a Minoan style

How are the lions carved ?

In relief

What was the entrance to the lion gate like ? And why ?

* there was a ramp which funnelled the enemy towards the lion
* The walls around the ramp made it so defenders could fire down on attackers

What is the oldest tomb found in Mycenae ?

Grave circle B discovered in 1952 after circle A

Where was grave circle B located ?

200m east outside the city walls

What is in grave circle B ?

They were a mix of shaft and cist graves

* and because of possessions found it is believed over 1/2 of the graves are of royals
* 35 men women and childeren were found
* some were marked with stelai

What did it mean is a stele was blank ?

It was a womans grave

Where was grave circle A located ?

Inside the city walls found before B

What did grave circle A look like ?

it was 28m wide and surounded by a wall of small stones

it was later rebuilt with a new double wall around it and the ground was raised up

What type of graves did Circle A contain ?

There were 6 shaft graves which were bigger and deeper than those in B

What was Grave circle A ?

It was a royal burial site

What was found in Grave circle A ?

9 women

8 men ans 2 children

14kg of gold and lots of amber glass and ivory

Are there any stelai in grave circle A ?

Yes there are 3 each featuring chariots

What tombs are outside of Mycenae ?

Aegisthus and Clytemnestra and the treasury of Atreus

What types of tombs were Aegisthus and Clytemnestra ?

They were tholos tombs - beehive / igloo shape

When were the tombs of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra built ?

1300 late/middle

What is the set source for Mycenae ?

The Mycenaean lady

What is the Mycenaean lady ?

A fresco found in grave circle A

Where was tyrins located ?

It was on a hill 18m higher than the surrounding land

What was the layout like ?

It was only 300m long and between 45-100m wide

there is a curved western wall for defence

How tall were the walls of Tyrins ?

10m so smaller than Mycenae but also believed to be built by cyclopes

What was the main entrance gate of tyrins like ?

There was a large ramp up to the walls and a long narrow passage between the 2 gates to past the entrance to trap enemies

What was the west wall of tyrins like ?

It was curved and had a stairway up to a narrow corridor

Where was the highest part of tyrins ?

The upper city where the palace was

What was the main room in the palace of Tyrins ?

The megaron

What did the megaron look like ?

A hearth in the middle surrounded by 4 wooden pillars and platform for the throne

there was a plaster floor with pictures of dolphins and octopuses and wall frescoes of fancy ladies and hunting

What was built into the outer walls of tyrins ?

Galleries - long covered passages inside the walls

What is the most famous Mycenaean city ?

Troy

How many layers of troy are there ?

10 each given a roman numeral

When does the oldest city at troy start ?

3000 BC way before the beginning of the Mycenaean age

What are the 2 possible troys in which the Iliad takes place ?

Troy VI & VIIa

Why do we think Troy VI is the city of troy in the Iliad ?

* It was destroyed round 1250 which matches up with how the trojan war is traditionally around 1200
* It was a rich city with loads of big houses similar to homers description
* Walls are 7m tall with towers whch are described in the Iliad
* looks like a flourishing city similar to the Iliad

Why might Troy VI not be the city of troy from the Iliad ?

* They believe it was destroyed by an earthquake whereas most accounts say it was destroyed by fire
* Only one arrowhead was found and no dead bodies so does not suggest a war took place

Why do we think Troy VIIa is the city of troy in the Iliad ?

* It had large towers matching homers descriptions
* only single storey houses and very close together suggesting emergency housing for Trojans during the war
* Storage jars found buried in the ground for emergency supplies
* only existed for 30-40 years but destroyed by fire like in the aeneid
* bronze arrowheads and partial human remains found