MYCENAE’S GRAVE CIRCLE A
Once part of a large cemetery outside the acropolis walls, Grave Circle A, was discovered within the Mycenaean citadel by Heinrich Schliemann, who excavated it in 1876, under the supervision of the Greek Ephorate of Antiquities.
Grave Circle A comprises six rectangular vertical shaft graves, which measure from 3.00 by 3.50 meters (9 by 10.5 ft) to 4.50 by 6.40 meters (13.5 by 19.2 ft). These shaft graves consist of two parts: the main shaft itself, which is cut into the bed-rock, and a larger pit on top of the very grave and surrounding it. After the grave goods were deposited in the main shaft, a wood or flagstone cover, supported by the shafts sides, was set in place and the larger pit was filled with earth.
The tombs in Grave Circle A contained a total of nineteen burials: nine men, eight women and two infants. With the exception of Grave II, which contained a single burial, all of the other graves contained from two to five inhumations. The deceased were placed on their backs, generally on an east-west axis. Schliemann cleared Graves I to V, and, one year later, Ephor Stamatakis excavated Grave VI. The pottery finds from Graves I, II, III and VI indicate a range of dates from the end of the Middle Helladic Period to the Late Helladic IIA Period, that is, from the 16th to the early 15th century BC.
The amazing wealth of the grave gifts reveals both the high social rank and the martial spirit of the deceased: gold jewelry and vases, a large number of decorated swords and other bronze objects, and artifacts made of imported materials, such as amber, lapis lazuli, faïence items and ostrich eggs. All of these, together with a small but characteristic group of pottery vessels, confirm Mycenae’s importance during this period and justify Homer’s designation of Mycenae as “rich in gold”.
The discovery of Grave Circle A startled the entire world with its momentous finds. It brought to light a great and hitherto unknown civilization, and paved the way for the study of Greek Prehistory. The excavation of Mycenae expanded Schliemann’s fame and gave him the title of the “father of the Mycenaean archaeology”.
In the following, we give a general description of what was found in each one of the six Shaft Graves: please refer to the description of the actual grave (graves) that has (have) produced the finds exhibited in the Museum's window in question and shown in the actual Album page. We have followed the Museum's format to exhibit the finds categorized by their nature rather than by the grave that produced them.
Shaft Grave I contained three inhumations of women who were furnished with gold jewelry and accompanied by faïence vessels, an ivory pyxis, two silver cups (one with gold rim), bronze vessels and several clay vases.
Shaft Grave II contained the single inhumation of a male with relatively few grave offerings: a gold cup, a thin gold diadem and several bronze weapons, clay vases and faïence vessels.
Shaft Grave III, the so-called “Grave of Women”, contained three female and two infant interments. The women were literally covered with gold jewelry and wore massive gold diadems, while the infants were overlaid with gold foil. A great number of gold roundels and other gold cut-out foils in various shapes with repoussé decoration were initially embroidered onto, either the deceased persons’ clothes, or their shrouds. The jewelry included large silver and bronze pins with rock-crystal heads or with gold ornaments and sheathing, a necklace of amber beads, gold earrings, and gold seals engraved with hunting o dueling scenes. Miniature gold vessels, faïence vessels and gold scales were also found.
Shaft Grave IV is conspicuous by its wealth and size. It contained three male and two female inhumations. Two of the deceased were placed on a north-south axis, contrary to the more common east-west axis. The three gold death masks are the par excellence male burial accoutrements. One male burial also had a gold breastplate. This grave contained precious gold, silver and stone vases, ritual rhytons (libation vases), either with intricate decoration, or in the shape of animals, large bronze vessels and numerous weapons, including a beautiful dagger with an inlaid lion hunt scene. The deceased were adorned with gold diadems, numerous pieces of gold jewelry, a variety of cut-out foil ornaments, and belts or straps.
Shaft Grave V contained three male burials. Two of the deceased wore gold death-masks, one of which is known as the “Mask Of Agamemnon”, a conventional name, since it is dated four hundred years earlier than the Trojan War. The grave gifts included gold breastplates, elaborate bronze swords and daggers with inlaid decoration, gold and silver vessels, an ostrich egg rhyton with applied faïence dolphins, and a wooden hexagonal pyxis with gold revetment. There was less gold jewelry than in the female graves, but a great number of amber beads.
Shaft Grave VI contained two well preserved male inhumations, which were accompanied by a gold cup, two gold “knee-bands”, several bronze weapons, including swords, daggers and spear-heads, and an assortment of clay vases.
Athens National Archaeological Museum: Gallery IV / Grave Circle A / Finds from Graves I, II and VI, Mycenae, 16th century BC (General Photo of Window) |
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Athens National Archaeological Museum: Exhibit 184. Gold diadem. Grave I. |
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185. Leaf-shaped plates. Grave I. |
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188, 189. Diadem fragments and floral ornaments. Grave I. |
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212. Gold-plated rim of a silver vase. Grave I |
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186. Bronze knife for cosmetic use (Grave I) 216. Bronze knife with ivory handle (Grave II) |
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219. Gold diadem with fastening loops. Grave II. |
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220. Gold cup decorated with repoussé arches. Grave II. |
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908, 936. Stone and ivory sword pommels. (In the central part of the photo) Grave VI. |
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936. Ivory sword pommel (Close-up) |
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912. Gold cup decorated with repoussé arches. Grave VI. |
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912. Gold cup decorated with repoussé arches (Photo taken from a higher point of view). Grave VI. |
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913, 914. Gold plates of a type conventionally dubbed 'knee-bands.' Grave VI. |
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915-917. Triangular gold plates. |
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