Mycenae
- Created by: Ruthfeath
- Created on: 17-05-18 20:37
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- Mycenae
- Physical Setting
- Lies in a rocky knoll between two mountains
- Flash-flooding was well known risk
- 8 miles from Tiryns
- Constant water supply from Perseia spring to the east
- Lay on divide between arable & pasture land
- Good lines of connection in all directions
- Farming destroyed much trace of road routes north
- Sandstone hills provided wood - grazing for animals
- Lowlands provided farming land
- Pre-Palatial Period
- Occupation well known - traces of walls, lots of excellent pottery
- Walls found on top of acropolis - main residence at highest part of site
- West slope - remains near Lion Gate, under Ramp House, below Citadel House
- Most extensive structure found beside Processional Way - burnt remains of basement storeroom filled with pots & provisions
- Structural remains near GCB & under Ivory Houses
- Prehistoric Cemetery covered much of lower west slope of acropolis hill - outside main settlemetn
- Burials are basic small grave
- Pottery exclusively wheel made - innovation
- Increase in visible wealth & change in culture near end of period
- GCB surrounded by wall, included 25 graves (35 burials)
- 14 shaft graves
- 1 larger built tomb
- Earliest are simple cist grave
- Early Palatial Period
- Vast increase in wealth & ostentatious display through burials - 3 types
- GCA is evidence of cultural emergence
- Graves held 9 women, 8 men, 1 child
- Grave goods show vast quantity of wealth, craftsmanship & trade
- Come from wide variety of places - Crete, Egypt
- Tholoi
- Tomb of Aegisthus & Lion tomb are two largest from this period
- Built for members of dominant faction
- All have been robbed - only small pottery traces remain
- GCA still in use for one family group - others changed to this grave type
- Tomb of Aegisthus & Lion tomb are two largest from this period
- Chamber tombs
- Central building on top of the acropolis
- Fragments of fresco with plant decoration, very high quality pottery found beneath later structures
- No plan for early palace
- Must have followed natural contours of hill
- Palatial Period
- 14th & 13th Centuries BC
- Climax of influence
- Differences between mainland Greek & Cretan culture became ever more apparent
- Influence of mainland Greece begins to spread even more widely
- Fortification walls
- Treasury of Atreus
- First of major monuments to be built
- 2 colour facade
- Major advance from last phase (Lion Tomb)
- Palace
- 2 palaces during this phase - structure built after terrace for citadel wall had been built
- Built in last quarter of 14thC
- Plan of three blocks divided by long corridors
- Northern terrace
- Basements for storage
- Upper terrace of rooms
- Central part of middle terrace
- Open as a sort of central court
- Private quarters of ruler
- Suite of rooms to west of court - guest suite
- Southern block
- Large reception rooms
- Courtyard
- Megaron with central hearth
- Throne in middle of south wall
- Northern terrace
- Plan of three blocks divided by long corridors
- Also a more eastern section - later fell
- Most houses visible today
- 2 other tholoi
- Development in building technique
- Artificial terracing - extended area available for building, strengthened the foundations of major structures
- Required advances in drainage - water was allowed to seep through to be channelled out by built drains through outer terrace walling
- In citadel walls, drains were built narrowing at the outlet so the volume of water would keep exit clear
- Developed because of shortage of space or because of damage to existing structures - earthquake
- Terraces built in compartments of strength - filled with small stones mixed with soil & domestic rubbish (largely pottery)
- Pottery probably brought from rubbish dumps elsewhere - provides detailed chronological sequence
- Required advances in drainage - water was allowed to seep through to be channelled out by built drains through outer terrace walling
- Artificial terracing - extended area available for building, strengthened the foundations of major structures
- Fortifications built in 3 stages
- 1. 2nd half of 14thC - dated by pottery sherds
- Entrance through a road from the south-west
- Another entrance at north-east corner - population could enter and access water source to east
- Line of wall followed line of rock exactly
- 2. Mid 13thC
- Lion Gate
- Newly aligned ramp leading to summit
- New west wall to encircle refurbished GCA
- 3. End of 13thC
- North Gate
- North Gate extension - brought entrance to underground water cistern inside walls
- 1. 2nd half of 14thC - dated by pottery sherds
- Most other structures within citadel assigned to this period
- Many seem to have been burnt at the end of the 13thC
- West Slope
- Ramp House
- Opens onto small open space with South House
- House of the Warrior Vase
- Large basements
- Backs onto South House
- South House
- 3 sets of rooms
- Early 13thC
- Cult Centre
- Linked to roads approaching citadel from south west
- Mid 13thC
- Several shrine
- Megaron 10
- Storage basements
- Large house
- Granary
- Built after GCA - façade planned in relation to it
- Plant remains found inside, dated to this phase
- Underground cistern
- Water running through hills of citadel could be accessed
- Entrance passage constructed
- Ramp House
- Town
- Seems to have reached c.80 acres beyond citadel walls
- Separate cemeteries & settlements
- Boundaries marked & clearly identified by 14thC - citadel first walled
- Commercial & smaller establishments found on Pezoulia slope
- House of the Wine Merchant
- Only one tomb lies within area of town
- Tombs
- Last of 9 tholoi to b constructed was Tomb of Clytemnestra - end of 14thC
- Tholoi were tombs for highest social group
- Others used family chamber tombs
- Total number of chamber tombs surpasses 300
- Others used family chamber tombs
- Physical Setting
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