Tiryns
- Created by: Ruthfeath
- Created on: 21-05-18 15:42
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- Tiryns
- Physical Setting
- Close to Bay of Argos
- Built on low rocky hill rising out of flat lowland
- Hill sloped from south to north
- Used to divide it into Upper, Lower & Middle citadel
- Upper Citadel
- Palace
- Lower Citadel
- Buildings probably used by palace officials
- Upper Citadel
- Used to divide it into Upper, Lower & Middle citadel
- Hill sloped from south to north
- Controlled Bay of Argos & southern part of plain
- City was perhaps a harbour for Mycenae
- Strong evidence for long-distance trade
- Existence of Mycenae & Tiryns at opposite ends of the same plain suggests there may have been some rivalry between the two powers
- Castleden - 2 towns probably ruled by separate kings, but ultimately power was in hands of High King at Mycenae
- Site already important in pre-palatial period
- Acropolis constructed in 3 phases
- 1. 1500-1400BC
- 2. 1400-1300BC
- 3. 1300-1200BC
- Large settlement outside walls
- 2 tholoi & series of chamber tombs have been discovered cut into hills to the east
- Pre-Palatial
- Substantial remains - already quite large
- Most important structure - monumental circular building on Upper Citadel
- Diameter of 28m
- In same location as later Great & Little Megaron
- House? Sanctuary? Granary?
- On highest point of hill - good view of sea & surrounding land
- Destroyed along with settlement around the hill towards the end of the period
- Early Palatial
- Remains of building complex from porch of Great Megaron
- Seems to have extended over two terraces linked by a staircase
- 14thC - area redesigned, new focus on megaron buildings
- Entire upper terrace destroyed & levelled to create space for Great Megaron
- Designed similarly to later Great Megaron - main room with central hearth & throne, plastered & painted walls
- Entire upper terrace destroyed & levelled to create space for Great Megaron
- Upper Citadel encircled with citadel wall at same time as megaron
- Large building complexes in southern & western parts of Lower Town
- One included mosaic of dark & light pebbles
- Fragments of wall paintings from below floor of later palace indicate an earlier palace was on the same site
- Bull Leaping Fresco
- Remains of building complex from porch of Great Megaron
- Palatial
- Circuit walls
- Larger than at Mycenae
- Very thick
- Southern end - thick enough to contain casemates
- Built after those at Mycenae
- Would have taken 5 years to build inner & outer skin of walls before rubble filling added
- 13thC
- Entrance
- Long & intentionally tiring ramp beneath east wall
- Attackers would have to file up with unshielded & unprotected right sides exposed to defenders on wall above
- Carefully built with massive blocks of stone to intimidate attackers by giving an impression of enormous power
- Long & intentionally tiring ramp beneath east wall
- In last 50 years of this period massive building programme took place
- Palace built with Great Megaron at centre
- Entrance ramp led to Outer Gate - doorless opening through 8m thick wall into passage that led to Middle Gate which originally had double doors
- Further along this passage was the Inner Gate - opened into a 25m long Outer Court
- Along Eastern side of Outer Court were 7 storerooms & a service passage built into wall
- To the south of the larger Inner Court was a group of 5 storerooms built into the walls
- Towers built at SE & SW corners of fortress to watch for dangers in Bay of Argos
- From Inner Court visitors passed through propylon with 2 columns on each side
- After propylon was another courtyard with an altar & a sacrificial pit, possibly dedicated to Zeus Herkeios
- On north side of this court was a megaron
- After propylon was another courtyard with an altar & a sacrificial pit, possibly dedicated to Zeus Herkeios
- Megaron
- Throne against wall to the right of entrance
- Carved stone base for throne found in main room
- Large round hearth at centre surrounded by 4 wooden Minoan columns
- More rooms to east of megaron - Little megaron, 2 small courts
- Suite has appearance of palace
- Little Megaron
- Eastern wing of palace
- Miniature version of Great Megaron - porch, main room, hearth & throne
- Half its size
- Strong transverse wall added to north of palace to give it greater protection
- Created extra court from which a staircase descended through west wall to make a service access
- Seen as weak point for defence - extra loop of massively thick circuit wall built to enclose & protect it
- Created extra court from which a staircase descended through west wall to make a service access
- Walls & floor of palace buildings adorned with frescoes - almost all found in pieces after destruction of palace
- Other features built in this period
- Circuit walls of Lower Citadel
- Fortified west staircase
- All passages & chambers within circuit walls
- 2 stairs leading to underground cisterns
- East & south galleries in Upper Citadel
- Settlement in Lower Citadel redesigned by creating new terraces & constructing large building complexes on top of them
- Used for administrative activities, storage, craft work linked to palace
- Much longer loop of circuit wall built around northern end of hill created outer bailey designed as refuge for anyone who lived in town outside walls & their animals
- 1200BC - in NW of outer bailey 2 secret passages led down beneath the wall so those trapped in the fortress could reach spring water fed cisterns at the foot of the hill during a siege
- Late expansion & reinforcement of defence shows fear of attack at end of 13thC
- 1200BC - in NW of outer bailey 2 secret passages led down beneath the wall so those trapped in the fortress could reach spring water fed cisterns at the foot of the hill during a siege
- Towards end of period a stream flowing towards Tiryns from hills to east was diverted, probably because it caused flooding in the town
- 100m long dam built across stream in hills, diverting flow of stream from west to SW
- At this time the postern gate was closed & replaced by much wider North Gate
- 100m long dam built across stream in hills, diverting flow of stream from west to SW
- With destructions of 1200BC, Tiryns was possibly only site to retain some palatial character
- After 1200BC, megaron was rebuilt on smaller scale & town was perhaps larger than before
- Circuit walls
- Physical Setting
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