MYCENAE – graves of gold
Our next stop is Mycenae – home of The Lion Gate, Agamemnon and the famous Grave Circles where all those golden treasures were discovered. They have now taken up residence in the Athens Archeological Museum remember?
There are not many tourists (that can only be a good thing), and Mr E gives me the run down on the place. He advises that the climb up to the Palace at the top of the hill is a long one especially in this heat and realistically there is nothing much to see.
Soon I am walking up the path to see that amazing Lion Gate that dates from 1240 BC.
The Lion Gate marks the entrance to the Citadel of Mycenae. The gate is about 3 metres wide and high and two lions under a triangle are inscribed on a stone above the entrance gate. The lions in the inscription are believed to have had heads of metal but these were plundered a long time ago.
Further, the lions are depicted as resting their feet on an altar and they flank the sides of a pillar, which was probably a symbol of power.
The fame of this gate is widespread and at the mere mention of the name people know what you are talking about.
As I walk in through the gate, there is a small compartment within the rock wall. Many believe this was either a guard post or meant to keep guard dogs. The Lion Gate has become over the years the trademark of the entire archaeological site of Mycenae. In the ancient times, there was a wooden door to shut the entrance. The door opened inwards and was locked with a wooden bar.
Through the gate and to the right are Grave Circles A and B.
There is a lot of history here and it is easier for you to read about it on the link above than for me to go into a monumental description. Walking around Grave Circle A (above left) my eyes are drawn into the pit seeking out some treasure that has been left behind – alas no luck.
The two photos above are of Grave Circle A – very interesting to walk around the pathway.
This is the pathway up to the palace – it is known as the Great Ramp. A bit of advice – not a good idea on a bloody hot day like today. I will pay heed to Mr E’s advice and just admire from afar.
The palace occupies a central location atop the citadel. It was accessed from the south through two guard rooms.
The state rooms were arranged around a central court which led to the Megaron (open porch) with its four columns arranged in a square around the sacred hearth. In Mycenaean times the palace was lavishly decorated with vivid frescoes and mosaics. As there is nothing much left of the palace – it is back down to the entrance to check out the museum.
It is only a small place and it looks as if it is a school day excursion as there are a lot of students with clipboards and this coupled with a lot of tourists makes it very noisy and cramped.
Above left are ceramic pots and on the right are Anthropomorphic ceramic figurines from 1250-1180 BCE. Anthropomorphic means relating to the idea that an animal, a god, or an object has feelings or characteristics like those of a human being.
The noise does not abate and the poor lady at the counter keeps asking everyone to please be quiet but they take no notice. I try to ignore it but it does get the better of me and I make a hasty exit.
Back in my comfy limo we now head for the Treasury of Atreus or more commonly known as Agamemnon’s Tomb. It is about a 10 minute drive, then a short walk up an easy pathway and once inside it is pitch black until my eyes adjust. It is so cool inside and looking up at the ceiling it is incredible to think how on earth they managed to build it.
Historians believe that the Bronze Age tomb was built between 1350 and 1250 BC and was one of the final tholos (beehive) tombs constructed at Mycenae. Despite the two commonly-used names, neither Agamemnon nor Atreus were buried here. German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann gave the tomb its name in error in 1879 upon his discovery of the shaft graves.
Contemporary archaeologists believe that an earlier ruler was buried there, though who that was remains unknown.
The enormous monolithic lintel of the doorway weighs 120 tons and is 9 metres long, 5 metres deep, and 1 metre high.
It is surmounted by a relieving triangle decorated with relief plaques.
I am the only one here so have lots of time to fiddle with camera settings.
When I decide to leave, another couple walk in – obviously it is not on the typical ‘Faker’ tour group lists.
A nice drink of icy water awaits with Mr E and after a short discussion on the whys and wherefores of Mycenae and Agamemnon it is time to head to Epidaurus.
You just gotta love this amazing history!!