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Mycenae,
the legendary home of the Atreides, is situated upon a
small hill-top on the lower slopes of Euboea Mountain,
between two of its peaks, on the road leading from the
Argolic Gulf to the north (Corinth, Athens, etc.).
The site was inhabited since Neolithic times (about 4000
BC) but reached its peak during the Late Bronze Age
(1350-1200 BC), giving its name to a civilization which
spread throughout the Greek world. During that period,
the acropolis was surrounded by massive "cyclopean"
walls which were built in three stages (ca.1350, 1250
and 1225 BC) except on its SE flank where a steep ravine
provided natural defense.
A palace was built on the summit of the hill while
towards the Argolic plain lay the wall - painted "Cult
Center", the main gate or "Lion Gate" and "Grave Circle
A" which contained the treasures now displayed at the
National Archaeological Museum of Athens. On the NE
side, a tunnel leading to a subterranean fountain was
built in "cyclopean" masonry in around 1225 B.C.
More tombs, "Grave Circle B", and large tholoi as well
as houses were discovered outside the walls. Mycenae was
occupied without interruption until 468 B.C. when it was
conquered by the city of Argos and its population
banished. It was reoccupied in the 3rd century B.C. for
a relatively short period. It had been abandoned for
some time when Pausanias visited the site during the 2nd
century A.D.
In 1841, K. Pittakis cleared the "Lion Gate" and in
1876, H. Schliemann started the excavations of the
"Grave Circle A" which P. Stamatakis continued in 1877,
bringing to light a sixth shaft grave. From 1864 to
1902, excavations at the palace, the subterranean
fountain, and many chamber tombs were conducted by Ch.
Tsountas while restricted excavations were also carried
out by D. Evangelides in 1909, G. Rodenwaldt in 1911 and
A. Keramopoulos in 1917. Further excavations were
conducted by A.B. Wace during three campaigns, in
1920-1923 on the acropolis and the tombs, in 1939 and
1950-1957 on the houses and tombs at the Lower City.
Simultaneously, from 1952 to 1955 the Greek
Archaeological Society under the direction of G. Mylonas
and J. Papadimitriou investigated more houses as well as
"Grave Circle B", while G. Mylonas and N. Verdelis
uncovered more houses. Finally, the "Cult Center" was
revealed by the British School of Archaeology under the
direction of Lord Taylour and was further investigated
by G. Mylonas and Sp. Iakovides of the Greek
Archaeological Society in 1959 and 1969-1974.
In 1950, the Restoration Service undertook works on the
tomb of Clytemnestra, under the direction of An.
Orlandos and E. Stikas. In 1954, E. Stikas consolidated
and restored the megaron, the area south of the "Lion
Gate", and the "Grave Circle B" and in 1955, the walls
north of the "Lion Gate" as well as the courtyard of the
palace. |
