The population of the ancient city of Mycenae. Mycenae: sights and places of interest
Mycenae is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. The Mycenaean era flourished in Greece from 3000 BC. The culture of the inhabitants of Mycenae was unique, which is clearly manifested in legends, art and architecture. It was enriched with Greek and Mediterranean culture.
The strong influence of the royal power was manifested in the grandeur of the fortress of the Citadel, its palace, the luxurious burial of the royal family. The founder of Mycenae is lost in the mists of history. Here only Greek myths come to the rescue, according to which the city was founded by the legendary hero Perseus.
Mycenae flourished for a long time, but during the bloody and devastating wars, civilization came to an end. The greatest contribution to the discovery of the finds was made by the famous archaeologist - Heinrich Schliemann. Connoisseurs of ancient history and the development of civilizations should certainly include Mycenae in the list of their tourist route.
In Mycenae, you can find many interesting sights, the most important of which is the citadel. It stands above the fruitful plain of Argolis off the coast in the northeast of the Peloponnese.
The main access to it is provided by the Lev Gate. Two lions, placed symmetrically around the column, guard the entrance. Their placement above the main gate of the most powerful citadel of the Late Bronze Age symbolizes something very important. The relief sculpture is carved from gray limestone, while the heads of the lions are made from metal, which has been lost over time. The gate was previously closed with a double, heavy wooden door.
Passing through the Lion's Gate, on the right you can see the famous cemetery - the first circle of royal tombs. They were discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s. The burial zone has a diameter 27 meters, it is surrounded by a double ring of vertically hewn stone slabs.
In the course of movement in the citadel, heading from the tombs, the palace is visible. It occupies a central position at the top of the citadel.
In the courtyard there was a central royal chamber, its floor was lined with plaster, the walls were lined with stucco, they had drawings in the Cretan style, there was a sacred hearth inside, and the roof was supported by 4 pillars, now these pillars can be seen. In Mycenaean times, the palace was lavishly decorated with colorful frescoes and mosaics.
Archaeologists who excavated in the ancient city of Mycenae were amazed. After all, the greatest miracle of engineering was found here - the water supply system. Thanks to this impressive creation, the Citadel had an unlimited and safe supply of water.
Water was supplied through underground pipes from the nearest natural source. Everyone can see the tunnel leading to the underground pool.
Outside the walls of the Citadel, you can see another ancient burial. It was given the name - grave circle B. The beginning of burials in this place dates back to 1650 BC. 25 graves were discovered here and a huge number of artifacts were collected. The most valuable are specimens of precious items made of gold, ivory rock crystal.
The famous tomb of Clytemnestra was discovered by the famous German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon, whose golden mask was discovered during excavations and is now in Athens in the archaeological museum.
The tomb is located near the Mycenaean citadel and the acropolis. Historians have not yet come to a consensus about the years of its construction. They suggest that it was created between the 15th and 18th centuries BC. The tomb was built for the burial of the queen, along with her lover Aegisthus. Every year tourists come here, attracted by the Mycenaean culture.
Leaving the citadel, you should definitely take a look at the tombs in the western part. The Treasury of Atreus is well preserved here, or in another way it is called the Tomb of Agamemnon. It was built between 1350 and 1250 BC and is the best preserved tomb found. The entrance to it is framed with metal elements. The treasury is made of stone and has been looted for such a long history. But despite this, it remains an interesting attraction of Mycenae.
Souvenir shop Gold Mycenae
The Mycenae Gold Shop is an interesting place that diversifies an exciting trip to the largest center of Greek civilization. It intertwines the past with the present. Picking up souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones, you get the feeling that you are in a museum, and not in a large souvenir shop.
Here is a huge selection of products for every taste. These are small ceramic and metal figurines, jewelry, amphoras of incredible beauty and much more. All these are copies of authentic items found during excavations, and they were created by their own hands.
Now, speaking of Ancient Greece, many of us immediately recall cities such as and, however, in historical science this is called the classical period of Greece, and there was a time many centuries before these policies, when Mycenae was considered the main city of Greece and it was three thousand years back.
According to legend, Mycenae was founded by an ancient hero - Perseus, the winner of the Gorgon Medusa. However, the exact period of the founding of the city is unknown. The first people began to settle in this place about 7000 years ago, and the city itself appeared at least in 1500 BC, when the Mycenaean civilization began to spread throughout Greece and the nearest islands.
Mycenae in this period is well known to us thanks to the exploits of Hercules, as well as the campaign of the Greek Army against Troy. The campaign was led by the king of Mycenae Agamemnon. However, after the end of the Trojan War in the XII century BC, the ancient world fell into decay, Mycenae also weakened and almost completely disappeared. By the beginning of the Greco-Persian wars, when Athens and Sparta rose in Greece, Mycenae was finally abandoned.
The ruins of the city are located in Argolis in the Peloponnese, not far from the modern capital of the region - Nafplion. One of the neighboring villages can be reached by bus, otherwise it is a car trip. A ticket to Mycenae costs 12 euros, for students of Russian universities - 6 euros. The complex works from 8 to 20.00, but this is most likely in the warm season
Ruins of Mycenae to the right of the course
The current state of Mycenae is a well-preserved outline of the fortress (Acropolis), which appeared at least in 1350 BC, in which the palace and a number of other structures were located. Several tombs of giants, where kings and nobility were buried, and a small museum with finds from Mycenae. The inhabitants of the city lived mainly on the hillside near the walls of the fortress, but almost nothing remained of these buildings.
city plan
city layout
To the right of the road, a small pile of stones is visible - these are the remains of the so-called house with the Perseus fountain. This building, built 3-2 millennia BC, was located above the sacred spring that supplied the city with water, it was erected either in honor of Perseus or the goddess Hera.
The famous lion gates of Mycenae - it was from them that archaeologists guessed which city they were excavating
Lions with two altars and a column are the coat of arms of the Atrids, the ancient dynasty of rulers of Mycenae. The heads of the lions, unfortunately, have not been preserved, most likely they were from a different material and looked at those entering the city. And the lion gate itself is known thanks to the Greek historian and geographer Pausanias, who made a description of the gate
The fortress of Mycenae was surrounded by a powerful cyclopean wall of blocks, some of which weigh 100 tons each. In fact, this is why such structures are called cyclopean, since it is believed that only the cyclops could build them. The wall was 9 meters long, 6 meters wide and up to 7 meters high.
Just outside the gate, a small outbuilding is visible, which was used to lock the gate.
Niche bolt
To the right of the entrance behind the gatehouse was a granary
big ramp
The first structure that visitors to the fortress met was one of the giants' graves - a large domed tomb built before the fortress and included in its territory in the 13th century BC
The domed tomb is only one of the buildings on the lower terrace of the fortress. In addition, there were residential buildings, a treasury, objects of worship and some other buildings behind the wall, but now it is difficult to recognize them.
The foundations of the pantries where vessels with food were stored, including the famous vase depicting Mycenaean warriors
Ramp going uphill to the right
In addition to the domed tomb and several buildings, there was a cult center on the lower terrace of the citadel, a procession road passed here and altars and temples built in the 13th century BC were located, these objects were destroyed a century later and replaced by ordinary houses
The ruins of the lower terrace, the remains of places of worship
After exploring the lower terrace, you need to climb the zigzag path up to the palace
The ascent starting from the Great Ramp, under which in the 13th century there were rooms where textiles were produced
There were other buildings besides the palace at the top of the hill.
The northern quarter of the fortress, where there were storerooms and several large houses. This part was abandoned before anyone else, as it was badly damaged by the earthquake
Place of the Propylon Palace - the gate of the palace complex with columns in the center
View from the palace
Temple ruins
almond trees
And here is the palace itself, consisting of a large house - a megarun, as well as a courtyard. Here was the throne of the ruler. Archaeologists have proven that there were other buildings on this site 1000 years before the construction of the palace. In the 13th century, the palace was destroyed by fire, but it was restored in the 12th century, although it did not reflect its former grandeur.
On the site of the palace, a place for two columns is clearly visible, as well as an entrance. The palace was not big
A road descends from the palace to the part of the hill opposite from the entrance, in the northern part of the fortress there were a large number of buildings, but the purpose of most of them is unknown
Descent to the northeastern part of the fortress
One of the recognizable objects in this part of the citadel is the quarter of artisans, among which a house with columns (two columns in the courtyard) is distinguished. The purpose of the buildings was determined thanks to the blanks found here, gold leaf, unfinished ivory items, unprocessed semi-precious stones. In the house with columns there were jugs. All houses built in the second half of the 13th century in the same period perished in fire (along with the palace located nearby)
Craftsmen's Quarter
house with columns
Northern pantries and the road to the northern gate
In this part of the citadel there was a cistern with drinking water.
Tank
And there was also a tunnel to an underground source, located at a depth of 18 meters, now it is littered
There is no further passage
There was also a side, secondary entrance to Mycenae, built during the rebuilding of the fortress around 1250 BC.
north gate
Outside the walls of the fortress, as was said, most of the inhabitants of Mycenae lived. These stones are all that remains of buildings outside the walls of the citadel, and these are not even houses, but a complex of 4 trading houses, in one they traded shields, in the second olive oil, in the third they found two plaques with sphinxes, the purpose of the fourth house is unknown
And in front of the entrance to the fortress there was a cemetery, mainly consisting of domed graves and tombs-shafts.
In addition, behind the hill with the fortress is the Mycenae Museum.
The remains of a fresco from the walls of one of the objects of worship
Statuettes found on the site of a quarter of religious buildings
Copies of royal treasures with the famous mask of Agamemnon
Ceramics
Sacred figurines found above one of the shops
And about the graves of the giants themselves, of which there are 4 pieces, I told
Mycenae- an ancient city built in the second millennium BC. It was one of the centers of the Mycenaean culture, and then the Greek civilization. Now only ruins remain of it. Mycenae was abandoned around 1100 BC and remained in this state until the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city in 1874. From Athens to here is not far at all - about 90 kilometers.
We will start our walk around Mycenae from the Treasury of Atreus. This is a tomb that was built around 1250 BC. The name is conditional and no one knows exactly who exactly was buried here, but it is assumed that it was one of the rulers of Mycenae.
Entrance to the tomb
The slab above the entrance weighs 120 tons
Dome of the tomb. Masonry is held together without any mortar
We move to the Mycenaean acropolis. View of the ancient city
Come closer
The walls of ancient Mycenae were created using the so-called cyclopean masonry, when huge hewn blocks are held on top of each other only by their own weight without any mortar. The name "cyclopean" came from the ancient Greeks - over time, people believed that it was impossible for a person to lift such blocks, and such construction was attributed to the mythical cyclops
The Lion's Gate was built in the middle of the 13th century BC
Bas-relief over the Lion Gate, from which they got their name
Lion's Gate from the other side
Graves of circle A. It was here that Schliemann found the famous golden mask of Agamemnon. You can also see the mask itself below.
The Lion's Grave dates from around 1350 BC and is called so not because lions were buried there, but because their figures were found on the walls. Above it was the same vault as above the Treasury of Atreus, which was shown above, but it collapsed
A couple more views of the ruins
In Greece, they know that cats attract much more attention from tourists than any other antiquity, so there are a lot of them near any sights.
An archaeological museum operates on the territory of ancient Mycenae
Basically, various antique ceramics found in the vicinity are presented here.
Just handsome
ancient writings
Fragments of an ancient fresco
ancient jewelry
Various accessories of noble people
The golden mask of Agamemnon was found here in 1876, but a copy of the famous mask is on display in the museum. The original is located in Athens, where we recently visited. In fact, this mask did not belong to Agamemnon, as scientists attribute it to an earlier era, but the name stuck.
Mycenaean nature
On the way out we stopped at a souvenir shop.
Here you can buy not only small souvenirs, but also such statues. The prices, of course, are rather high and amount to tens of thousands of euros.
Potter at work
I will add a few reconstructions of Mycenae prepared by Danila Loginov (
Mycenae flourished in 1400-1200. BC. The Mycenaean Acropolis, built in the 16th-15th centuries. BC, was surrounded during this period by new powerful cyclopean walls, massive fortifications built in three stages (1350, 1250 and 1225 BC).
The latest objects discovered in Mycenae are considered to be the palace and the fortress walls. For the most part, the surviving fortress walls are the so-called. cyclopean masonry of huge limestone blocks, not processed at all or only roughly chipped, but perfectly fitted.
The large size of the Mycenaean buildings speaks of the rather high knowledge of the builders, the long-term labor skills of the masons, the great skill of stone carvers and a number of other workers. First of all, the monumental dimensions of these structures are striking. Huge unworked blocks of limestone, in some cases reaching a weight of 12 tons, form the outer walls of the fortress, the thickness of which exceeded 4.5 m. But these blocks still had to be delivered to the construction site! The stones were first processed with heavy hammers, then they were cut with a bronze saw. The application of the system of counterweights and brackets and the installation of downpipes required rather complicated calculations. Characteristic is the uniformity of precisely developed methods of masonry walls throughout the territory of the distribution of the Mycenaean culture.
1-2 are the two main types of Mycenaean masonry. The laying was done on clay mortar. The middle of the wall was filled with rubble stone.
1 - roughly hewn polygonal stones.
2 - hewn rectangular blocks.
3 - cross-section of the walls of Tiryns, which shows galleries and battlements made of raw brick. This is the most complex of the fortifications of the Mycenaean era.
4 - plan of fortifications in Mycenae. On the left is the Lion's Gate.
5 - plan of fortifications of the 7th century. in Emporio on Chios.
6 - plan of fortifications of the VI century. with protruding towers in Burunkuk-Larisa.
7 - plan of the Athenian border fortress of the 4th century. in Giftokastro.
The citadel of Mycenae has no towers, but the gates are well protected by bastions on the sides. Walls up to 8 m high have been preserved, although their original height is unknown.
The builders made excellent use of the natural landscape, erecting their walls on the ridges of the mainland rock. Along with cyclopean walls made of almost unworked blocks, in Mycenae there are sections of walls built using a different technique and from a different material - they are composed of even and regular masonry from well-crafted almost rectangular stone blocks, sometimes reaching 3 m in length. Such is the wall and bastion at the Lion's Gate, as well as sections of the wall at the northern gate. The gate had two leaves and was closed with a sliding beam. I wrote more about them.
The city was surrounded by a 900 m long fortress wall, which enclosed an area of over 30,000 sq.m. In some places, vaulted galleries with casemates were built inside the walls, in which weapons and food were stored (the thickness of the wall here reaches 17 m). The entire system of defensive structures of the Mycenaean fortresses was carefully thought out and guaranteed the defenders from unforeseen accidents.
The approach to the main gate of the citadel was arranged in such a way that the enemy approaching them was forced to turn to the wall, on which the defenders of the fortress were on their right side, not covered by a shield. Behind the gate inside the fortress there was also a narrow courtyard, framed on both sides by walls, where it was easy to defend against enemies breaking through the gate.
Now, entering the gate, we find ourselves in an open space, which is mainly occupied by a circular fence formed by two rows of stone slabs set on edge: they mark the sites of earlier shaft-tombs. Inside this fence there were tombstones, some of which were carved with human figures. Between the circle of the fence and the wall were houses and warehouses.
This so-called. circle A of the shaft tombs was included in the perimeter of the walls of the fortification during their construction, apparently, as a kind of sacred, cult center. The earliest fortifications of Mycenae left this necropolis outside the citadel.
Throughout the 3rd and 2nd millennia, there were 5 main groups of burials: pit, box, shaft, chamber and domed. The most important monument of Mycenae are the shaft tombs. (XVI century BC). The first six graves of this type were discovered in 1876 by G. Schliemann within the boundaries of the Mycenaean citadel. These rectangular, somewhat elongated tombs were carved into soft rock to a depth of 0.5 to 3-4 m; they represent a further development of pit and box burials.
Archaeologists have recovered from them many precious things made of gold, silver, ivory and other materials. Massive gold rings decorated with carvings, diadems, earrings, bracelets, gold and silver dishes, magnificently decorated weapons, including swords, daggers, shells made of gold leaf, and finally, completely unique golden masks that hid the faces of the buried were found here. Amber, ostrich eggs and other clearly imported items were found in the graves.
Artistic works in these tombs testify to the influence of Cretan art, although the subject matter of the images differs significantly from the Cretan one. Minoan pottery was also found in the tombs. The tombs are located among the graves of the so-called. Middle Helladic period. Obviously, these were the burial places of the rulers.
The richness of the inventory of shaft tombs testifies to the significant development of productive forces during the transition to the Late Helladic period. The widespread use of bronze, the abundance of precious metals and their generous use is a clear indication of the separation of craft from agriculture that has already taken place and the long accumulation of labor skills among Mycenaean artisans. The presence of things of foreign origin testifies to ties, possibly trade, with distant countries. The totality of finds in shaft tombs gives reason to consider the Mycenaean society of that time as a class society. The slave-owning society arose in Mycenae as a result of internal development.
The main street leads to the gate from the lower city past the Mykene sacred circle of shaft graves B (which date back to the 16th century BC and are older than the famous royal shaft tombs of circle A excavated by Schliemann).
Adjacent to this complex are the remains of a building from the late Mycenaean period, also excavated by Schliemann, which today has received the name "House of the Warrior Vase", thanks to the famous large Mycenaean crater with the image of warriors found here. This crater is today on display at the Athens National Museum.
It's time to remember the history of the archaeological excavations of Mycenae. The location of the ancient city was known for a long time - long before the moment when Schliemann in 1868 first appeared at the walls of the ancient city. Images of a fortified acropolis on a rocky hill in the Argos valley are already known in the 18th and early 19th centuries. For example, such a romanticized image of the Mycenaean acropolis. Isn't it hard to find out?
The history of Mycenae is one of the darkest and at the same time one of the most sublime, full of dark passions, chapters in the history of Greece. It was archaeologists who proved the real existence of the events described in ancient poems. According to the Iliad by Homer, Agamemnon by Aeschylus, Greece in the Mycenaean period was a country of high culture. The ancient historians Herodotus and Thucydides spoke of the Trojan War as a true incident, and its heroes as real people.
Meanwhile, at the time when the Greeks came into the field of view of modern history, they did not particularly stand out among other nations - neither the luxury of palaces, nor the power of kings, nor a large fleet. Undoubtedly, it was much easier to attribute the information contained in Homer's poems to the writer's fantasy than to agree that the era of high civilization was followed by an era of decline with its barbarism, and then a new rise of Hellenic culture.
Today, Mycenae is primarily associated with the name of Schliemann, who, having studied the texts of Homer's poems, discovered Troy, and then the "royal graves" in Mycenae.
In 1876, as a result of rather quick reconnaissance, Schliemann unearthed the shaft tombs of circle A, located inside the walls of the fortification, and made his world-famous finds. Among several golden tomb masks, he chose the most “intelligent” face, as it seemed to him, and attributed it to Agamemnon.
The shaft tombs discovered at Mycenae by Schliemann in 1876 were the earliest of the objects in this place: there are no objects related to the Neolithic here, and the Early and Middle Helladic remains are extremely small. The objects found in the tombs belong to the transition from the Middle Helladic to the Late Helladic period and serve as an illustration of the links that existed between Greece and Crete c. 16th century BC. View of Schliemann's excavations at Mycenae on an old engraving:
These tombs consisted of six large stone wells located in the area, which was subsequently walled. 19 skeletons were found in the wells, one of which was preserved in a partially mummified form. Several of the buried had masks of hammered gold on their faces.
Here, the plan clearly shows the location of all objects, incl. and tombs:
The graves contained treasures - objects made of gold, silver and bronze, including jewelry, bowls, swords, rings and other objects. Among the latter category are numerous gold discs and plates with chasing or embossing on them in the form of octopuses, rosettes and other forms typical of Mycenaean burials: these could be sparkles from clothes or decorations of coffins or other decorations.
There were also bronze daggers with embossed gold handles and designs on the blades made in the technique of gold and silver inlay, two have hunting scenes depicted in a lively and expressive manner.
The total weight of the gold found here is over 14 kg. Today, Schliemann's finds adorn the exposition of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
But some of the finds are also presented in Mycenae:
Some of the treasures today are not inferior to the creations of today's designers. ;-)
Late Helladic potters made dishes of various sizes - from small goblets to huge vessels. The clay was well cleaned, the walls of the vessels were made thin, the surface of the vases was often polished, and the firing was of high quality.
In Athens, Schliemann, by the way, built himself a luxurious mansion, the walls of which he decorated with paintings, in accordance with his eccentric taste, placing images of himself and his wife among the ancient gods and heroes.
Six tombs contained a variety of high artistic level metal products - weapons, drinking vessels, jewelry, masks, as well as ceramics of the 16th century. BC.
An extremely rare case when the royal burials of such an ancient era have survived to this day without actually being plundered. Most of these finds are exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and are the most important part of the museum's exposition.
By the way, it was in Mycenae that the famous steles with images of chariots were discovered - one of the oldest in Europe. Later, with varying degrees of intensity, excavations were carried out throughout the 20th century (by the British Archaeological School and the Athenian archaeologists), as a result of which a complex of buildings inside the fortification, the palace itself, many buildings outside the walls, tholos tombs and many other monuments were unearthed.
But back to the acropolis. Moving up the preserved ancient staircase, turning into a stone-paved ramp, you can climb to the very top of the hill, where the palace of the ruler of Mycenae was located.
Now it is poorly preserved, and once it was entered by a two-flight staircase in the Minoan style with ceremonial reception rooms.
The monumental palace consisted of many ceremonial, residential and utility rooms; statues of gods made of marble and terracotta stood in a separate sanctuary.
At the top of the stairs was a rectangular courtyard into which a large hall, or megaron, consisted of a portico with two columns, a reception room, and a rectangular main hall.
The device of this official palace premises is described by Homer and it is similar to other Mycenaean palaces - in Megara, Pylos, Tiryns. The central hall of the megaron measured 12.95 x 11.50 m. In the center of this room was a sacred round-shaped hearth, around which there were 4 wooden columns that supported the roof and were decorated with bronze plates and the throne of the ruler.
The hearth was repeatedly painted with colored patterns on thin layers of plaster. The floor of the hall is paved with flat slabs. The remains of frescoes were found here, which are now in the museum.
The Achaeans borrowed many important elements of their culture from Crete. Among them are some cults and religious ceremonies, fresco painting in palaces, plumbing and sewerage, styles of men's and women's clothing, some types of weapons, and finally, a linear syllabary. All this, however, does not mean, however, that the Mycenaean culture was just a minor peripheral variant of the culture of Minoan Crete, and the Mycenaean settlements in the Peloponnese and elsewhere were simply Minoan colonies in a foreign “barbarian” country (A. Evans). Many characteristic features of the Mycenaean culture allow us to believe that it arose on Greek soil and was successively associated with the most ancient cultures of the area, dating back to the Neolithic and early Bronze Ages.
Great shifts have taken place in the craft. The construction of palaces, defensive walls, tombs, roads, etc. urgently required new tools of production. Mycenaean builders used several types of chisels, drills, various hammers and saws; axes and knives were used for woodworking. In Mycenae, a whorl and weights from looms were found.
Megaron, who gave the textbook plan of the Greek dwelling of the 2nd-1st millennia BC, still allows us to imagine the view from the window of the palace of the proud Achaean leader - a cliff, a mountain, hills and a plain right up to the foggy sea in the distance.
He wrote very well about the megaron carmelist , although he wrote about Tiryns, this quote can also be applied to Mycenae: building technique is determined by the measure of one human strength, someone's ingenious architectural thought has just made it possible to invent a method of laying a right angle from stone. Another engineering genius thought of substituting an ordinary tree trunk under the ceiling ceiling and created the most iconic element of architecture - the column. The symbiosis of these two creations gave birth to the megaron - the prototype of the future ancient classics. I think that the joy of the builders knew no bounds, they molded one megaron to another, until they blinded the whole palace complex of Tiryns.
To summarize the above - the characteristic elements of a megaron:
- tripartite division: balcony, vestibule and throne room;
- a large round hearth in the center of the throne room;
- four columns arranged in a square around the fireplace in the throne room;
- the throne is located against the middle of the right wall in the throne room;
- the floors and walls of the megaron are richly decorated with frescoes and geometric patterns;
- stone benches were located near the right and left walls of the throne room
The king's megaron had a sacred character: the king, who was also the high priest, sat on the throne, and the priests around him on the benches.
Megaron section:
There were many other rooms here and higher on the mountain, but for the most part not a trace remained of them. Let us mention some of them: the courthouse was located directly in front of the megaron. Usually the court was surrounded on three sides by a colonnade. In Mycenae, near the court, the "Great Staircase" (a stone staircase originating from the "Lion's Gate") ends.
Megaron of the queen - in Mycenae, this room is inferior in size to the megaron of the king, but it was just as luxurious and with two light wells. The queen's megaron is located near the northern side of the king's megaron.
Bathroom - found near the royal rooms. The bathroom itself is assembled from fragments, and, like all other small baths, it is seated. Even the Mycenaean kings did not have large baths!
On the top of the mountain there are traces of an archaic Doric temple, an archaic relief was found here, and objects dating back to the Hellenistic period were found. In the southwestern part of the Palace, a vast area was occupied by a sanctuary. Dedicatory gifts to the deity, dues, gifts and income of the king were kept here. The currently visible pithoi were used to store oil and wine, and possibly grain, although few of the latter have been found. It is possible that precious utensils were stored in the masonry tanks in front of the pithoi. The storerooms had no windows or light wells and were lit by oil lamps.
In the northwestern corner of the fortified area there was an underground spring with a reservoir, to which a staircase of 83 steps led. The ancient name of the spring is Perseus. From the fortress, an underground stepped gallery was broken through to a source located far below.
Descending from the top of the hill, you must definitely look into the citadel going into the thickness of the walls, and then underground, a man-made gallery leading to an underground source and a cistern with drinking water supplies. This typical Mycenaean vaulted building, built of huge, poorly processed limestone blocks, ending with a passage cut into the rock to the cistern, makes a huge impression with its power and size. Here, two narrow loopholes can be seen in the wall, which could serve as a secret passage for sudden sorties during the siege.
In the middle of the late Helladic period, the weakening of Mycenae begins. Residents, apparently, expected attacks. Excavations show that all water sources were brought to the northern gate of the acropolis, and in its northeastern corner a deep underground cistern was built, into which the waters of the Perseus spring poured.
In conclusion, I would like to cite the arguments of American scientists about the connection between the Minoan and Mycenaean palaces.
The location of the Central Megaron at Mycenae clearly indicates that it was the architectural center of the palace structure. The location of all other buildings depends on the location of the megaron. In Mycenae, the megaron is the heart of the palace, the immediate administrative center. In Mycenae, in the royal megaron, court and administrative administration were carried out.
Opposite in Crete, in the palace of Knossos, the royal megaron is not the central building, it is just a monumental version of a normal private house. There are other throne rooms in Knossos, which were used by the kings for certain religious or state purposes. In this sense, the architecture of the Mycenaean palace can be characterized as centripetal, in contrast to the centripetal nature of the Palace at Knossos.
The Mycenaean palaces reflect a much greater individuality than the Cretan palaces in the sense that in Mycenae each building is unique, and in the Palace of Knossos there are about 30 storerooms alone. In Mycenae, palace architecture and the dwellings of ordinary people are sharply contrasted. If in Crete the buildings of the “lower cities” corresponded in style to the palaces, then in Mycenae no similarity between the palace and the dwellings of the common people was found, despite the attempt of the expedition of the University of Minnesota in the 1960-1970s to draw up a complete plan of Mycenae. The palace at Mycenae is always associated only with the residence of the monarch and associated outbuildings, and this distinction between the royal area and the residence of the common people was accentuated by the construction of the massive walls around the citadel.
Sources cited in posts about Mycenae.
Surprisingly, the ruins that Mycenae is today were once one of the most significant cities in Greece. So important for the state that a whole stage in its development is usually referred to by historians as "Mycenaean". Tourist portal site
Mycenae - view of the remains of the citadel on the hill 
Mycenae - view of the archaeological site
The emergence of Mycenae
The first mention of Mycenae is found in the writings of Homer, who characterizes them as "gold-rich". However, the ancient city existed long before the birth of the legendary poet, who lived in the 9th century. BC. Researchers claim that the territory on which the capital of Ancient Greece grew was inhabited in the early Neolithic era. Of course, there was no talk of any large settlements at that time, however, the burials of that time indicate that the place, 90 km away from modern Athens, has long been loved by mankind.
According to the ancient Greek epic, Mycenae was founded by Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae. Archaeologists are sure that the city grew out of an ancient acropolis, which in 1800 - 1700 BC. partly already surrounded by a fortress wall. By the time of the Late Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC), full-fledged city fortifications had formed on the high ground, and Mycenae was the dominant city (probably the capital) of the state in the eastern Mediterranean.
By 1350 B.C. the fortress walls were rebuilt in the so-called cyclopean style - when the wall is created from large hewn blocks, laid without mortar. Surrounded by these fortifications, the ruins of which have survived to this day, numerous palaces and temples were built. The total length of the fortress was 1105 m, the height of the protective structures reached 12.5 m. At the same time, the width of the masonry could vary between 7.5 - 17 m. In order to build such a wall, boulders weighing from 10 tons were required. The largest stones from those that were discovered during the excavations weighed 20 tons. "Leaders" were approaching the mark of 100 tons. Tourist portal site
Fall of the Mycenaean civilization
Mycenae - reconstruction of the view of the citadel By 1200 B.C. the influence of Mycenae on the peninsula gradually declined. As a result, in just one century, the Mycenaean civilization practically ceased to exist as such, which is a consequence of the “collapse of the Bronze Age”. Most of the structures in the city were destroyed. This was probably the direct result of the invasion of the Dorians, the warlike peoples from the north (from Sparta, Crete, southern Italy).
According to another version, the reason was the disruption of trade routes caused by the migration of the mysterious "peoples of the sea", who destroyed the Hittite empire, as well as attacked representatives of the 19th and 20th ancient Egyptian dynasties. However, at the end of the XIII century, Mycenae equipped an expedition against Sparta, which indicates the absence of a threat from the sea.
Among other probable reasons for the fall of the influence of Mycenae are drought, earthquakes, volcanic eruption. However, it is now impossible to say exactly why the centers of this civilization were abandoned or destroyed almost simultaneously.
One way or another, Mycenae continued to exist. Even if it's not shiny. In the archaic era, the majestic temple of Hera was built in the citadel. The Mycenaean army fought at Thermopylae during the war with the Persians. The troops also participated in the battle of Plataea. And 468 BC. e. was marked for the city by another loss - the troops of the policy of Argos captured Mycenae, expelled the inhabitants and destroyed the fortifications.
Mycenae was briefly restored during the Hellenistic period, when the city boasted a luxurious theater, the ruins of which have survived to this day. However, gradually this place was abandoned again, and in the Roman period of the history of Greece, Mycenae had already become a tourist attraction.
Greece Mycenae - lion gate at the entrance to the citadel 
Mycenae - lions on the gate
Attractions Mycenae
The Mycenaean acropolis, in contrast, has been preserved rather poorly. The fate of the city, and the trials that befell its buildings, also affected. Already after Mycenae were abandoned, in the II century BC. the acropolis suffered from a severe fire. However, thanks to the cyclopean masonry and the solidity of the construction, a part of the walls that convey the solidity of the construction have still been preserved here.
To get to the territory of the Acropolis, you need to get acquainted with another attraction of Mycenae - the "Lion's Gate". It is interesting that the fortified part of the city was for the inhabitants something akin to a divine cloister - commoners could get here only during the holidays. Not surprisingly, the central gate that separated the fortress from the dwellings of the poor was built in such a way as to demonstrate their significance for the border between the two parts of the capital of the policy. Thanks to the solid masonry of the walls, the gates are perfectly preserved. As well as their main decoration - a bas-relief with two lionesses. It is considered one of the most famous heraldic monuments in the world, and the gate itself has become a symbol of the ruined city. Tourist portal site
Mycenae - Acropolis 
Mycenae - one of the tombs
Excavations of ancient Mycenae
In 1874 - 1876. during excavations on the territory of Mycenae, numerous tombs belonging to the kings of the policy were discovered. "Graves" were built in the form of original domes - "tholos", which were made of stone slabs. To have an idea of the scope, one can imagine the treasury of Atreus, the mythical king. The height of the burial chamber in it is 13 m (the height of a five-story building), and the width is 14 m.
Surprisingly, two huge slabs above the front door, used instead of floor beams, weigh approximately 120 tons together. Unfortunately, the tomb was plundered in antiquity. Since only the famous and wealthy inhabitants of Mycenae could afford tholos (the so-called tombs), during excavations a lot of items made of precious materials were found here. In addition, the burials made it possible to learn a lot about the Mycenaean culture - its time is poorly covered in literary monuments.
No less interesting are the tombs of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, the Mycenaean ruler and her lover, found near the fortress wall. Unfortunately, the graves of the beloved were damaged during the Hellenistic period, when the famous Mycenaean theater was built over them. Later, the burial of the queen was restored, and during the excavations, many expensive jewelry were found in it. Tourist portal site
Mycenae - golden mask 1600. BC. 
Mycenae - gold jewelry found during excavations
Archaeological Museum of Mycenae
Since 1902, the Archaeological Museum has been operating on the territory of the excavations in Mycenae. The modern building for it was built very close to the acropolis. The building is located so that visitors studying the exhibits displayed in the halls can look at the ruins of the city through huge windows. The expositions occupy a quarter of the entire museum area. At the same time, the greatest attention is paid to the life of the Mycenaeans - the people, two thousand years BC. started building one of the advanced countries of the ancient world.
At the foot of the former city lies the Argolid Plain - a fairly large area of fertile land, which 4100 years ago became home to the Greek tribes who entered the Middle Helladic era. Today, the plain is one of the most attractive tourist sites, despite the remoteness from Athens - a large number of architectural structures preserved here allows the guests of Greece to feel the greatness of civilization that laid the foundations of modern political, scientific and cultural trends. Tourist portal site
Mycenae opening hours:
Winter: from 08:00 to 17:00
Summer: (May 1 - October 31) from 08:00 to 20:00
Ticket for the Acropolis, "Treasures of Atreus" and the Museum:
Full price - 12.00 €
With discount - 6.00 €
Teenagers under 18 - free of charge
Free for all: March 6, April 18, May 18 (International Museum Day), last weekend of September, October 28, every first Sunday of the month from November 1 to March 31.
Mycenae address:Τ.Κ. 21 200, Mykines (Prefecture of Argolida)
