Located 15km inland, in the northern part of the Argive plain, the town of Mycenae is spread across three hills. Its defensive citadel occupied the highest point of the central hill with the rest of the town spread on the lower slopes of the others. Mycenae was first explored by Henrich Schliemann in 1876 and the city remains a focus for archaeological study to this day.
Although erosion and later activity have eroded parts of the city, it still retains features which demonstrate how trade and warfare functioned were accommodated in a Mycenaean town.
Mycenae and Bronze Age Greece
Mycenae was one of the earliest Mycenaean fortress towns, giving its name to the late Bronze Age culture. The legendary home of Agamemnon, the city was first built in around 1600 BC.
In its heyday, it led a confederacy of Argolid towns including Tiryns and Argos. Mycenaean culture dominated the Peloponnese and the Aegean until the rise of the Dorians in the 13th century BC. Mycenae managed to survive the decline of Mycenaean culture for some time, finally falling in 1125BC.
The Lion Gate
The main entrance tothe citadel was through the lion gate. The gate way was constructed in the 13th century BC out of four massive blocks of conglomerate ashlar.One formed the lintel, with a further two on either side as door jambs and the final stone laid as a threshold. The jambs still bear the marks of the insert used to secure the bar on the gate whilst the lintel and threshold retain the cuttings where the door posts were fitted.
Above the lintel is the relief carving that gives the gate its name. The lion gate may have been misnamed. The two beasts flanking a column are headless and there is no proof that they are meant to represent lions. It is possible that the missing heads were those of eagles, making the emblems griffins. Similar motifs have been found flanking the throne of the Palace of Minos on Crete. The Mycenaean’s may have copied them. The influence of Minoan art forms was notable in Mycenaean culture.
The Defences of Mycenae
Only the citadel, housing the palace, temples and key administrative buildings of Mycenae was defended. The rest of the town lay outside of the protective walls. From the lion gate, the walls of the citadel of Mycenae extend in a perimeter of 900m. Those standing today date to the late Bronze Age and were replanned and heavily fortified at the time of the Dorian invasions.
The earliest remaining walls were constructed using cyclopean masonry. People believed that the huge stone blocks could only have been put in place by the legendary giant Cyclops, hence the name. The blocks were fixed in place with a fill of tiny stones placed in the gaps between the blocks. The later amendments to the walls were made from limestone polygonal masonry.
Mycenaean Houses and Trades
In times of peace, the ordinary citizens would have lived their lives and conducted their business outside the city walls. Little of this part of the city remains but several examples of houses survive on the Atreus ridge area, below the citadel and close to the main road. These have been named the House of the Shields, the House of the Oil Merchant, the House of the Sphinx and the West House.
From their remains, archaeologists have been able to piece together a picture of the trades and crafts of Mycenea.As would be expected, there is evidence of everyday occupations such as bakers, shepherds, carpenters and fullers. But it is clear that Mycenae also had specialist trades, demonstrating its importance as a trade centre.
There is evidence of bronze workers and armourers at work from grave goods, indicating that Mycenae could produce its own weapons and armour for war. The political significance of the city state is also shown by evidence of messengers and heralds who would have performed diplomatic functions between other city states.
Mycenae’s wealth is evident from the expensive luxury goods produced and traded from the city. Graves have provided evidence for goldsmiths operating in the city. Linear B tablets from the House of Oil Merchant record the types of spices used in scented oils and pottery phials, suggesting there may have been a perfume trade operating in Mycenae.
Sources
Illustrated Dictionary of Archaeology (1977) Book Club Associates: London.
Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome (2003) Charles Gates.Routledge: London and New York
Natasha Sheldon - A writer since 2000, Natasha Sheldon holds a BA Hons in ancient history and archaeology and MA in ancient history and historiography.
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