Mycenae
Μυκήνες
Greece · Peloponnese, Argolis
In brief
Mycenae was one of the important palatial centers of Late Bronze Age Greece. Alongside its fortifications and monumental tombs, it is known for the rich grave goods found in the 1876 excavations.
What was found?
- 1“Mask of Agamemnon”
A gold funerary mask found in Grave Circle A. “Mask of Agamemnon” is its traditional name; this name does not prove the identity of the person in the grave.
- 2Grave Circle A
An enclosed area containing early Mycenaean graves furnished with valuable objects. According to researchers, the richness of the finds suggests that members of a ruling dynasty were buried here.
- 3Funerary jewelry and weapons
Finely crafted jewelry, vessels and weapons were found in the graves. These allow the wealth of the elite and the craft skills of the period to be studied.
- 4Lion Gate
A monumental gate crowned by a relief of two facing lions at the main entrance to the citadel. It shows how defensive architecture also became an imposing means of representation.
What does it point to?
Rich graves and strong walls point to a society in which wealth and governing power were concentrated within a particular group. The finds give tangible form to the world of the Mycenaean elite; they are insufficient, however, to establish direct identifications with epic heroes.
What did it teach us?
- Revealed substantial quantities of valuable objects in early Mycenaean graves.
- Grave finds enabled the wealth and funerary practices of social elites to be studied.
- The Lion Gate and walls showed that Mycenaean architecture could create monumental structures using large stone blocks.
Images




Record
- Culture
- Mycenaean
- Coordinates
- 37.7303°, 22.7575°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- hh.gr
- visitgreece.gr
- en.wikipedia.org
- British Museum — “Agamemnon Maskesi” kopyasının katalog kaydı
Nearby excavations
- Tiryns 15 km
- Ancient Corinth 22 km
- Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus 32 km
- Delphi 87 km
- Acropolis of Athens 89 km
- Olympia 99 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
- 2,600-year-old mudbrick structure identified beneath the city of Buto in Egypt
The walls of a large mudbrick structure identified through satellite and geophysical surveys were confirmed by a trial excavation. According to the researchers, a layer of sand placed beneath the foundations may have helped protect the structure in the waterlogged ground of the Nile Delta.
Heritage Daily ↗ · Excavation notebook - Celtic woman's grave containing jewelry and animal remains found in Germany
A woman's skeleton, heavy bronze anklets, a sapropelite arm ring, and the remains of a lamb or kid were found in the grave in Bavaria. According to the researchers, placing the animal in the grave as a food offering represents an unusual example of Celtic funerary practices in the region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Lead seal of a bishop named Stefan found in Croatia
Excavations on the islet of Lukovac uncovered a document seal bearing the name Stefan and the title of bishop in Latin. According to the researchers, the seal, tentatively dated to the 6th–7th centuries, offers rare evidence of early church administration in a region with limited written sources.
Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
Arkeoloji Dergisi ↗
All excavation sites (385)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük