Lecture on Mycenaeans

Introduction

• Third and final pre-Greek culture discussed
• Previous: Minoans on Crete, Cycladic, Cyclopes
• Mycenae: Lower Peloponnese
• Flourished from 1600 to ~100 BCE
• Constant warfare with mainland groups, Minoans, others
• Known for lavish displays of power and wealth, especially in architecture
• Improper excavation in mid-1800s complicates understanding
• Not an island culture: Needed fortifications

Architecture and Fortifications

Lion's Gate

• Example of Mycenaean architecture
• Known for cyclopean masonry (large stone walls)
• Features post and lintel construction with a relieving triangle
• Two confronting lionesses in the triangle
• Contains an Aegean column (wider at top, narrower at bottom)
• Functioned as a point of access through fortified complex

Fortified Complex

• Walled structure for protection (unlike Knossos which had the ocean)
• Palace located in the center, accessible only through the gate
• Gate designed to disrupt enemy formations (e.g., phalanx)
• Elevated positions for defenders to attack invaders

Tombs and Burial Practices

Treasury of Atreus

• Also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon (disputed existence)
• Tholos (round tomb) blending with hillside
• Processional walkway, large structure (43 feet high)
• Features post and lintel construction with a relieving triangle
• Brightly painted interior, many treasures lost to raiders
• Beehive stacking of stones supports roof

Gold Repousse Mask

• Technique: Repousse (French for pressing and pounding the design out of gold sheet)
• Placed over the face of the deceased
• Known as the “Mask of Agamemnon” (disputed attribution)
• About 12 inches across, dates to ~1600 BCE
• Features stylized scrolls, mature face
• Craftsmanship not equal to Egyptian counterparts due to lack of experience

Art and Environment

Comparison with Minoan Art

• Inland Mycenaean art vs. marine-themed Minoan art
• Example: Octopus vase, less accurate depiction
• Demonstrates influence of environment on art

Decline of Mycenaean Civilization

• Around 1200 BCE, Mycenae falls
• Enters Dark Ages of Greece
• Possible causes: Earthquake, volcanic activity, tsunami, climate change, invasion, plague
• Palaces destroyed, shortages of goods, internal insurrection
• Loss of literary evidence, linear A and B writing not helpful

Conclusion

• Set to begin the study of ancient Greece