Gold rhyton, made of hammered sheet metal in the shape of a lion's head.

Gold rhyton, made of hammered sheet metal in the shape of a lion's head.

Mycenae. 1600-1500 BC.

National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Once part of a large cemetery outside the acropolis walls, Grave Circle A was discovered within the Mycenaean citadel by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 under the supervision of the Greek Ephor of Antiquities Panagiotis Stamatakis.

 

The tombs in Grave Circle A contained a total of nineteen burials: nine males, eight females and two infants. With the exception of Grave II, which contained a single burial, all of the other graves contained between two and five inhumations.

 

The amazing wealth of the grave gifts reveals both the high social rank and the martial spirit of the deceased: gold jewelry and vases, a large number of decorated swords and other bronze objects, and artefacts made of imported materials, such as amber, lapis lazuli, faience and ostrich eggs. All of these, together with a small but characteristic group of pottery vessels, confirm Mycenae's importance during this period, and justify Homer's designation of Mycenae as 'rich in gold.'

 

Shaft Grave IV is conspicuous by its wealth and size. It contained three male and two female inhumations. Two of the deceased were placed on a north-south axis, contrary to the more common east-west axis. The three gold death-masks are the par excellence male burial accoutrements. One male burial also had a gold breastplate. This grave contained precious gold, silver and stone vases, ritual rhytons (libation vases), either with intricate decoration, or in the shape of animals, large bronze vessels and numerous weapons, including a beautiful dagger with an inlaid lion hunt scene. The deceased were adorned with gold diadems, numerous pieces of gold jewelry, a variety of cut-out foil ornaments, and belts or straps.