2.1 Key sites Flashcards
What are the dates for the Mycenaean age?
1600BC - 1150BC
Definition of the Mycenaean age?
Named after the city of Mycenae, is a general term to describe the period of time when many separate independent cities were powerful
What is the Mycenaean age also known as?
the Bronze age
how is bronze made?
when tin and copper are mixed together to make an alloy
Why is it hard to accurately date the Mycenaean age?
nothing was precisely dated and it was very similar to the Minoan age
How did historians date the Mycenaean age?
looked at pottery styles and compared them to Ancient Egypt where historical records where more accurate.
carbon dating for wooden objects
What three phases was the Mycenaean age divided into?
-the early period (1600-1400BC) in which burial were made in shaft graves
-the palatial period (1400-1250BC) where great palaces reached their peak
-the later period (1250-1150BC) when the palaces seem to have come under more attacks before suddenly being abandoned and destroyed
What age came after the Mycenaean age?
The Dark age or Iron age
Minoan civilisation
a civilisation based in Crete that influenced neighbouring areas (3500-1400BC)
Which mythological king was Mycenae home to?
Agamemnon who led the Greek Army against the city of Troy
What was the elevation of Mycenae?
40-50m
What was Mycenae built on and what were the advantages?
a hill, which was good for attack and visibility
What is Mycenae surrounded by?
Hills on the North and South and ravines on three sides
What is nearby Mycenae?
a naturally occurring spring
How far underground was the spring?
18m
What did they construct to access the spring?
a cistern
Why is the cistern useful?
provides water even if the city is under siege
What were the walls nicknamed?
the Cyclopean walls
what is corbelling?
a technique used to span a gap between two walls by placing increasingly larger blocks of stone onto each other, thereby creating a vaulted roof
what is an example of corbelling?
the passage which leads to the underground cistern and the roof
of the Treasury of Atreus
what is a cistern?
a tank used to store water
where was the site of mycenae situated?
northeast peloponnese, Greece
when was Mycenae built?
11th-17th Century BC
what is the best preserved area of the wall in Mycenae like? (3)
-in the north of the city
-5.5m-7.5m thick
-estimated that it reached 12m tall.
what materials was the city of Mycenae made out of?
limestone and conglomerate blocks
what is the lion gate?
Entrance to ancient Mycenae.
where are the oldest tombs found in Mycenae?
Grave Circle B
who was found in Grave Circle B?
tombs seem to be from the royal family
tomb of clytemnestra was built over grave circle B 300 years later
what are some of the graves in grave circle B marked by?
stelai
what does Grave circle A contain?
6 shaft graves - 19 people buried in the grave circle
how are the graves of circle a different to circle B? (3)
The shaft graves are bigger and deeper than that of circle B
dead buried with a vast quantity of precious objects
thought to be the burial place of rulers - renovations take under to honour previous rulers
which tombs are just outside the city walls? (3)
-the tombs of clytemnestra and aegisthus,given the name by locals, clytemnestra and aegisthus werent actually buried there
-treasury of atreus - father of agamemnon
what is the location of tiryns like? (2)
built on a hill - 18m above land which surrounds it
300m long, 45-100m wide
when was tiryns built?
15th-13th century BC
how tall were the cyclopean walls at tiryns?
originally 7m high, but extended to 10m during the mycenaean era
what was on the walls and floor of the megaron?
floor - images of octopi and dolphins - plastered
walls - frescoes - rich ladies, hunting scene
what is the evidence for Troy VI as Homer’s Troy? (5)
- destroyed at the same time as the Trojan War - 1250/1200BC
- rich city, large houses
- stone walls - 7m high - “high walls of troy” - illiad
- towers - referenced in illiad
- large city - 10,000 people - thriving city
what is the evidence against Troy VI as homer’s troy? (1)
destroyed by earthquake not fire
what is the evidence for Troy VIIa as Homer’s troy? (6)
- large towers
- single storey housing - emergency housing for trojans as greeks
attacking city - storage jars sunk deep into ground - store up food whilst under
siege - destroyed by fire
- human remains found - killed in warfare
- 3 bronze arrowheads found
what is the evidence against troy VIIa as homer’s troy? (2)
- crammed housing - not rich like homer’s troy
- sunken jars - not siege but lack of space
what was the most important feature of the megaron?
the hearth - circular stone area - fire lit for religious purposes - hole
in roof to let smoke out
what did the megaron contain? (5)
hearth, throne, entrance porch, vestibule, one or more courtyards
Who supposedly founded Tiryns?
Proitos, brother of Acrisius whose grandson was Perseus who supposedly founded Mycenae
Which mythical hero is Tiryns thought to be the birthplace of?
Heracles
How far is Tiryns from Mycenae?
10 miles
Where is Troy located?
NW Turkey
What were an important part of the defensive structure of Mycenae?
The Sally ports
Where were the two Sally ports located in Mycenae?
One in the North and one in the South of the city
What was the function of the sally ports?
secret passages through which defenders could rush out and attack enemy soldiers
How wide are the sally ports?
2.5m wide
How were large blocks of limestone thought to have been moved?
-moved to higher areas by placing them on rollers
-raised through the construction of Earth ramps
