Mycenae

Question 1

Structure of Mycenae

Answer 1

• city is built on a hill - 40-50m above surrounding plains
• 900m perimeter
• hills to the north + south
• ravines surround the plains on three sides
• has a spring less than 400m away which supplied water throughout the year

Question 2

What does citadel mean?

Answer 2

• the term means ‘little city’
• an ancient city built on higher grounds, and defended by walls

Question 3

Key features of Mycenae

Answer 3

• Palace
• Sally Port
• Cistern
• Cyclopean Walls
• Lions Gate
• Tombs

Question 4

Palace in Mycenae

Answer 4

• situated at the very top of the hill
• hill did not have a flat top so the ground had to be artificially levelled
• large terraces on the side for storage

Question 5

Sally port in Mycenae

Answer 5

• most important part of the defensive structure
• two of these - north + south
• suggested to have secret passages which defenders could rush out of and attack unsuspecting enemy - only 2.5 m wide
• Sally port is visible from a distance, is it a defensive? Wouldn’t seem very effective
• corbelling was used to build ports - method of spanning a gap between two structure. increasing larger stones would be placed on top of each other until they joined at the top

Question 6

Cistern in Mycenae

Answer 6

• tank used to store water
• next to Sally port is a passage that goes under the perimeter walls to an underground cistern
• it collected water from a series of clay pipes in the roof - the water came from the natural spring close to the city
• if attackers cut of water supply it allowed Mycenaeans to secretly get water for a lengthy period

Question 7

Cyclopean Walls description

Answer 7

• from 1350 BC - first phase - only surrounded the top of the city of Mycenae
• 1200 BC - final perimeter wall finished, around 900m long
• best preserved section at the north ranges from 5.5m to 7.5m thick
• estimated to have reached around 12m high

Question 8

How were the Cyclopean walls built

Answer 8

• made out of huge blocks of limestone piled on top of each other
• mortar was not used - smaller pieces of limestone filled the spaces between blocks
• some blocks could have been moved from higher areas by placing them on rollers + others moved by constructing earth ramps
• larger blocks used for visible parts of the wall + inner core made from earth and rubble
• wall generally followed contours of the hill to make it easier

Question 9

Lions Gate description

Answer 9

• built in 1200 (when Mycenae was most powerful)
• the approach to the gate was along an uphill path
• the opening where the gate was would have been roughly a 3m sided square
• made from conglomerate - shiner + smoother than limestone
• the surrounding walls were limestone so it provided a contrast
• in the triangle created by the corbel arch is a slab of limestone which was carved to form two lions in relief
• the gate has large blocks at either side (the jambs) and above (the lintel)
• the lintel and threshold holes are visible - doors and bars that would have locked the gate

Question 10

How was the lions gate a good defensive structure?

Answer 10

• The Lions gate would be an obvious area for attackers to focus on - threatening
• defenders on the walls would hurl missiles down to try to prevent enemies breaking through
• the only other entrance to the city was through the northern gate (Postern Gate)

Question 11

Grave Circle B

Answer 11

• oldest tombs found here
• 200m to the east of the city and contains 24 graves dating to seventeenth and sixteenth century BC
• enclosed within 28m diameter stone wall
• over half of the graves are through to be Royal family members due to object found
• location of some graves are marked with upright stone stelai - uncharged stele indicates female, carved ones indicate male

Question 12

Grave Circle A

Answer 12

• situated in the south west area of city
• 28m diameter wall, originally surrounded by low wall
• contained six shaft graves, nine women, eight men and two children where barked at the bottom of the shafts
• shafts are deeper and larger than those of Grave Circle B
• Stelai - elaborately carved, three depict chariot scenes
  -dead were buried with precious objects : gold objects, silver, Amber, glass and ivory

Question 13

Tomb of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus

Answer 13

• both tombs have a diameter of around 13m
• also 13m high
• no treasure remained in tombs when they were evacuated in 19th centuary - robbed in ancient times