The Homeric World: The Mycenaean Age

Question 1

Importance of Mycenae

Answer 1

Most famous, best preserved city of Mycenaean age, contains significant quantity of gold pottery treasure and frescoes, site contains several types of tombs and graves

Question 2

Location of Mycenae

Answer 2

Northeast Peloponnese, mainland Greece

Question 3

Layout of Mycenae

Answer 3

Citadel built on hill, perimeter was 900m, hills to north and south and ravines surround on three sides, spring less than 400m away

Question 4

Palace of Mycenae

Answer 4

Very top of the hill, large terraces for storage at the sides

Question 5

Sally ports

Answer 5

Important part of defensive structure, gap in outer wall

Question 6

How many sally ports were there and where were they?

Answer 6

Two, north and south of the city

Question 7

What is corbelling?

Answer 7

A technique used to span a gap between two structures

Question 8

Where was the underground cistern?

Answer 8

Next to the northern sally port

Question 9

Lion gate

Answer 9

main entrance to city, built in the 13th century BC

Question 10

Grave circle B

Answer 10

Discovered in 1952, 200m west of city walls , 24 graves - 14 shaft graves and 10 cist graves

Question 11

What was found in grave circle B?

Answer 11

Electrum funeral mask, pottery, jewellery, swords, rock crystal vessel

Question 12

Grave circle A

Answer 12

Discovered in 1876, south west area of city - inside walls, 6 shaft graves

Question 13

What was found in grave circle A?

Answer 13

Two gold death masks, swords, pottery objects, jewellery, gold cup with repousse spirals

Question 14

Gold death mask of Agamemnon

Answer 14

Found by Schliemann in grave circle A, 16th century BC - too early to be Agamemnon, 17cm x 25cm

Question 15

Importance of Tiryns

Answer 15

Remains of palace, series of arched galleries, strong defensive walls, numerous frescoes found

Question 16

Location of Tiryns

Answer 16

Eastern Peloponnese, mainland Greece, 10 miles south of Mycenae, built on hill 18m above surrounding land

Question 17

Layout of Tiryns

Answer 17

300m long, between 45m and 100m wide, upper citadel was palace, lower part was buildings and arch galleries

Question 18

Galleries of Tiryns

Answer 18

Built into outer walls of city - south and east, corbelling used, up to 30m long

Question 19

Palace of Tiryns

Answer 19

Built on highest part, megaron - central heath surrounded by four wooden pillars and east was a small platform for kings throne

Question 20

Tholos tomb

Answer 20

Built into hillside half mile from Tiryns, 6m tall, 6m wide, corbelled roof

Question 21

Troy VI (6)

Answer 21

destruction - 1250 BC, earthquake
walls and defences - walls over 7m high and has 4 towers
house and population - large two storey houses
evidence of warfare - no bodies found

Question 22

Troy VIIa (7a)

Answer 22

destruction - 1220 BC, fire
walls and defences - same as Troy VI
houses and population - single storey houses
evidence of warfare - partial human remains

Question 23

What were the function of palaces? (5)

Answer 23

Contained: archives of official documents, potteries, food storage rooms, shrines and armouries

Question 24

What was the megaron used for? (3)

Answer 24

Worship, official business, banquets with poetry

Question 25

What was the hearths purpose in the megaron?

Answer 25

Fire for religious purposes or cooking

Question 26

What was the most important feature of the megaron?

Answer 26

The hearth

Question 27

Where does the evidence for hunting come from? (2)

Answer 27

Frescoes, scenes on daggers or signet rings

Question 28

What were the noblest and most dangerous prey when hunting?

Answer 28

Lions and boars

Question 29

What was the most common prey when hunting?

Answer 29

Deer

Question 30

What are some examples of earlier shields? (2)

Answer 30

Figure of eight shields and tower shields

Question 31

What were early helmets made out of?

Answer 31

Boar tusk

Question 32

What were Iliadic helmets made out of?

Answer 32

Metal with animal skin liners

Question 33

What happened to the length of swords and spears over time?

Answer 33

They got shorter - better for close contact

Question 34

What is the evidence for chariots? (3)

Answer 34

Carved on artefacts, horses buried in pairs, linear B tablets

Question 35

What are some of the uses of chariots? (4)

Answer 35

War, hunting, racing and transport

Question 36

What were clothes made out of?

Answer 36

Wool of sheep or goats or linen from flax fibres

Question 37

How was cloth dyed?

Answer 37

With natural products

Question 38

What is the evidence of trade? (3)

Answer 38

Objects found in cities, linear B tablets, ship wrecks

Question 39

What were the advantages of sea trade? (2)

Answer 39

It was accessible and they had safe harbours

Question 40

What were the disadvantages of sea trade? (4)

Answer 40

Time consuming, limited to sailing season, hazardous, unpredictable

Question 41

What were some of the exports from trade? (5)

Answer 41

Pottery, oil, wine, daggers and beads

Question 42

What were some of the imports from trade? (8)

Answer 42

Gold, amber, ivory, silver, lead, copper, tin and glass

Question 43

What are linear B tablets?

Answer 43

Inscribed, semi permanent, clay tablets from the Mycenaean age

Question 44

Where were the linear B tablets found?

Answer 44

At major palace sites

Question 45

How long did linear B tablets usually last?

Answer 45

Less than a year

Question 46

What did the linear B tablets tell us about? (4)

Answer 46

Workers, agriculture, military and religion