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Mycenaean

View at the ruins of the famous Minoan palace of Knossos, the center of the Minoan civilization and one of the largest archaeological sites in Greece. Source: GIORGOS/Adobe Stock

The Mysteries of the Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations (Video)

The ancient Mediterranean harbors mysteries that continue to intrigue historians. Beyond the well-known empires of Rome and Greece lie enigmatic civilizations like the Sea Peoples, who wielded power...
Mycenae in the Peloponnese in Greece. Source: Amanda/Adobe Stock

Five Fascinating Facts About the Mycenaeans (Video)

Unraveling the mysteries of the Mycenaeans, a once-vibrant civilization, poses a challenging task. The enigma surrounding their collapse , marked by the destruction of grand palaces around 1250 BC,...
Griffin warrior carved stone. Credit: J. Vanderpool, Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati.

Was The Griffin Warrior’s Treasure Looted from Other Cultures? (Video)

Approximately three and a half thousand years ago, a man was interred on a Greek hillside near Pylos, surrounded by an astonishing array of riches . What's intriguing is that many of these treasures...
Left, Representative AI generated Iron age house; Right, Iron Age house remains from the 10th to the 9th century BC in Thorikos, Attica/Greece.	Source: Left, AI generated; Right, Thorikos Archaeological Project Gent-Göttingen

Archaeologists Excavate Earliest Greek Iron Age House Ever Found in Thorikos

A team of archaeologists got quite the surprise when they were digging at a well-established Mycenaean site in Greece located south of Athens. While performing excavations near Thorikos, the...
Iliad, Book VIII, lines 245–53, Greek manuscript, late fifth, early sixth centuries AD. (Public Domain)

The Iliad: Overlapping Mycenaean Bronze Age And Dark Age Allegories

Known as the “Age of Heroes,” the Mycenaean civilization (1600-1100 BC) was immortalized in the Homeric epics by such noteworthy characters as the imperious commander-in-chief “king of men” Agamemnon...
Fusion of elements: 1) the central city of Amarna, looking east (photo by author), a statue of Akhenaten, with the famous Minoan fresco from the Knossos Palace, “Ladies in Blue”, circa 1500 BC. (Public Domain)

Fair Winds Trade From the Aegean to Egypt’s Amarna

What do Queen Nefertari’s silver earrings , King Tutankhamun’s olive leaf collar, and an exquisite blue glass mixing vessel from Egypt have in common? They were all either a direct product of trade...
Iklaina: Perhaps the First City State of Mycenaean Culture

Iklaina: Was the First Greek City State of Mycenaean Culture?

Recent excavations at Iklaina, hitherto believed to be a sleepy historic village on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, have challenged the established chronology of state formation in Greece. The...
Mycenae, near Nafplio in Greece, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Source: Irina Rogova / Adobe Stock

Mycenae: The Ancient City Founded by Perseus

Strategically located between two Peloponnese hills in southern Greece , the fortified site of Mycenae has entered collective consciousness mainly due to its mention in Homer’s the Illiad and the...
Trojan War scene. Achilles dragging the dead body of Hector in front of the gates of Troy

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Was there ever a Trojan War? That is, the almost legendary battle fought between Greeks and Trojans. This question continues to go unanswered by the academic and archaeological world. If we read from...
The Acropolis Athens (where the cyclopean wall can be found) during sunset.             Source: sea and sun / Adobe stock

The Acropolis' Cyclopean Wall, Sages and Our Deeply Connected Past

The Athenian Acropolis . This rocky citadel sits alone, striking out imposingly against the backdrop of the dry, blue Mediterranean sky. Towering 490 feet (150 meters) over the modern cityscape, the...
Aerial view of chamber of the two tombs in the eastern part of the Mycenaean cemetery at Aidonia, along with the tombs from the old excavation. Source: Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth

Two Intact Chamber Tombs Dating Back 3,300 Years Unearthed in Greece

Two large chamber tombs dated to around 1300 BC have been found in an important Mycenaean-era burial ground in Greece. Previously discovered tombs in the area were extensively looted, but these two...
The famous Lions Gate into the hill fortress where Mycenaean armies originated.

The Fall of a Civilization: The Mysterious Collapse of the Mycenaean Bronze Age

"In most cases, collapse results from multiple, 'cascading' stress factors—politico-economic, demographic, and sociocultural as well as environmental…relational aspects, arguing that factors such as...
The three Figurines – Cycladic Art

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major...
The Lion Gate at Mycenae.

Setting the Story (Mostly) Straight: Archaeological Experiment Shows How Mycenaean Stone Masons Cut Stone

Experimental archaeology can be a very useful asset when we are trying to gain a better insight on how things were done in the past. One way it helps us is to gain some understanding of the...
Two views of the broken skull of a young girl who was a probable victim of human sacrifice

Dismembered Remains Tell Horrifying Tale of Ritual Human Sacrifice in Ancient Crete

In the distant past, earthquakes shook not only lands, but also the ancient perspective on how to interact with the world, the gods, and each other. During a recent lecture at the Archaeological...
Detail of the Mycenaean-era tomb’s façade and the dry-stone masonry that sealed the entrance.

Rare Tomb Shows Bronze Age Mycenaean-era Nobleman had a Fondness for Jewelry

After 3,350 years, a Mycenaean-era nobleman’s tomb has been re-entered and his favored possessions have been seen by modern eyes. Archaeologists consider his burial an odd one, with grave goods and...
Painted side of sarcophagus from Agia Triada, Crete, around 1400 BC. Painted plaster on limestone. Shows the relationship between the Minoans and Egyptians.

Ancient DNA Analysis Reveals the ‘Mythical’ Heritage of Modern Greeks

Phys Org reports that a recent analysis of ancient DNA suggests that Ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans were genetically identical, with both peoples descending from early Neolithic farmers. The study...
The Three Distinct Scripts of Knossos: An Unfinished Epic

The Three Distinct Scripts of Knossos: An Unfinished Epic

Linear A and Linear B are the names given to two sets of scripts from ancient Greece. A third known writing form of the time is Cretan Hieroglyphic. The Linear A script was used by the Minoan...
Clay Tablet inscribed with Linear B script dated 1450-1375 BC, Knossos

Reading Between the Lines: Decrypting the Scripts of the Minoans and Mycenaeans

Pick up a book in a language you have never learned. Read the first couple pages. See if you can understand any aspect of the culture between its covers. It is difficult, isn't it? It remains so...
Hagia Triada sarcophagus

Does the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus Hold the Key to Discovering the Secrets of the Minoan History?

The sophisticated decoration of the 3,500-year-old sarcophagus of Hagia Triada has provoked huge discussions and debates among researchers, as it seems to provide evidence for a mysterious...
New Information Comes to Light on a Unique Mycenaean Tholos Tomb

New Information Comes to Light on a Unique Mycenaean Tholos Tomb

Preliminary results have been provided on a Mycenaean tholos tomb discovered in 2014 on the slope of the Amblianos hill near Amphissa on the Greek mainland. The tomb is considered a special find in...
Facial Reconstruction of the so-called ‘Griffin Warrior.’

Bringing a Bronze Age Face to Light: Face of the Greek Griffin Warrior

Researchers believe that a Bronze Age skeleton found near the Mycenaean palace of Nestor was once a handsome man with long black hair. Their reconstruction of his appearance was based on an analysis...
Secrets of the Four Gold Rings from the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior Revealed

Secrets of the Four Gold Rings from the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior Revealed

The story behind four magnificent ancient Greek gold signet rings is finally coming to light. One year after they were found in the grave of a Bronze Age Greek warrior, the rings are now taking...
An ivory comb found in the 3,500 years old warrior tomb unearthed in the Peloponnese region of Greece.

3,500-Year-Old Unplundered Warrior Tomb with Huge Treasure Hoard found in Greece

Archaeologists in Greece have made a rare and exciting discovery – an ancient unlooted tomb with the remains of an unknown warrior and a huge hoard of treasure. The Greek Ministry of Culture...

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