Mycenae
Mycenae (
Mykene) is the
capital of the legendary
kingdom of
Mycenaean Greek history. Today is the
Mycenae archaeological settlement in
Greece, located about 90 km. southwest of
Athens, northeast of the Peloponnese. Citadel is built of stones legendary city of Agamemnon, and
Mycenaean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age. Since 1999, the ruins of
Mycenae were included in the list of
World Heritage by
UNESCO.
In fact,
Mycenaean kingdom was the first
Greek civilization Minoan Crete replacement. It is dominated by military power around 400, over much of southern
Greece. Sites of
Mycenae is extending the eastern
Mediterranean. Real
Mycenaean civilization is one that lays the foundation of classical
Greek culture and set the course of its development. This is why the period from about 1600 BC to 1100 BC be called
Mycenaean period.
Mycenae was discovered in 1866 by Heinrich Schliemann, who carried out excavations, building on Homer. He
discovered at
Mycenae huge amount of gold. In 1939 the American scientist Charles Bletchan documents found in Pylos. In 1950 Englishman Ueyns Allen and his associates
Mycenae.
As a result of all excavations numerous tablets of unknown script and language. Michael Ventris was the one who deciphered texts, based on conservative dialect - Arcade-Cyprus. He deciphers the known 65 of the 90 characters.
After his death in 1955 his work was continued and published by Chedrik. Since then this day of discovery and deciphering more and more new symbols and translating the texts of the tables.
At
Mycenae were found fragments of pottery dating back to 3500 BC, the time of the
Neolithic remains from the period 2100 BC to 1700 BC to the early Bronze Age. From the middle Bronze Age (1800 - 1700 BC) have dated the first discovered graves and burial pits. Schliemann unearthed from tombs of the shaft so-called circle A cemetery that is generally six in number, are very rich in objects of luxury and date from the 16th century BC
All socio-economic life of
Mycenae was the subject of war. Abundance and gorgeous is due solely to the spoils of war or piracy. All this leads to the dominance of
Mycenae over the Aegean world. Acropolis at
Mycenae has a clear triangular shape. In the foreground on the left is the main entrance - ie.
Lion Gate with a massive wall. Above it there are two lions, symbols of the goddess, protectress of the
city. If a man climbed over the royal fortress, impregnable to see how it was thousands of years ago.
Acropolis or "high city" of
Mycenae was founded in the early 15th century BC and about 1350 BC it and the surrounding walls were restored in "cyclopean style."
According to legend, the works were made by Cyclops, due to the bulkiness of the rocks from which they are built. Perhaps the most interesting remains at
Mycenae alleged tomb of King Agamemnon. It is located next to the citadel - an impressive stone building with a height of almost 15 meters.
The two largest cities of the
Mycenaean kingdom of
Mycenae and Tiryns are. They are celebrated and immortalized in the epic poems of Homer - Iliad and Odyssey, and
Mycenae itself is described as the kingdom of
Agamemnon. Today, most people come to see the ruins of
Mycenae, for one reason - to touch the
place where he began a legendary and epic war in the name of the woman - Elena Trojan or Helen.
