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Mycenaean art HISTORICAL FACTS AND TIME

Aegean Civilizations

are grouped under the designation of "Aegean" or pre-Hellenic peoples that during the Bronze Age, roughly between the years 2600 to 1100 BC lived on the shores of the Aegean.

Two great civilizations developed in this period: the first located mainly on the island of Crete, called Cretan or "Minoan" after the legendary King Minos and the second the "Mycenaean" in Mycenae, the city also legendary Agamemnon, king of the Achaeans and hero of the Trojan War.


The origins of Cretan civilization are as dark as its catastrophic mysterious disappearance around 1500 BC, possibly due to the eruption of a volcano or a tsunami.

Cretans were characterized as a peaceful and loving nature and even came to dominate the Mediterranean Sea with its fleet, this domain was based on trade and good relations with its neighbors, why which is spoken today of the "Pax Minoan" concept that transcended his art, luxurious palaces that had no fortifications or defensive walls brightly painted with natural motifs and ritual scenes. Religiously worshiped the mother goddess and goddess of snakes and their cults were related to the fertility of the fields, animals and humans reflecting the possibility of a matriarchal social structure and in any case the existence of an important political role of women.

His glory was inherited by the Mycenaeans, also called "Achaeans," specifically those who try in this chapter.

The Achaeans enter mainland Greece to the 2000 BC, came from the Balkans; "... this town was of inferior civilization before the settlers who supplanted, so for 400 years or so were devoted to assimilate the superior of his predecessors, while that were enriched by the cultural contribution of the Minoans ... "( Terrae Antiquae Blog Pictures).

It should be noted that between Crete and Mycenaean art there a real artistic fusion especially in craft production. The analogies in the areas of gold and ceramics can confuse even the experts. It may be that many of the treasures deposited in Mycenaean tombs and palaces have been looted or Achaean kings have commissioned the development of such objects to the Cretan craftsmen to their services.

Mycenaean art .-

The Mycenaeans and Achaeans, as they called themselves, were the first Greek town itself was established in Greece. Spoke a form of early Greek and their exploits were recounted by Homer.

Before 1870, little could be said of the Achaean people, only they existed, that the "Iliad" was a figment of Homer's imagination and never saw the famous Trojan war led by Agamemnon. But the German Heinrich Schliemann, a fan of Homer's work, found in Turkey, the ruins of the fabled city.

Indeed, buried underground, Schliemann discovered a total of seven cities, both built on the remains of the others. In the second of the layers located the ruins of a city with walls built with huge stones that showed signs of having been burned, was identified as Troy, the city burned by Agamemnon and his armies. This is how the "Iliad" came the mythological to the historical field, Agamemnon had existed and only needed to find their palaces and treasures.

Consequently, Schliemann set out to locate the grave which had been buried the legendary king. Found 18 tombs in the city of Mycenae, where lay the bodies of the Mycenaean kings, their wives and their children, their faces hidden by masks of gold and with them had swords, daggers, goblets, jewelry, all gold. The claim that Homer was Mycenae "rich in gold" was verified.

Schliemann's archaeological instinct and faith in Homer's work was crucial to the discovery of an unknown culture and history of the vast central Greece. From their findings, other archaeologists have consolidated the work done. Thus, later found traces of Mycenaean vessels in Athens, Pylos, Cyprus and Sparta, proving the existence of a Mycenaean civilization spread throughout the Aegean

The Mycenaean civilization is dated between 1400 and 1100 BC (Bronze Age) and spread throughout the Peloponnese. The Achaeans inherited the marine realm of Cretans, but unlike these, the new residents had a quarrelsome and warlike character. This warrior instinct leads them to strengthen their fortresses, with walls of huge stones called Cyclopean, giving their palaces the appearance of megalithic architecture, very different from the cheerful and open nature of the Minoan palaces.

As to its political regime and according to the Iliad, the Achaeans were a military aristocracy in Greece divided into small territories, federally possibly were unified under the command of a single king, that of Mycenae. However, the Mycenaean cities always retained its autonomy and never depended on central political control.

Writing Linear "B"

The Achaeans knew a primitive form of writing called "Linear B ", deciphered in 1952, this led to the discovery that spoke an archaic Greek variant. Since then it's perfectly legitimate to establish the source of the Mycenaean Greek history. Indeed, for many years it was believed that the Mycenaeans were so closely linked with civilization Crete and the Palace of Knossos art that were supposed to have the same ethnicity, but because of the decoded data on the tablets was found that this was a new town.

They used the chariot, a light vehicle drawn by horses also are credited with the invention of the long sword and armor and helmets sheet metal wild boar teeth.

Mycenaean life is also marked by a great religion, the future of the Greek pantheon begins to draw in a building called "Megaron", believe in the Olympian gods Zeus, Hera, Poseidon ... and human sacrifices to their gods.

circa 1200 a. C. the power of the Achaeans began to decline around 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion of Mycenaean civilization ended.

Differences and similarities between Minoan and Mycenaean art .-

First, we note a marked difference between the two cultures: If Minoan or Cretan society was composed of men happy and peaceful , who did not need to erect defensive walls and weapons, the people Achaean or Mycenaean warriors were men who made their fortresses of stone buildings.
The luxurious Minoan palaces were built around a central courtyard, which arose corridors that connected with warehouses, offices, shops and houses of merchants and aristocrats. The Cretans loved nature, lightness and fantasy, this is seen in the architecture of its palaces and frescoes that decorated, subjects as a group of flying fish frolicking in the sea or scenes of athletes jumping over the bull were reasons typical.
The Achaeans, like the Cretan Palaces, the fundamental difference lies in the defensive concept, tough Cyclopean walls did the same some real strengths that correspond to a society in which the king ruled under a strict hierarchical system.

On a scale, as already indicated, the similarities are numerous, possibly because the Minoans marketed its products throughout the Mediterranean basin, or because the Achaeans used Cretan workmanship. However, we note that roughly Minoan craftsmen, especially during the latter parts adorned with motifs inspired by nature such as flowers and sea creatures, but instead the Mycenaeans prefer simpler models, with geometric decorations or on default scenes war or hunting, more in keeping with the character of a nation of conquerors.

Both the Cretans and Achaeans knew metalworking and showed great taste in jewelry making gold and silver.

The role of women was completely different, if the Minoan women occupied an important social and political position, which has even raised the possibility of a matriarchy, in the Mycenaean his role is relegated to simple wife and faithful companion of man, Penelope, Odysseus's wife, portrayed by Homer in the Odyssey, would become the feminine ideal.

Mycenaean Architecture .-

are characteristic of Mycenaean architecture building citadels and the Megaron. Unlike Minoan cities settlements were completely open, with nearby ports for its merchant vessels enter and leave constantly Mycenaean cities were fortified enclosures located in a strategic position easy to defend. The remains of Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos show military architecture typical of the Mycenaean cities built on top of the hills and surrounded by walls of stones laid one on other without mortar.

.- The city of Mycenae Located in the Argolid, a center of wealth and power of the Achaeans and famous for hosting the most powerful warriors of the Aegean area.

Scheme the city of Mycenae, surrounded by Cyclopean walls, the entrance was through the door of the lions. To the right is the circle of graves and behind the Palace of Agamemnon

Mycenae, the main city of the Achaeans, was located 90 km from Athens and according to mythology was created by Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, who with the help of the Cyclops, protected it with a wall of huge irregular stones (why is called Cyclopean walls).

Mycenaean Cyclopean Wall.

The formidable Cyclopean walls of Mycenae, 13 feet high by 7 feet thick, surrounding an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 25,000 square meters. The Mycenaean opened a new construction technique, used huge polygonal stones, weighing several tons, without mortar, which moved using rollers and crews of laborers. This fortified town, situated high on a hill was reserved for the king, his family, the nobles and his personal guard. The villagers living outside the city walls, but in case of attack they sheltered inside the walls.

The entrance to the city was through the famous "Lions Gate" which owes its name to the two animals carved in the triangular tympanum. The lions resting on a threshold of 20 tons and were carved from a single block of limestone. The span of 3 meters by 3 meters was protected by a wooden door covered with a bronze shield.
Lions head sadly lacking, possibly broken with a hammer by the conquerors Doric order of finish, so the symbol of Mycenaean power.

The Palace of Agamemnon " .- In the center of the citadel are the ruins of the palace very poorly preserved. The palace was surrounded by a large patio and the master bedroom was the Megaron, in which the sovereign received their guests, performed rituals, you could hear the bards or poets and celebrated martial.

The Achaeans also made an important funerary architecture, in fact, leaders in search of their immortalization, recorded their social status and power in their graves, they have special spaces for the graves and corpses adorn the masks, jewelry and weapons. Inside the city surrounded by walls of vertical slabs is the Circle of tombs circular cemetery where many graves are arranged XVI century BC where the treasures and the remains of the sovereign.

also found other tombs calls "Tholos" or hive The best known are the "Treasury of Atreus" and the tomb of Clytemnestra.
"... The distinctive feature that may further define the Mycenaeans and dominate over all its territory is the great tomb tholos call (or hive) ... the most famous is the so-called Tomb of Atreus in Mycenae, a large burial chamber built entirely of huge blocks of stone, of enormous dimensions and architecture that is unprecedented in or out Greece ... "(Blog Terrae Antiquae Images) .

The tomb of Agamemnon or Treasury of Atreus: is a circular building which is entered through a long corridor (Drôme) of 36 meters long and 6 meters wide and side walls which reach 14 meters. The door, flanked by two marble columns, is formed by a lintel on which rests an empty triangle possibly contained some relief as the Lions Gate. At the end of the corridor is a circular enclosure or burial chamber with a dome 14.5 meters in diameter. This room is built conical like a giant beehive, determined by projecting a concentric rows on the other.

The Treasury of Atreus, separate.

The Treasury of Atreus. Interior

In this tomb were a lot of jewelry, weapons and the famous funerary mask that Schliemann mistakenly attributed to King Agamemnon. The wealth of findings confirms the title that applies Homer centuries after the city "Mycenae, rich in gold."

camera stability was achieved by the accumulated dirt on the outside of the vault. The builders were having as it fills up, so that the same was buried and subjected to even pressure across its outer surface that gave cohesion and strength. After the burial, se rellenaba el dromos y la sepultura real desaparecía a los ojos de los hombres. El tholos quedaba completamente cubierto de tierra por lo que desde el exterior sólo se observaba un montículo con vegetación.
La importancia del tholos micénico es que es la arquitectura aboveda sin soporte intermedio más antigua del mundo y no es sino trece siglos después, cuando los romanos reinventan nuevamente las grandes cúpulas abovedadas.

El tesoro de Atreo, esquema de un tholos.

Aparte de Micenas, los aqueos construyeron otros asentamientos, que demuestran igualmente la maestría tecnológica de esos constructores como las ciudadelas y de Pylos Tiryns .

Palace of Pylos.

According to Homer, the palace of Pylos was the home of King Nestor, is located on a gentle hill near the sea. Thanks to its better conservation, we can more easily interpret their spaces. The entrance to the palace, history of Greek temple, with an open portico overlooking a courtyard, from there it went to a sort of lobby or pronaos that communicated through a portico with two columns to the reception room or "Megaron" in which the throne was the king and carried out the ritual banquets, courts martial were held and listened to the bards sing tales of heroes and gods. The Pylos megaron measures 10 meters by 12 meters, four columns supporting the roof, the floor is stucco and the walls were covered with frescoes.
Around this central complex are private rooms, a bathroom with tub and warehouses which are accessed through corridors.

Nestor Bath polychrome

.- Tiryns Tiryns citadel at Mycenae Puerto served and also was protected by a stone wall called cyclopean. The throne room or Megaron Orchestra was at the center of the palace and came through three yards and eight gates. In some places the wall was so thick that housed inside a corridor, as seen in the photo.

Mycenaean Sculpture .-

One of the most important Cretan-Mycenean art is the absence of monumental sculpture in Egyptian and Mesopotamian which had been worn. Means monumental sculpture fully adapted to the architectural space and aims to serve as an ornament to architecture, from which it depends. Notwithstanding said, Lions Gate is a magnificent exception.

Lions Gate (1250 BC), one is the oldest monuments in European territory, military power heraldic proclamation of Mycenaean nobles. The entrance to the city of Mycenae was carried through the famous door. On a lintel built by a 20-ton monolith two lions are strong muscles, the beasts are facing each other, forming a perfect triangle. Were symmetrically carved in stone and its front legs resting on a podium, the relief is perfectly adapted to the triangle area between animals and has a column. As indicated above, animals have no head possibly vandalism Dorian conquerors.

Indeed, both the Minoans and the Mycenaeans, with the exception of that Lions Gate did not produce large statues and settled for the creation of small sculptures made of stone and ivory, clay and the development of miniature embossed seals.

found small terracotta figurines in ivory or sites of Mycenae and Tiryns represent polychrome anthropomorphic figures. The figures assume different positions and could have a religious significance as the site for which they were found, tombs and shrines. Are called psi, or tau fi the resemblance with the Greek letters, these figurines or idols are sketched, your body is normally represented by a simple cylinder, which can highlight some breasts as single detail, but their faces are detailed with big eyes and sharp nose.

With the same feature of abstraction found pictures of animals, especially bulls and chariots pulled by horses.

The most famous sculpture bust of the Mycenaean age is the "Divine Triad " depicts two women and a child. Women have breasts are exposed and jewelry and clothing Decree-Mycenaean - the famous skirt flared faralaos or flyers with tight bodice, represent the goddesses Demeter and Persephone and the god or Triptolemus Lacco, all linked to agriculture and fertility fields.

Another famous sculpture is the head of large almond eyes and a hard expression on his face, from Mycenae, is one of the few examples of sculptures in polychrome limestone retain of this culture.

The Mycenaeans, like the Minoans excelled in the work of the thumbnails of engraved seals, which used, among other purposes such as amulets or property as collateral to be printed on objects. It wore a necklace strung and made of wood, ivory, and metals, especially gold. Most notable is the attention to detail and movement. Its size was about 3 cm. The reasons were similar to the Minoans and the stand on war or hunting scenes.

The Mask of Agamemnon .-
funerary masks, emblems of Mycenaean art was unknown in Crete. The most famous is the mask of Agamemnon, which is named after the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who mistakenly confused the Treasury of Atreus to the tomb of this legendary Mycenaean king. Indeed, subsequent studies have shown that that mask precedes by several centuries the existence of the Achaean king. This did not stop to make their discovery Schliemann proudly exclaim "I've seen the face of Agamemnon."
These funerary masks embodied the traits of the deceased Achaean sovereign, why were so personal and different.
The Mask of Agamemnon is 32 cms. And stands out in a thin gold foil features an Achaean king XVI century BC

Mycenaean Painting.

The accused Mycenaean painting greatly influenced by the Minoan, used like their ancestors the art of stucco painted in fresh bright colors like yellow, red, blue or white and marked out with black lines. As for the motives, the Achaeans continuaron con los mismos temas a los cuales añadieron escenas de guerra y caza, más acorde con su temperamento bélico, asimismo se acentúan los adornos y los peinados. También utilizaron motivos geométricos.

Los frescos descubiertos en los palacios de Pilos y Tirinto son la prueba de que los aqueos continuaron el gran arte pictórico de los hombres de Cnosos, aunque a diferencia de aquellos las escenas se delimitaban con marcos decorados con figuras geométricas y sus figuras eran más rígidas. Destacan los frescos de la cacería del jabalí del palacio de Tirinto, el fresco del megarón de Pilos y el friso con damas sobre un carro o la dama oferente del Palacio of Tiryns.

Lady bidder. The City Palace of Tiryns fresco found a woman's large breasts, sophisticated styling and dressed to the Cretan way, carrying a Pixis offering. The figure is bounded by a line or band with geometric motifs. The fresco is clearly inspired by Minoan, the same issue of the Parisian of Knossos: a woman in procession, with the same profile, narrow waist and clothing. However, this picture lacks the elegance of its predecessor and exaggerated.

Lady with necklace, fresh XIII century a. C. found at Mycenae, represents a goddess, is now in the Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Another example is the fresco painting of the young, much more schematic than the previous.

Warriors Pylos. This is one of the most prominent examples of the Mycenaean wall painting. Pylos Palace should and represents the struggle between Mycenaean warriors and barbarians dressed in furs. The figures, very stereotypical, are highlighted on a blue background with no spatial order.

Fresco depicting a coat of Mycenae figure 8 and a sword of the Achaeans own weapons and have demonstrated its warlike.


Mycenaean Pottery .-

found lots of Mycenaean pottery, of very different styles: jugs, cups, vases ... Of the samples found in different localities has shown that the parts for export were generally more luxurious and more elaborate decoration.
The pieces were decorated with mythological motifs, war or hunting scenes or animals, is also characteristic of Mycenaean pottery decoration with geometric motifs such as meanders and spirals.



also found metal tableware, mainly from fields Mycenaean bronze and earthenware jars or ivory.

Gold Mycenaean .-

The gold gives an idea of \u200b\u200bluxury and wealth of nations. Both the Minoans and the Mycenaeans showed great originality and quality in the cutting of metals, especially gold which made spectacular jewels. The pieces found in tombs Achaeans such as crowns, necklaces and bracelets dating from approximately 1500 BC and many of them were decorated with motifs Minoans.



vessels have also been found and hammered bronze weapons and the famous funerary mask which helps implement the physiological traits of the deceased, but with a roughness characteristic of a caricature.
The craftsmen used to do inlay with precious metals like gold and silver to decorate swords and daggers to fight or chase scenes.

Vafio the cup.

FIN of Mycenaean culture

Mycenaean hegemony, which began around the year 1450 BC, with its naval dominance since the mysterious disappearance of Cretan culture was of short duration. Indo-European invasions that occurred between 1150 and 1000 BC caused a cultural complex, and different dialects spoken in the Corinthian Doric, Argolid and Crete, the Ionian used in Attica, the farm in Anatolia and Cyprus in Cyprus.
But the idea that an alien race with its own customs swept the Mycenaeans, occupying their spaces and imposing their culture and institutions is not completely accurate, possibly Indo-European were settled gradually and merged with their predecessors, giving rise to a new Greece.
The arrival of the "iron men" (for metal this g body manufactured their tools) kicks off what historians call the Dark Ages of Greece. But while the towns of Tiryns, Pylos and Mycenae itself had been devastated, the glorious past of the Achaeans - a time of extraordinary companies carried out by heroes and gods - was dormant and ready to reappear in the life of the Greeks.
In fact, men of iron, however, have brought chaos and represent a period of isolation and darkness in front of the Decree-Mycenaean culture, he soon absorbed the culture of their ancestors. Thus, through the oral tradition that accepted as their own exploits in the old days as the fight of Theseus against the Minotaur, the Trojan war, the assault on Thebes, the return of the Heraclides. Myths and legends that fueled the religion, art and character of the new town. It is therefore clear that the Aegean cultures were the precedent of Greek art and play a key to capital formation in classical Greece.