The Mycenaean civilization flourished in ancient Greece between 1600-1100 BC, with major city-states located at Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Athens, and Thebes. The Mycenaeans built massive fortified palaces and cities featuring cyclopean stone walls, corbel vaults, and monumental sculptures like the Lion Gate at Mycenae. Within the palaces, large central halls called megarons were surrounded by storage rooms, workshops, and residential areas. The Mycenaeans engaged in extensive trade and developed the earliest form of Greek writing known as Linear B. Their advanced culture declined after 1200 BC with the collapse of Bronze Age civilization across the eastern Mediterranean.

1. Mycenaean
CIVILIZATION
RAHUL JAIN
SHREYAK
ARJUN SARA
UDAY YADAV
JAYANT BALAJI

2. Location
 Mycenaean
was a city
in ancient
greece,
located
10km north
of agros in
the
southern
peninsula

3.  The Mycenaean
civilization flourished
during the period
roughly between 1600
BC,
 it perished with the
collapse of bronze age
civilization in the
eastern Mediterranean.
 The major Mycenaean
cities
were Mycenae and Tiry
ns in Argolis, Pylos in
Messenia, Athens in
Attica, Thebes and Or
chomenus in Boeotia,
and Iolkos in Thessaly.

4. Invasion
•The Mycenaeans entered Greece from the north or
northeast c.2000 B.C., displacing, seemingly without
violence, the older Neolithic culture, which can be dated
as early as 4000 B.C.
•These Indo-European Greek-speaking invaders brought
with them advanced techniques in pottery, metallurgy, and
architecture. Mercantile contact with Crete advanced and
strongly influenced their culture, and by 1600 B.C.,
•Mycenae had become a major center of the ancient world.
•The great Mycenaean cities—Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos,
Thebes, Orchomenos—were noted for their heavy, complex
fortifications and the massive, cyclopean quality of their
masonry, while Minoan cities were totally unfortified.
•Mycenaean palaces were built around great halls called
megara rather than around an open space as in Crete.

5. Trade and commerce
 . Wide-ranging commerce circulated Mycenaean goods
throughout the Mediterranean world from Spain and the
Levant. The evidence consists primarily of vases, but their
contents (oil, wine, and other commodities) were probably
the chief objects of trade.
 During the Mycenaean period, the Greek mainland
enjoyed an era of prosperity centered in such strongholds
as Mycenae, Tiryns, Thebes, and Athens.
 Local workshops produced utilitarian objects of pottery
and bronze, as well as luxury items, such as carved gems,
jewellery, vases in precious metals, and glass ornaments.

6.  By the close of the Bronze Age contacts between the
Aegean and its neighbours were well established.
 Mycenaean connection extended as far as
southern Spain
 Mycenaean pottery, for example, has been found
in Sardinia,Southern Italy and Sicily
 Besides being bold traders, the Mycenaeans were
fierce warriors and great engineers who designed and
built remarkable bridges, fortification walls, and
beehive-shaped tombs—all employing Cyclopean
masonry—and elaborate drainage and irrigation
systems.

7. pottery
 Mycenaeans made a great deal of pottery.
Archaeologists have found a great quantity of
pottery from the Mycenaean age, of widely
diverse styles—stirrup jars, pitchers, kraters,
chalices sometimes called "champagne coupes"
after their shape, etc. The vessels vary in size
 The products destined for export were generally
more luxurious and featured heavily worked
painted decorations incorporating mythic,
warrior, or animal motifs.
 A number of vases have been found in the
Aegean, in Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt and
farther west in Sicily, even in Central Europe and
as far away as Great Britain.
 In a general way, the circulation of Mycenaean
goods is traceable thanks to nodules, ancestors
of the modern label. They consisted of small
balls of clay, molded with the fingers around a
lanyard (probably of leather) with which they
were attached to the object. The nodule
displayed the imprint of a seal and an ideogram
representing the object

8. society
 Mycenaean society appears to have been divided into
two groups of free men:
 the king's entourage, who conducted administrative
duties at the palace, and
 the people, who lived at the commune level; these
last were watched over by royal agents and were
obliged to perform duties for and pay taxes to the
palace.
 . On a lower rung of the social ladder were found the
slaves,

9. writing
•The most significant Mycenaean
achievement was the invention of a new
writing system, the syllabary named
Linear B.
• The decipherment of this writing
verified that the official language of
the Mycenaean palaces was the Greek
language.
• This ascertainment shifted the
Mycenaean period from Prehistory to
Protohistory.
•The Mycenaean texts are of a purely
record keeping character since they
include only the necessary registrations
for the control of the economic
management.
• Therefore, we do not know whether
the Mycenaeans had written texts of a
different kind, such as letters, religious
or literary texts.

10. Art work
 Mycenaean
swords an amber
object inscribed
with Linear B
symbols has been
found
in Bavaria, Germany
A Mycenaean
funeral mask
identified as
 Mycenaean bronze the "Mask of Silver repoussé rhyton with
double axes and Agamemnon" gold horns, from Grave Circle
other objects dating by Heinrich A at Mycenae, 16th century
from 13th century Schliemann BC(Archaeological
Museum, Athens
BC have been found
in Ireland and
in Wessex and Corn
wall in England.

11. The painting of the Mycenaean age was much
influenced by that of the Minoan age.
Fragments of wall paintings have been found in
or around the palaces (Pylos, Mycenae,
Tiryns)
Various themes are represented: hunting, bull
leaping (tauromachy), battle scenes,
processions etc. Some scenes may be part of
mythological narratives
Other frescoes include geometric or stylised
motifs, also used on painted pottery

12. The graves of the bronze age
 Two sets of graves found in the soil of Mycenae have given a
fascinating glimpse of the wealth and artistic accomplishments of this
city.
 The graves in each were enclosed within a circular wall. The older set,
tentatively dated between 1700 and 1600 B.C., was outside the walls
that surround the citadel of Mycenae
 there were wealthy Greeks, perhaps from a royal family or clan.
Alongside the bodies, the surviving relatives had deposited various
offerings, for example, a golden rattle in a child's grave.
 The second set of graves, inside the citadel walls, far surpassed the
older ones in wealth.Their contents include such stunning luxuries as
three masks of gold foil that were pressed on the faces of the dead and
a complete burial suit of gold foil wrapped around a child, as well as
swords, knives, daggers, and hundreds of gold ornaments.
 Bulls' heads in the graves indicate the influence of Crete on artists
working in Greece.

13. The tablets
 The earliest record of greek
mythology comes from clay
tablets dating back to the
mycenaean civilisation
 The clay tablets describe the
chief mycenaean god as
Poseidon. He appeared in later
greek mythology as a major
figure.
 The tablets themselves are
preserved only because they
were baked in fire as these
several cities were destroyed by
invaders. All the tablets are
rosters and inventories,
cataloguing oil, seed, objects of
metal, men, and women, all in

14. Architecture
 The style of architecture used by the Mycenaeans in their cities developed during the
Early Mycenaean period.
 As with the art of the Mycenaeans, their architecture owes a great deal to the
influence of the Minoans of Crete.
 The plan and layout of the Bronze Age cities on the mainland resemble the “palaces”
of Crete in many ways, however, the Mycenaeans did develop their own style over
the following centuries.
 Architecture of the heroic age in southern Greece from the 17th to 13th century B.C.
Exemplified in the earliest phase by shaft graves cut into the sloping rock, with
sidewalls of stone masonry and a timber roof;
 in the middle period by monumental beehive tombs constructed of superimposed
layers of enormous stone blocks progressively projecting to create a parabolic
corbeled vault, with a stone-faced, inclined access passage leading to the entrance
composed of upward-slanting jambs and a heavy stone lintel supporting a
characteristic Mycenaean relief triangle
 ; in the late period by fortified palaces having Cyclopean walls, underground passages
with corbeled vaults, postern gates, and cisterns, laid out on an irregular ground plan,
with distinctive propylaea, one or more unconnected columnar halls with porches
facing individual courts, and long corridors linking auxiliary and storage rooms.

15. Fortifications
 The principal Mycenaean towns were
well fortified. against a large hill as
in Mycenae, or on the coastal plain,
like Gla or Pylos.
 Besides the citadels, there are also
isolated forts that undoubtedly served to
militarily control territory.
 Mycenaean walls were often made in a
fashion called cyclopean, which means
that they were constructed of large,
unworked boulders up to eight meters
(26 ft) thick, loosely fitted without the
clay mortar of the day.
 Different types of entrances or exits can
be seen: monumental gates, access
ramps, hidden doors, and vaulted
galleries for escaping in case of a siege.
Fear of attack meant that the chosen site
must have a cistern or well at its disposal.

16. Corbel vaulting
 Many of the Mycenaean constructions
utilized stone blocks of an enormous
size. Some of the blocks are the size of a
small truck.
 This technique can be used to span
arched corridors and circular domes in
buildings and is often used to lighten the
weight above doorways. The corbel vault
is created by arranging courses of stones
with each successive course projecting
slightly more into the space, until a single
stone can be placed over the top of the
triangular arch.
 The tunnel at Mycenae leading to the
“secret spring” and the tholos tombs of
the Mycenaeans are the most
recognizable uses of corbel vaulting.

17. Lion gate
•The Lion Gate of Mycenae was the
entrance to the city. Atop the gate, two
lions rampant are carved in stone relief.
Similar bas-reliefs of two lions rampant
facing each other are found in a number of
places in Phrygia in Asia Minor.1
•The twin lions shown here flanking a pillar
were positioned above the main entrance
to the citadel of Mycenae.
• The gate was about 10 feet wide and 10
feet high; the carved stone with the lions
is about three feet high. It forms what is
called a "relieving triangle", because the
carved slab weighs much less than the
stones to the right and left; this reduced
pressure on the lintel block below it. That
block weighs two tons or so. The door was
made up of two wooden leaves opening
inward.
•The lions originally had heads made of
metal, but they have long since
disappeared. The column the two lions

18. The megaron
 The megaron is the great hall of the Grecian palace complexes.
 It was a rectangular hall, fronted by an open, two-columned
porch, and a more or less central, open hearth vented though an
oculus in the roof above it and surrounded by four columns.
 It is the architectural predecessor of the classical Greek temple.
 It was used for poetry, feasts, worship, sacrifice, formal royal
functions, councils, and is said to be where guests of the king
would stay during their visits
 . Originally it was very colorful — made with the Minoan
architectural order, the insides made of fired brick and a wooden
roof supported on beams.
 The rooftop was tiled with ceramic and terracotta tiles.

In the theory of architecture, the Megaron is considered to be the
earliest architectural act. It is the earliest intervention that
transforms utilitarian buildings into buildings with architectural
qualities.
 The Megaron creates the notion of special approach and axis and
thus is considered to be the predecessor of all orders in
architectural theory

19. Mycenaean palaces
 the palaces of the mainland Mycenaeans
are sprawling buildings usually located at
the center of the fortified citadel.
 The best examples of the Mycenaean
palace are seen in the excavations
at Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos.
 Within the palace complex residential
space, storerooms and workshops were
arranged around the central megaron,
considered to function as the audience
chamber for the royals. Most were
probably two-storied, but in all cases the
second story has not survived and must be
hypothesized from stairways.
 The plan of the palace varies a great deal
from site to site, but they all share the
megaron as their central feature
 This plan features two megarons
suggesting a public audience chamber as
well as one reserved for more important
visitors and family.

20. Palace of tyrins
•The city of Tiryns, situated on a ridge in
the plain between Nauplion and Mycenae,
has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age
(3rd millennium BCE) but attained its
greatest splendor in the late Mycenaean
period (c. 1400-1200 BCE).
•The bluff on which it stood was only 18 m
(59 ft) higher than the surrounding plain,
which in ancient times was a salt march.
• The palace on the summit of the citadel
was excavated (1884-85) by the German
archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and until
the later discoveries in Crete was
considered the most complete example of
the home of a prehistoric king in the
Aegean area.
• It includes entrance gates, paved courts,
large halls, vestibules, smaller rooms, and a
bath.
• It was apparently built by stages; the
complex of buildings representing both
earlier and later palaces. Tiryns survived
into the classical period but was destroyed

21. Knossos palace
•Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest
Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and
probably the ceremonial and political centre of
the Minoan civilization and culture
•. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms,
living spaces, and store rooms close to a central
square. Detailed images of Cretan life in the
late Bronze Age are provided by images on the
walls of this palace
•. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is
near the main city of Heraklion and has been
substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur
Evans.
•The palace has an interesting layout[4] .The
1,300 rooms are connected with corridors of
varying sizes and direction, which is different
than other palaces of the time period which
connected the rooms via several main hallways.
• The 6 acres (24,000 m2) of the palace
included a theatre, a main entrance on each of
its four cardinal faces, and extensive

23. •The 6 acres (24,000 m2) of the palace included a
theatre, a main entrance on each of its four cardinal
faces, and extensive storerooms (also called
magazines).
•The storerooms contained pithoi (large clay vases)
that held oil, grains, dried fish, beans, and olives.
•Many of the items were created at the palace
itself, which had grain mills, oil presses, and wine
presses.
•Beneath the pithoi were stone holes used to store
more valuable objects, such as gold.
• The palace used advanced architectural
techniques: for example, part of it was built up to
five stories high The compartments in the floor
were for grain and produce.
• An alternative explanation for these
compartments is that they were catch basins for
the contents of the pithoi if one should break or
leak. It would be very hazardous to store grain or
produce in the floor of a magazine, the main
purpose of which was to hold giant vases of liquids.

24. Palace of pylos
 The most thoroughly excavated
palace is that of Pylos, the fable home
of King Nestor. The site is one of the
few Mycenaean cities that was
undamaged by later settlement on
the site, so modern excavations have
been quite fruitful.
 The information recovered from Pylos
reveals the high level of decoration
that occurred in Mycenaean palaces.
 The walls, floors and ceilings of the
megaron were covered in frescoes of
bright colors.
 the residential suites on the ground
floor were quite spacious,

25.  The kingdom of Pylos was divided into
two great provinces, the near province,
and the far province.
 The kingdom was further subdivided into
seven districts, then into a number of
communes. To manage these districts,
the king named governor and a vice
governor. A damokoros,( one who takes
care of a damos), in charge of the
commune, shared responsibility at the
communal level
 The staircases found in the palace
of Pylos indicate palaces had two stories.
Located on the top floor were probably
the private quarters of the royal family
and some storerooms. These palaces have
yielded a wealth of artifacts and
fragmentary frescoes.

26. Citadel and fortifications
 The citadel of Mycenae was probably the greatest and the largest of all the
Mycenaean cities.
 Located on the top of a hill, the city was meant to take the fullest
advantage of the natural defenses.
 The fortified wall surrounding the city was built up in progressive stages
with the last section completed only a short time before the city was
abandoned.
 The city walls were immense, incredibly thick, and consisting of several
ton boulders

27. Tombs
 The tombs of the Mycenaeans are
famous for their unique construction
and, of course, the amazing riches
that were found in many of them.
 The first style of tomb popular on the
mainland was the shaft grave. Two
well preserved examples from
Mycenae are known as Grave Circle
A and Grave Circle B. Both were
communal graves, the first held 19
skeletons and the second, 24. The
spectrum of ages represented in each
suggest common family burials. Both
contained many fine examples of
Early Mycenaean art pieces,
including the now infamous Mask of
Agamemnon.

28.  The tholos tomb became popular for the
burials of entire royal families later in the
Mycenaean period.
 These tombs are known throughout
Greece during the Bronze Age and are
easily recognized by their bee-hive shape
created by corbel vaulting of a round
building. The most famous of these tholos
tombs by far is the so-called Treasury of
Atreus discovered by Heinrich
Schliemann.
 These tholos tombs were entered through
a dromos, or entrance passage.
 Dimensions :
 At the Treasury of Atreus, this dromos is of
monumental proportions, 6m wide and
36m long. The dome of the tholos is
equally impressive, 14.6m in diameter and
13.5m to the top of the dome.
 The stone work of the interior is very
refined for the period, with a smooth
surface of limestone.

29. Reason of its collapse
 Around 1100 BC, the Mycenaean civilization collapsed. Numerous
cities were sacked, and the region entered what historians
describe as a dark age for its lack of inscriptions, with some
Mycenaeans fleeing to Cyprus as well as other Greek islands and
coastal parts of Anatolia.
 During this period, Greece experienced
decreasing population and the limited literacy, connected with
bureaucrats of palace culture, disappeared.
 Historians have traditionally blamed this decline on an invasion or
uprising by another wave of Greek people, the Dorians, who may
have been a subjugated local people, although Pylos was
probably destroyed by sea peoples.
 Alternate theories for the decline also include natural disasters
such as a series of earthquakes or large-scale drought, although
these recent theories are more controversial.

30. THE END