Mycenaean Civilization: What Was It And What Were Its Characteristics?
The one rich in Gold, that’s what they call her in Homer’s texts. And, after the decline of Crete, the Mycenaean civilization emerged as the most important culture of continental Greece, which soon extended its dominance to the Aegean islands thanks to its enormous commercial and warrior thrust.
We know little about the Mycenaean civilization. Before the excavations that were carried out in the area in the 19th century, only what the Homeric epic told about it, closely linked, of course, to mythology and legends. Who were, really, the Mycenaeans or Achaeans? What are the characteristics of your refined civilization? In this article, we invite you to take a journey through one of the most relevant cultures of archaic Greece.
The Mycenaean civilization, between reality and legend
The songs attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were composed a few centuries after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, as they correspond to the 9th century BC At that time, continental Greece was beginning to emerge from the so-called dark period, a time between the fall of Mycenae and the rise of other city-states, such as Athens or Sparta.
During those dark years the writing is lost and, therefore, we know little or nothing about what happened. Why did a civilization as important and refined as the Mycenaean disappear from history? What caused its collapse and that of the rest of the cultures of continental and insular Greece? Is it true that the invasion of the so-called sea people was responsible for its end?
After the long centuries of silence, the voice of the bard Homer emerges, singing the stories of Agamemnon, the legendary Mycenaean king who came to Troy to support Menelaus, the monarch mocked by Paris and his wife Helen. But, To what extent can we take the Iliad as a historical fact?
In the first Renaissance, the idea of searching in contemporary Greece for some vestige of what the Homeric poems sang of began to emerge. A little later, around the year 1700, the engineer Francesco Vandeyk discovered the Lion’s Gate, which allows us to locate, for the first time since ancient times, the location of the citadel.
However, it will not be until the 19th century, especially with the research drive of Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890), that the vestiges of the ancient civilization will begin to be conscientiously traced. The German’s disputed archaeological methods (which, apparently, included explosives that destroyed strata of the city) have given rise to a lot of talk, but the truth is that, since his arrival in the area, interest in Mycenae grew considerably, which allowed that intense archaeological activity was developed after his death. Today, we know much more about this fascinating civilization, which is beginning to take shape as the last great civilization of preclassical Greece
During the 2nd millennium BC, the citadel of Mycenae, located in a strategic location in the south of the Peloponnese, acquired true relevance in the Greek cultural panorama. The city’s cultural and commercial influence not only extends north to the rest of mainland Greece, but also spreads across the Aegean islands. Around 1300 BC, Mycenae enjoyed undisputed dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.
Some years earlier, around 1450 BC, another of the great civilizations of the Aegean had collapsed: the Minoan civilization Located in Crete, it takes its name from the legendary King Minos who, supposedly and according to myth, ruled the island in ancient times. The Minoan culture had a refinement unparalleled among the peoples that surrounded it.
It was famous for its ceramics, the sophistication of its palaces and the exquisiteness of its frescoes, jewelry and everyday objects, which the vestiges found in Knossos can still attest to. It was precisely from this extraordinary culture that Mycenae took its sophistication; The evident influence that the Minoan culture had on the Mycenaean culture can be seen in the frescoes of the palace of Mycenae, directly inspired by Cretan paintings.
Rich funeral complexes
The origins of Mycenae are unclear. Legend attributes the founding of the city to Perseus, the Greek hero, but the reality is more prosaic. The area was inhabited long before the Bronze period, and the collective tombs found in the so-called circle A date back to the period known as the protopalatial era (around 1650 BC) These primitive burials are simple holes in the ground, in which several corpses were located, accompanied by the necessary funerary goods, which became more complicated as Mycenae acquired importance and wealth.
The first tholoi (the plural for tholos), much more complex funerary mounds, date back to the palatial period (14th century BC). The reason why, after the last tomb in Circle A, these funerary manifestations immediately began to be built is unknown, although it is believed that the aristocratic elite had a lot to do with it. The tholoi were much more sumptuous and laborious (it is estimated that it took workers at least a year to excavate one), which resulted in the ostentation of the wealth of their patrons.
But what is a tholos? These are excavations that took advantage of uneven ground, where a corridor was located that linked the entrance to the funerary chamber (thalamos), in which the bodies of the deceased were located. This chamber was covered by a false dome which, in turn, was covered with earth to reinforce its resistance.
In the city of Mycenae, no less than nine tholoi have been found, some of them frankly impressive Due to Homeric influence, the names of these funerary monuments take names from mythological characters: Clytemnestra, Aegisthus or Agamemnon, the legendary king of Mycenae who attended the Trojan War. It is precisely this last tholos (also known as The Tomb of Atreus, the father of Agamemnon) one of the best preserved. It was erected around the year 1300 BC, and its privileged position (at the entrance to the city) meant that, over the centuries, it was plundered on multiple occasions.
Although hardly any remains of funerary goods have been found in the tholos of Agamemnon or Atreus (precisely due to the raids on the tomb), in other burial areas in the area archaeologists have made truly exceptional discoveries. For example, in the aforementioned circle A (where the “simple” tombs excavated in the earth are found) was where Schliemann found the famous mask of Agamemnon, a magnificent funerary mask of embossed gold leaf that was found over the face of the deceased. , whose identity the German archaeologist identified with the monarch of the Iliad. In other tombs, jewelry and utensils were found, also made of gold, such as the beautiful Cup of Nestor. All of this attests to the great wealth that the Mycenaean elites possessed in the splendor stage of civilization
Palaces and temples
The grandiose palace of Mycenae, the center of administration and royal power, was built within the walls, in a privileged place, next to the centers of worship. It is estimated that its construction began around 1400 BC, after creating a complicated retaining wall on which to build the artificial terrace that would serve as the base of the palace complex. A colossal work, as we can see.
Only a true power could take charge of such a building. The palace of Mycenae had a complex structure of rooms, patios and corridors, in which the megaron stands out, a network of rooms that are structured around the Throne Room, where the monarch received illustrious visitors Although little remains of this important room, experts believe that it must have been impressive, decorated with beautiful frescoes and supported by thick columns. In the center a fireplace measuring 3.5 meters in diameter was burning, so it is believed that the space had a smoke outlet.
One of the best preserved Mycenaean frescoes is the one found in the main temple, precisely in the so-called Fresco Room. In the space, located at the bottom of the building, a bathtub has been found, which probably had a ritual use. In the fresco on the wall we can see three women carrying offerings; The Minoan influence is evident both in the technique and in the costumes worn by those represented.
On the fresh stucco, the artist drew the contours with thick black lines, and then filled the spaces with bright colors. As in the frescoes of the Minoan culture, the skin of women was painted white, while a reddish tone was used for men. This aesthetic distinction between sexes is inevitably reminiscent of Egyptian paintings where women were always represented with much lighter skin than men.
Votive statuettes of anthropomorphic idols were found in an upper room of the temple, giving a clue to the beliefs practiced by the ancient Mycenaeans. However, unfortunately, we can know little more. It is known, from the preserved frescoes, that votive processions were frequent, as well as offerings and sacrifices to the gods. Some of these divinities are unknown to us, but others remained in the classical Greek period, such as Poseidon, the god of the sea (very important in a civilization dedicated to commerce) and Zeus, the father of the gods.
But, nevertheless, the most important fragment of the Mycenae complex is, without a doubt, the famous Lions Gate, built around 1250 BC as a consequence of the expansion of the wall. These works attest to the importance that the city of Mycenae had in the 13th century BC, since the walled perimeter was considerably expanded.
The Lion Gate is named after the rampant lions that stand majestically on the lintel. Between their claws they shelter a column, which experts have interpreted as the symbol of Mycenaean power, a fact that testifies to the antiquity of the symbology of the lion as guardian and protector. The debate about the sex of the animals is curious, since their heads have not been preserved (those that can be seen today are later), which opens the discussion of whether they are lions or lionesses.
Around the year 1200 BC, a series of fires occurred, the origin of which is unknown, which coincided with the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization Is this, in fact, an invasion? After the collapse of Mycenae, the Dark Ages arrived, which lasted for several centuries, until Homer gave his voice to the Mycenaean epic.
