Untouched Mycenaean Tomb Found in Central Greece

Greek Reporter ^ | February 7, 2015 | Ioanna Zikakou

[SunkenCiv]

An ancient Greek Mycenaean tomb was unearthed in Amfissa, central Greece, during an irrigation project that required excavation in the area. It is a unique finding, the first of its kind that has ever been found in West Locris and one of the few in central Greece.

The preliminary archaeological study of the findings shows that the tomb was used for more than two centuries, from the 13th to the 11th century B.C..

Within the burial chamber archaeologists found a large amount of skeletal material, which had accumulated near the surrounding walls, while a few better preserved burials were also uncovered.

Furthermore, the excavation revealed forty-four vases with painted decorations, the two bronze fragmented vases, as well as gold rings, brass buttons, fragments of semi precious stones, two bronze daggers, female and animal figurines, and a large number of seals with animal, plant and linear patterns.

The full scientific research regarding the recent finding will be made by a team of archaeologists and it is expected to provide new information about the archaeological and historical development of the region.

[SunkenCiv]

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[Verginius Rufus]

Amphissa was in the area known as Ozolian Lokris in antiquity. It’s about 15 km from Delphi.

[Verginius Rufus]

Amphissa was in the area known as Ozolian Lokris in antiquity. It’s about 15 km from Delphi.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Verginius Rufus.

[SunkenCiv]

[Republicanprofessor]

Looks remarkably like Anasazi kivas from the American southwest...

[gleeaikin]

Two thoughts. This place was less than 10 miles from Delphi, a day trip to the oracle and the nearby markets. I wonder if there will be any information related to the relatively unknown sea peoples and that period of history.

[colorado tanker]

Nuts, no pix of the objects. Really cool find, though.

[Verginius Rufus]

I don't think there is any direct evidence for the Sea Peoples attacking Greece, although perhaps Greeks were participants in their raids. The Linear B tablets from Pylos in Messenia indicate that they were worried about a possible attack from the sea but it isn't known who destroyed the palace there.

This is a tholos tomb, of which something like 100 have been found at various places in Greece, the largest ones being at Mycenae. This one has some grave goods that were not robbed in antiquity (not unique--the tholos tomb at Vapheio yielded two fine gold cups showing scenes involving bulls, and a suit of bronze armor was found at Dendra, one of the tholos tombs near Mycenae).

For tombs to be found in this ruined condition with the upper levels gone is also not unique. It looks from the photo that perhaps larger stones were placed in modern times on top of the surviving top level of the stone, presumably for protection, since the lower levels have smaller stones.

[blam]

[gleeaikin]

Actually I wasn’t thinking of these Greeks being attacked, but rather to what extent they might have been a part of the Sea People’s activities. Regarding two fine bull cups, I wonder if these might have been a relic of the bull leaping cults of Crete. I would love to see what they looked like for further clues.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s amazing that all of them weren’t plundered in antiquity.

[SunkenCiv]

The “relatively unknown sea peoples” are for all practical purposes a modern fiction — no tombs, no graveyards, no graves, no towns, no geographic traces, no characteristic weapons, no characteristic pottery, no coins, no nothin’.

[Verginius Rufus]

There is a passage in the Odyssey where Odysseus is telling of his adventures as a raider, which some have thought might resemble the actual activities of one of the so-called Sea Peoples.

Google "Vapheio cups" and the first item is "images of Vapheio cups" which has a lot of good photos of them. The Wikipedia article "Vaphio" also has a link to some images but they aren't as close-up.

[gleeaikin]

The site is definitely worth a visit. Beautiful cups showing capturing bulls. Then many other photos of other artifacts and sites from that era.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Vapheio+cups&num=50&newwindow=1&safe=off&sa=G&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=eZTbVOOaPJOxyATigYH4BQ&ved=0CB8QsAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=c9ccDhoLD3J7oM%253A%3BeHGqgpgQDR5G_M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.molon.de%252Fgalleries%252FGreece%252FAthens%252FMycenae%252Fimages01%252F27%252520Vapheio%252520gold%252520cup.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.molon.de%252Fgalleries%252FGreece%252FAthens%252FMycenae%252Fimg.php%253Fpic%253D27%3B670%3B447

[Verginius Rufus]

Bulls are prominent in the art of Minoan Crete. I don’t know if they have any way to tell if these cups may have come from Crete (in trade or from piracy) or were made locally in Laconia. Vapheio is close to Sparta.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks g’.

[SunkenCiv]