No
one could ever accuse the Greeks of archeological hybris: this charming hand-painted sign
points to two 3300 year old tholos tombs:
Appropriately
enough, Heinrich Schliemann's wife Sophie excavated "Clytemnestra's Tomb." The
dromos is 65 meters long and a woman's grave was found in the actual access way. Like the
other eight tholos tombs found at Mycenae (none of which were located inside the
fortification walls), this one was also probably the final resting place for royalty; all
may have been used repeatedly for burials by the ruling elite.
Original bronze
dowels show where a fluted column fit against the pillar outside the entrance to the tomb
(illustration pending).
The
design of this relieving triangle, a Mycenean signature detail designed to absorb
structural stress, helps archaeologists date this tomb to about 1300 BC. Note that the
lintel block extends beyond the doorway - in fact, it extends all the way around the
entire interior, adding a nice decorative touch.