Mycenae

Mycenae

𐀘𐀏𐀙𐀂 Μυκῆναι Μυκήνη Μυκήνες
The Lion Gate and example of Cyclopean masonry at Mycenae
Shown within Greece
Location	Argolis, Greece
Coordinates	37°43′49″N 22°45′27″E / 37.73028°N 22.75750°E / 37.73028; 22.75750
Type	Settlement
History
Founded	1350-1200 BC[1]
Periods	Bronze Age
Cultures	Mycenaean Greece
Events	Late Bronze Age collapse
Site notes
Archaeologists	Francesco Grimani
Condition	Partly buried
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated	1999 (23rd session)
Reference no.	941
Region	Europe and North America

Mycenae (/maɪˈsiːniː/ my-SEE-nee;^[2] Mycenaean Greek: 𐀘𐀏𐀙𐀂; Ancient Greek: Μυκῆναι or Μυκήνη, Mykē̂nai or Mykḗnē) is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south-west of Athens; 11 kilometres (7 miles) north of Argos; and 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Corinth. The site is 19 kilometres (12 miles) inland from the Saronic Gulf and built upon a hill rising 900 feet (274 metres) above sea level.^[3]

In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilisation, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares (79 acres).^[4]

The first correct identification of Mycenae in modern literature was in 1700, during a survey conducted by the Venetian engineer Francesco Vandeyk on behalf of Francesco Grimani, the Provveditore Generale of the Kingdom of the Morea. Vandeyk used Pausanias's description of the Lion Gate to identify the ruins of Mycenae.^[5][6]

In 1999 the archeological site of Mycenae was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with the nearby site of Tiryns, because of its historical importance as the center of the Mycenaean civilization, its outstanding architecture and its testimony to the development of Ancient Greek civilization.^[7]

The Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus and the walls of Mycenae and Tiryns are examples of the noteworthy architecture found in Mycenae and Tiryns. The structures and layouts of these discoveries exemplify the creative talent of the time. Greek architecture and urban planning have been significantly influenced by the Mycenaean civilization. Mycenae and Tiryns, which stand as the pinnacle of the early phases of Greek civilisation, provided unique witness to political, social and economic growth during the Mycenaean civilization. The accomplishments of the Mycenaean civilisation in art, architecture and technology, which inspired European cultures, are also on display at both locations.

These sites are strongly connected to the Homeric epics. The earliest examples of the Greek language are also visible at Mycenae and Tiryn, preserved on Linear B tablets.

A stringent legal framework was established to safeguard the integrity of the Mycenae and Tiryns sites against vandalism and other forms of damage and disturbance to the remains. The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports monitors the two archaeological sites. To maintain the quality and conditions of the Mycenaean and Tiryn sites, archaeological study is conducted methodically and systematically.

The Greek Antiquities Law No 3028/2002, on the ‘Conservation of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General’, governs the preservation and protection of the sites. Ministerial Decree No 2160 of 1964 created and safeguarded the limits of Mycenae in addition to the sites themselves. The acropolis and the wider surroundings are also covered by the extension of protection conferred by this ministerial decree. Ministerial Decrees No 102098/4753 of 1956 and 12613/696 of 1991 both provide protection for the Tiryns archaeological site.^[8]