Mycenaean Collection Analysis

Improved Essays
After exploring the vast expanse of rooms and collections inside the British Museum, the Mycenaean Collection is the collection of artifacts that truly intrigues me. Located in Room 12 and 12b in the British Museum, the Mycenaean Collection provides an amazing insight into the Greek Bronze Age, The Heroic Age, and Greek Mythology legends, especially the epics written by Homer. The collection features many artifacts of red and black painted pottery, bronzes from the Geometric Period, bronze figurines, and numerous artifacts that depict the Bronze age and how the Mycenaean people used Greek Mythology to decorate many objects and create incredible works of art that are still intact today. The Mycenaean Age approximately took place from the years …show more content…
Homer had also stated that the Mycenaean Age had followed the Minoan Civilization after the Mycenaean’s had taken advantage of the weak Minoan society and conquered the Minoans by capturing Troy. After attaining Troy, the Minoan and Mycenaean culture and art combined and countless artifacts such as sculptures and pottery found in Crete have both elements of Minoan and Mycenaean art conventions. The vast power and wealth of the Mycenaean’s is most evident when viewing their palaces, which contained endless artifacts of weapons, jewelry, and other objects made of gold, bronze, lapis lazuli, and other precious stones. Excavations conducted in Peloponnese in Southern Greece revealed the remains of a Mycenaean palace. excavations of elaborate pottery, figurines, mosaics, and sculptures revealed that the Mycenaean Civilization had a class system in place, and of course the most elaborate and valuable artifacts belonged to the higher classes, members of the royal court, and the King …show more content…
According to Archeologists, Mycenae was the most significant of the archaeological projects of Greece because it is believed that Mycenae was the largest of all the Mycenaean Age cities. Notably, the Mycenaean Age was named after the city of Mycenae. Prior to Heinrich Schliemann’s excavations of Troy, the Mycenaean’s as well as Troy were a lost civilization. Many archeologists started to find significance and interest in the Greek Bronze Age when Heinrich Schliemann began to conduct excavations in the 1870’s in the search for Troy, heroes of the Trojan War, and Agamemnon’s palace. Once Schliemann began to excavate artifacts that matched Homer’s description of the opulent artifacts of Agamemnon’s palace (Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae of the time during the Trojan War). This is when many archaeologists understood that excavating this area could result in discovering the lost city of Troy, Agamemnon’s Palace, or Greek Bronze Age cities. This meant that if archaeologists excavated in these locations around the islands of Greece, they could possibly locate artifacts that give an insight on the lifestyle, culture, and values of the people of the Greek Bronze Age, one of Europe’s first civilized societies, and the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In order to prove that Troy, the ancient city in Homer's Iliad, was true, an amateur German archeologist named Heinrich Schliemann excavated a hill, Hissarlik, in, back then, the Ottoman Empire, in the year 1871. He found which is believed to be Troy, and several other cities from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. And either on or about May 27, 1873, Schliemann reported, "In excavating this wall further and directly by the side of the palace of King Priam, I came upon a large copper article of the most remarkable form, which attracted my attention all the more as I thought I saw gold behind it. In order to withdraw the treasure from the greed of my workmen, and to save it for archaeology, …I immediately had "paidos" (lunch break) called. ….While the men were eating and resting, I cut out the treasure with a large knife….…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though each people group lived at different times, they passed down knowledge to one another through generations of exploration and experimentation. These civilizations compare in much of their practices and beliefs, yet contrast in many of the ways that they carry them out. From their religious practices, governmental establishments and philosophical advancements to their affinity for art and drama, the Greeks truly are a picture of sophisticated culture rich in tradition and…

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Iliad Dbq Essay

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages

    WHAP EQs #3 This is when innovation occurred and new experiences allowed the empires to grow and flourish. New faiths appeared and new social lives developed as technology advanced. Monuments and temples were built to the gods as a place of worship and rituals.…

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Greek Era’s The text A Brief Overview of Classical Greece, written by Thomas Sakoulas demonstrates the hard times Greece had to overcome in this era. During the Stone Age, Greece was prospering. The Greeks were productive since the beginning of time, so they could make Greece successful. Sakoulas explained how the Greeks were found productive by writing,”A wealth of stone tools found in sites in Espirus, Thessaly, Macedonia, and the Peloponnese reveal the existence of flourishing Paleolithic and Mesolithic communities in the Greek mainland”(Sakoulas,4).…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The columns that divided culture and religion From the Caryatids of the porch of the Erechtheion in Athens, Greece to the Togu na House post built by the Dogon in Mali, nearly 2500 years have passed between the two styles of sculptures. The Caryatid statues of Athens, Greece, built between ca. 421-405 BCE, have vast detail in the image of the female, unlike the Dogon Togu na House Post which shows an abstract view of a woman’s body. Although they have similarities in choice of design and purpose each of these posts have an individual function of their respected culture which makes them unique in their function. The columns of these two cultures, Dogon and Classical Greek show the distinct goal in…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pericles Leadership

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Once the conflict between Greece and Persia had ceased in 479 BCE, Athens found themselves following a new leader, an Athenian statesman, Pericles, who had a fervent interest in advancing Athens. Under Pericles’ leadership, Athens experienced a period of time in the 5th century where they were regarded as the cultural, intellectual and commercial heart of the Hellenic world. Their hegemony and superiority contributed to the creation of a Golden Age, a valid title, which is currently embraced by historians. Athens flourished with culture during this time period, especially with the construction of the world’s most renowned Acropolis. Athens was also responsible for the development of democracy.…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history “The Truth behind Troy” has been documented and talked about for many centuries. In my opinion most of the research and scholarly evidence of Hisarlik clearly shows that our current knowledge of the famous ancient city of Troy is based on Homer’s writings and archaeological discoveries made by the German archaeologist and excavator Heinrich Schliemann. Many have agreed that Homer should be acknowledged as a legitimate source of historical reference and therefore, so should Schliemann. It is widely assumed the real reason for the Trojan War was due to the desire to dominate the trade industry by controlling the trade from Asia into the Aegean Sea. Scholars claim that the trade from Asia had to travel through Troy, which in turn gave the city its wealth and significance.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The first part of the book deals with Ebla and the Early Dynastic (ED) period in Mesopotamia. At this time period they saw the first empires in the ancient Near East, and Ebla was usefully founded between coastal Syria and northern Mesopotamian cities. Exploiting on this location, rulers of Ebla created pacts with neighboring towns and placed tariffs on goods arriving to the city. Many of the extravagant goods were meant for the royal household; Podany describes the contents and effects of a discreet letter written to the king of Ebla by the king of Hamazi, discussing the exchange of royal gifts. Podany displays a profound familiarity with military skirmishes and the difference between a promise kept by a defeated enemy and a treaty signed…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Minoan Palace and the Micenaean Citadel both have walls that protect them. However, they are both very distinct. Minoan Chronology has two main periods. The “old palace” period lasted from about 1900 to 1700 BCE while the “New Palace” period started around 1700 and it lasted until 1450 BCE. Sir Arthur Evans excavated the complex at Knossos in 1900 CE.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Mycenaeans Vs Minoans

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An epic poem is long poem that explains the doings of a great hero. The acts of a hero striving for excellence is what an Arete is named after. Arete is won through a struggle or contest. An example of this is modeling honor and heroism through a willingness to fight.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The second sculpture is to be compared and contrasted with is the Mask of Agamemnon. Both being the same type of artwork could have been made in different techniques, have different stories, and many more. While the two sculptures may look boring and emotionless, the Head of an Akkadian Ruler shows the strength and leadership that Sargon once had, and the Funerary Mask of ‘Agamemnon’ displays how the people of Mycenae…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The first, and most hotly contested question, that modern scholars ask about Heinrich Schliemann’s archaeological legacy is whether or not his findings at Hisarlik and his claims about Homer’s Troy are the result of lies. On May 31st, 1873, Heinrich Schliemann wrote in his excavation journal that he had found a large cache of gold and briefly described a few of the objects. Beyond that, there was no thorough account of what Schliemann found until much later. Once Schliemann finally revealed what he had unearthed on that day, it shook the archaeological world.…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The excavation of an historical site is intended to provide us with information about the past and the manifestations of its culture and society. The excavation of Knossos in modern day Crete aimed at investigating the ancient Palace of Knossos(II) known only from ancient myths. Different archaeological methods were employed at the site to discover, identify and record findings. The physical excavation of the site was was most important aspect of the investigation, which helped identify findings and relied upon a variety of techniques due to the complex nature of the site. Initially trial trenches were dug all over the site of the Knossos to reveal key areas to excavate.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Tolman, Herbert, Mycenaean Troy, based on Dörpfeld's excavations in the sixth of the nine buried cities at Hissarlik. New York: American Book, 1903. Mycenaean Troy was a book based upon Wilhelm Dörpfeld’s discoveries at what archaeologists believe to be the site of the ancient city of Troy. The book is a recollection of findings, and pictures to determine the legitimacy of the Homeric stories. It examines the functionality of the city, art and architecture, and the supportiveness for the Trojan War.…

    • 231 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dark Age Greeks stumbled upon the ruins of Mycenaean cities and palaces, and claimed them as ancestors. The walls of the ancient cities were called “Cyclopean” (Pomeroy et al. 2004, 25) because the stones were so huge, and the Greeks reasoned…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays