Mycenae

Mycenae is a major Bronze Age archaeological citadel in the Argolid region of the Peloponnese and the type site of the Mycenaean civilization that dominated mainland Greece in the 2nd millennium BCE. It contains remains of a fortified palace, monumental gates and tombs dating to the Late Bronze Age.

Principal features include the monumental Lion Gate, the royal shaft graves of Grave Circle A discovered by 19th‑century excavators, and several large beehive (tholos) tombs such as the Treasury of Atreus. The site illustrates Mycenaean funerary practice, monumental architecture and defensive planning and is one of the best known Bronze Age sites in Greece.

Modern excavations and early digs by archaeologists such as Heinrich Schliemann in the late 19th century revealed rich grave goods and helped define Mycenaean chronology; subsequent work has refined dating to the 16th-12th centuries BCE when the citadel was occupied.

Mycenae sits on a limestone ridge above the plain of the Argolid, roughly 11 km northeast of the coastal town of Nafplio and within driving distance of Argos and the wider Peloponnese region.

• Nearby access: Major monuments are exposed on the hillside; a site visit can be combined with nearby Mycenaean sites and the town of Nafplio, which lies about 11 km to the southwest.

What to See #

• Lion Gate: The monumental limestone entrance to the citadel featuring a relieving triangle with sculpted decoration, dated to the late Bronze Age Mycenaean period.
• Grave Circle A: A royal burial compound of shaft graves excavated in the 19th century containing rich grave goods, the most famous finds having been unearthed by Heinrich Schliemann.
• Tholos tombs (including Treasury of Atreus): A large tholos (beehive) tomb close to the citadel walls traditionally known as the Treasury of Atreus, dating to the Mycenaean palatial period.