To walk through the Lion Gateway of the citadel of Mycenæ overlooking the
plain of Argos and realise that, through this arch, King Agamemnon led the Greeks
setting out for the siege of Troy around 1250 BC, is to live a moment of history.
And then to visit the National
Museum in Athens and gaze upon the gold death masks of some of Mycenæ's
rulers (one may be of Agamemnon himself) that were excavated at Mycenæ along
with gold cups and signet rings embossed with scenes of hunting, brings home the
remarkable way in which the life of early civilisations was often captured in
gold. What ancient goldsmiths depicted can provide a durable and untarnished record,
unlike writing on papyrus, tablets of clay or even frescos, which were all vulnerable
to time.
Mycenæ and the neighbouring citadels of Tiryns, Thebes and Pylos ruled over
the fertile Argos region, to the west of modern Athens, from around 1600 - 1100
BC. The Mycenæans were a vigorous people, probably originating from the
north and also having links with the Caucasus region of Southern Russia, Anatolia
(modern Turkey) and with Minoans on Crete. The
relationship between Mycenæans and Minoans has long been argued by archaeologists.
Mycenæan craftsmanship in pottery and gold shows strong influence from Crete;
indeed, some artefacts found at Mycenæ may even have been made there. So
was Mycenæ originally a Minoan colony? And did the Mycenæans sack
Knossos on Crete around 1400 BC? And why did the Minoans send a contingent of
troops to help Agamemnon in the siege of Troy? Certainly, the relationship was
close. Moreover, Mycenæ reached its prime as Minoan influence waned, and
it may be that her craftsmen migrated to Mycenæ. Craftsmen were sought after
and respected in Mycenæ. The unique Linear B tablets found there, written
in an early form of Greek, which are an inventory kept by palace clerks, reveal
a complex, highly organised society. Leather workers, saddle makers, carpenters,
masons, potters, bronzemakers and goldsmiths are all listed and had their place.
However, any craftsmen moving from Crete to Mycenæ found one crucial difference
in outlook. The Minoans were a pastoral, peaceful people. The Mycenæans
were a warrior race, around whose heroes legends were built. The gold artefacts
of Mycenæ reflect that. While Minoan jewellery was delicate representations
of flowers or olive groves, at Mycenæ the gold became death masks for heroes,
hilts for swords, embossed breast-plates, or was inlaid as hunting or fighting
scenes in daggers. A Minoan sense of movement in the whirl of the dance was retained
along with an appreciation of nature, but hunting or fighting were prominent.
Mycenæ's gold supply was probably erratic and never on the scale of Egypt.
The gold ornaments found in the main grave circle at Mycenæ in 1876 by Heinrich
Schliemann weighed together 15 kilos (482 troy oz) while Tutankhamun's
gold coffin alone was 110 kilos (3,536 oz). Serious gold deposits
were not located until the time of Alexander the Great around 350 BC when mines
were opened at Mount Pangaios in Macedonia. Such gold as arrived probably came
from Asia Minor, beyond Troy or down from the Black Sea coasts, whither Jason
and his Argonauts from the Greek city of Thessaly, went in search of the golden
fleece - the sheepskin used to trap gold particles in streams. Jason's legendary
voyage confirms the Greek search for gold.
The Mycenæans were not only warriors but traders around the eastern Mediterranean.
One gold signet ring shows a touching scene of parting and embarkation on a ship.
The Mycenæans loved big, bold signet rings. "These rings are one of
the miracles of the goldsmiths' craft" wrote jewellery expert Graham Hughes.
"Fine, strong and desirable … evidently important symbols for very grand
people." They served as seals, as much as rings to be worn. The gold crown
was cut in deep relief with scenes crowded with action - hunting, fighting lions,
duels, battle scenes. Drama exploded, too, on a pair of magnificent gold cups
showing the capture of two wild bulls, one with his leg already hobbled by a rope,
struggling to escape, while the other is tempted with a cow. The goldsmiths of
Mycenæ left an enduring record of their aggressive society at the time of
the Trojan wars.
See also: library/history
and library/jewellery.