Visual and Material Sources

The main entrance to the citadel is the Lion Gate (c. 1250 BC). This monumental structure is composed of four colossal blocks, topped by a lintel weighing approximately 20 tons. To prevent this enormous lintel from cracking under the weight of the wall above, Mycenaean builders created a relieving triangle. By using corbelling (stacking stone layers so each projects slightly further inward than the one below), they redistributed the heavy load to the side walls.

The Lion Gate is crowned with Europe's earliest monumental stone sculpture: two lions flanking a Minoan-style column. This heraldic imagery was likely designed to intimidate visitors and serve as an emblem of the Wanax (the Mycenaean king). For additional defence, the 13th-century wall extension included sally ports (small, secret exits) to launch surprise counter-attacks against besiegers.

The Palace, Water Supply, and Burial Sites

At the highest point of the Upper City stood the Megaron, the central palace hall used for grand feasts and ceremonies. It consisted of a porch, a vestibule, and a throne room centered around a massive circular hearth (3.4–3.5m in diameter) supported by four wooden columns, with a hole in the roof to allow smoke to escape.

To survive a prolonged siege, Mycenae required a secure water supply. Around 1200 BC, an underground cistern was built in the northeast extension. A corbel-vaulted staircase of 90 to 99 steps led 18 meters underground to a tank lined with waterproof hydraulic plaster. Water was piped here from the Perseia Spring, located 360m away.

Mycenaean royalty were buried in structures that grew increasingly elaborate over time:

• Grave Circle B (c. 1650–1550 BC): Located outside the citadel, containing 26 graves, including shallow, stone-lined cist graves.
• Grave Circle A (c. 1580–1500 BC): A wealthier site containing deep, rectangular shaft graves and 14–15kg of gold. It was surrounded by a peribolos wall (a double row of stone slabs filled with rubble).
• Tholos Tombs: Later royalty used beehive-shaped stone domes built into hillsides. These feature a long entrance passage (dromos), a monumental doorway (stomion), and a circular burial chamber (thalamos). The Treasury of Atreus is the largest, featuring a 120-ton lintel. The older Tomb of Aegisthus uses neatly cut ashlar masonry, while the newer Tomb of Clytemnestra features advanced curved lintel stones.

Evaluating Tiryns: Fortress or Palace?

Does a heavily fortified hilltop exist purely for war, or can it also serve as a luxurious centre of administration? Tiryns, situated on a limestone hill above the Argolid plain, forces historians to weigh its dual roles. The site features walls that originally stood 10m high and up to 17m thick.

Built directly into the thickness of these massive walls are the galleries (or casemates). These long, corbel-vaulted passages (the eastern one stretching 30m) were highly practical, providing hidden movement for troops and secure storage for grain and ammunition.

To evaluate the primary function of Tiryns, we must compare its military features with its palatial elements:

Primary Function	Evidence at Tiryns
Military Fortress	Attackers had to ascend a narrow Cyclopean ramp, strategically forcing them to expose their unshielded right side to defenders above. A 90-degree turn at the top prevented the use of battering rams. Narrow inner gates created trapped "killing boxes" where enemies could be bombarded from both sides.
Palatial Residence	A monumental gatehouse (propylon) led up to a high-status Upper Citadel. The Megaron here contained a throne and luxurious plastered floors decorated with frescoes of octopi and dolphins.

Ultimately, while its external architecture is overwhelmingly defensive (earning it the title of a "military masterpiece"), the luxury and layout of the inner citadel confirm it served primarily as a highly secure palatial residence for an elite ruler.

Society, Administration, and Artefacts

A single burnt piece of clay can tell us more about a civilisation's daily life than a towering stone wall. Linear B tablets, such as Tablet 641 from Pylos, were administrative records accidentally preserved when palaces burned down. Deciphered in 1952 by Michael Ventris, Linear B uses a syllabary alongside pictorial ideograms (like pictures of pigs or swords) for quick reading.

These tablets outline a rigid social hierarchy. Below the Wanax was the Lawagetas (military commander), followed by the Heqetas (nobles and officers), and at the bottom, male and female slaves known as doero or doera.

Artefacts discovered in graves reveal a wealthy, militaristic society:

• The Hunting Scene Dagger (c. 1550 BC): Found in Grave Circle A, this weapon uses the complex niello technique (a black metallic alloy) to inlay gold and silver. It depicts men with figure-of-eight shields hunting lions, showcasing an elite warrior culture.
• The Mycenaean Warrior Vase: A 13th/12th century BC clay krater depicting uniform soldiers carrying knapsacks and wearing spiked helmets. This reveals a shift towards a highly organised, professional army.
• The so-called Gold Mask of Agamemnon: Found in a shaft grave, this 16th-century BC mask was created using repoussé (hammering from the reverse) and fine chasing.
• Frescoes: Wall paintings like the "Lady of Mycenae" used highly expensive Egyptian blue pigments. They followed artistic conventions, painting women with white skin and men with red or brown skin, serving as powerful displays of palatial wealth and status.