Mycenae Grave Circles

The Grave Circles are royal burial enclosures located within the Bronze Age archaeological site of Mycenae in Greece. Mycenae is situated in the northeastern Peloponnese region. The site gave its name to the entire Mycenaean civilization.

The sites primarily date to the 16th century BCE during the Late Bronze Age. They consist of deep vertical shaft graves containing the remains of elite Mycenaean warriors and rulers. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann famously excavated them in 1876.

Heinrich Schliemann discovered a vast array of gold death masks, bronze weapons, and jewelry in these shaft graves. He famously declared he had 'gazed upon the face of Agamemnon' upon finding a specific gold mask, though the mask actually predates the Trojan War. These artifacts are now housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

There are two main royal burial enclosures at the site, known as Grave Circle A and Grave Circle B. Grave Circle A was incorporated into the expanded walls of the citadel, while Circle B sits just outside the main gate. Both contained incredibly rich offerings indicating a wealthy, hierarchical society.