Mycenae ( / m aɪ ˈ s iː n iː / my- SEE -nee ; Mycenaean Greek : 𐀘𐀏𐀙𐀂 ; Ancient Greek : Μυκῆναι or Μυκήνη , Mykē̂nai or Mykḗnē ) is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis , north-eastern Peloponnese , Greece . It is located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south-west of Athens ; 11 kilometres (7 miles) north of Argos ; and 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Corinth . The site is 19 kilometres (12 miles) inland from the Saronic Gulf and built upon a hill rising 900 feet (274 metres) above sea level.
142-572: A necropolis ( pl. : necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek νεκρόπολις nekropolis ( lit. ' city of the dead ' ). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distance from a city, as opposed to tombs within cities, which were common in various places and periods of history. They are different from grave fields , which did not have structures or markers above
284-424: A 𐀐𐀫𐀯𐀊 , ke-ro-si-ja , (later γερουσία gerousia ), but Palmer believes that it was an organization of "bronze smiths". The land was held by the wanax, by the damos, and by individual land owners. It seems that people lived in small family groups or clans around the main citadel. Occupying a lower rung of the social ladder were the slaves, do-e-ro , ( cf. δοῦλος , doúlos ). These are recorded in
426-422: A mass grave until they had decomposed . The bones were then exhumed and stored in ossuaries , either along the arcaded bounding walls of the cemetery or within the church under floor slabs and behind walls. In most cultures those who were vastly rich, had important professions , were part of the nobility or were of any other high social status were usually buried in individual crypts inside or beneath
568-479: A Grave , Canadian Headstones , Interment.net , and the World Wide Cemetery . In Western countries, and many others, visitors to graves commonly leave cut flowers , especially during major holidays and on birthdays or relevant anniversaries. Cemeteries usually dispose of these flowers after a few weeks in order to keep the space maintained. Some companies offer perpetual flower services, to ensure
710-621: A backlash which led to the development of the lawn cemetery. In a review of British burial and death practises, Julie Rugg wrote that there were "four closely interlinked factors that explain the 'invention' and widespread adoption of the lawn cemetery: the deterioration of the Victorian cemetery; a self-conscious rejection of Victorian aesthetics in favour of modern alternatives; resource difficulties that, particularly after World War II, increasingly constrained what might be achieved in terms of cemetery maintenance; and growing professionalism in
852-756: A beloved pet on the family property. All of the Saudis in Al Baha are Muslims, and this is reflected in their cemetery and funeral customs. "The southern tribal hinterland of Baha – home to especially the Al- Ghamdi and Al- Zahrani tribes – has been renowned for centuries for their tribal cemeteries that are now slowly vanishing", according to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper: "One old villager explained how tribal cemeteries came about. 'People used to die in large numbers and very rapidly one after
994-569: A burial ground within a churchyard . The intact or cremated remains of people may be interred in a grave, commonly referred to as burial , or in a tomb , an "above-ground grave" (resembling a sarcophagus ), a mausoleum , a columbarium , a niche, or another edifice. In Western cultures , funeral ceremonies are often observed in cemeteries. These ceremonies or rites of passage differ according to cultural practices and religious beliefs. Modern cemeteries often include crematoria, and some grounds previously used for both continue as crematoria as
1136-589: A capital city on the level of Thebes and Knossos. During LHIIIB, Mycenae's political, military and economic influence likely extended as far as Crete , Pylos in the western Peloponnese, and to Athens and Thebes . Mycenae was among the numerous Aegean sites destroyed as part of the Bronze Age Collapse around 1200 BC. The causes of these destructions are unknown, but proposed explanations include enemy attack, internal strife, and natural disasters such as earthquakes. Unlike many other sites, Mycenae
1278-437: A cemetery as Hybrid, Natural, or Conservation Burial Grounds. Many scientists have argued that natural burials would be a highly efficient use of land if designed specifically to save endangered habitats, ecosystems and species. The opposite has also been proposed. Instead of letting natural burials permanently protect wild landscapes, others have argued that the rapid decomposition of a natural burial, in principle, allows for
1420-400: A desire to be environmentally conscious with the body rapidly decomposing and becoming part of the natural environment without incurring the environmental cost of traditional burials. Certifications may be granted for various levels of green burial. Green burial certifications are issued in a tiered system reflecting level of natural burial practice. Green burial certification standards designate
1562-422: A fence which may be made of concrete , cast iron or timber . Where a number of family members are buried together (either vertically or horizontally), the slab or boundaries may encompass a number of graves. Monumental cemeteries are often regarded as unsightly due to the random collection of monuments and headstones they contain. Also, as maintenance of the headstones is the responsibility of family members (in
SECTION 10
#17327652560831704-480: A flower or small posy to be placed on the plaque itself or clips are glued onto the plaque for that purpose. Newer designs of columbarium walls take this desire to leave flowers into account by incorporating a metal clip or loop beside each plaque, typically designed to hold a single flower stem or a small posy. As the flowers decay, they simply fall to the ground and do not create a significant maintenance problem. While uncommon today, family (or private) cemeteries were
1846-544: A grave is always decorated with fresh flowers. Flowers may often be planted on the grave as well, usually immediately in front of the gravestone. For this purpose roses are highly common. Mycenae In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilisation, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete , the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia . The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC
1988-469: A green space called a memorial park , is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word cemetery (from Greek κοιμητήριον ' sleeping place ' ) implies that the land is specifically designated as a burial ground and originally applied to the Roman catacombs . The term graveyard is often used interchangeably with cemetery, but a graveyard primarily refers to
2130-482: A grid to replace the chaotic appearance of the churchyard. Urban cemeteries developed over time into a more landscaped form as part of civic development of beliefs and institutions that sought to portray the city as civilized and harmonious. Urban cemeteries were more sanitary (a place to safely dispose of decomposing corpses) than they were aesthetically pleasing. Corpses were usually buried wrapped in cloth, since coffins, burial vaults, and above-ground crypts inhibited
2272-431: A headstone at all usually had some religious symbol made from wood on the place of burial such as a Christian cross ; however, this would quickly deteriorate under the rain or snow. Some families hired a blacksmith and had large crosses made from various metals put on the places of burial. Starting in the early 19th century, the burial of the dead in graveyards began to be discontinued, due to rapid population growth in
2414-537: A hilly area in Nagoya, Japan, effectively creating stone walls blanketing hillsides. The Cross Bones is a burial ground for prostitutes in London. The Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater columbarium near Key Biscayne . In the 2000s and 2010s, it has become increasingly common for cemeteries and funeral homes to offer online services. There are also stand-alone online "cemeteries" such as DiscoverEverAfter Find
2556-526: A major power during LHI (c. 1550 – c. 1450 BC) and is believed to have become the main centre of Aegean civilisation through the fifteenth century to the extent that the two hundred years from c. 1400 BC to c. 1200 BC (encompassing LHIIIA and LHIIIB) are known as the Mycenaean Age. The Minoan hegemony ended c. 1450 and there is evidence that Knossos was occupied by Mycenaeans until it too was destroyed c. 1370 BC. From then on, Mycenaean expansion throughout
2698-438: A matter of practicality during the settlement of America. If a municipal or religious cemetery had not been established, settlers would seek out a small plot of land, often in wooded areas bordering their fields, to begin a family plot. Sometimes, several families would arrange to bury their dead together. While some of these sites later grew into true cemeteries, many were forgotten after a family moved away or died out. Today, it
2840-432: A member of Mycenae's ruling dynasty. Certain archaeological features in the palatial centers like the architectural uniformity, the uniformity of the administrative system, the uniformity in pottery, the imperial language and some large scale projects (drainage systems, harbours, roads etc.) indicate that large parts of Greece may have fallen under the sway of a single king, with various degrees of control over local vassals:
2982-515: A mushroom he had plucked on the site. Homer connected the name to the nymph Mycene, the daughter of the river god Inachos of Argos ( Odyssey 2.120). In the Iliad the name of the city is spelled Mykḗnē (Μυκήνη). The later form, Mykē̂nai (Μυκῆναι), was the result of a well-known sound change in Attic - Ionic , which shifted some instances of ā to ē . Mycenae, an acropolis site,
SECTION 20
#17327652560833124-715: A necropolis containing burials from the Predynastic through the Late Period . A pair of small necropoleis of Theban-style rock-cut tombs started to take shape in the wadis east of Akhetaten (modern Amarna ) during the Amarna Period of the New Kingdom; while it appears that the tombs were not ultimately used for burials due to the collapse of the Amarna regime about 20 years after the foundation of Akhetaten,
3266-404: A niche in a columbarium wall is a much cheaper alternative to a burial plot. A small plaque (about 15 cm x 10 cm) can be affixed across the front of each niche and is generally included as part of the price of a niche. As the writing on the plaques has to be fairly small to fit on the small size of the plaque, the design of columbarium walls is constrained by the ability of visitors to read
3408-503: A number of palaces and fortifications appear to be part of a wider kingdom. For instance, Gla , located in the region of Boeotia, belonged to the state of nearby Orchomenos. The palace of Mycenae probably ruled over a territory two to three times the size of the other palatial states in Bronze Age Greece. Its territory would have also included adjacent centers, including Tiryns and Nauplion , which could plausibly be ruled by
3550-591: A principal use long after the interment areas have been filled. The Taforalt cave in Morocco is possibly the oldest known cemetery in the world. It was the resting place of at least 34 Iberomaurusian individuals, the bulk of whom have been dated to 15,100 to 14,000 years ago. [1] Neolithic cemeteries are sometimes referred to by the term " grave field ". They are one of the chief sources of information on ancient and prehistoric cultures, and numerous archaeological cultures are defined by their burial customs, such as
3692-528: A provincial official. (Homer mentions many basilees in Ithaca ). The land possessed by the king is usually called 𐀳𐀕𐀜 , te-me-no ( τέμενος , " témenos "), a word that survived in classical Greece (the temenos placed by Hephaestus on the shield of Achilles is called "royal"). In classical times the word has a religious connotation . Other important landowners were the 𐀨𐀷𐀐𐀲 , ra-wa-ke-ta ("lāwāgetas"), literally translated as "the leader of
3834-422: A sealant) and toxic metals such as copper, lead, and zinc (from coffin handles and flanges). Urban cemeteries relied heavily on the fact that the soft parts of the body would decompose in about 25 years (although, in moist soil, decomposition can take up to 70 years). If room for new burials was needed, older bones could be dug up and interred elsewhere (such as in an ossuary) to make space for new interments. It
3976-444: A separate Act of Parliament for authorisation, although the capital was raised through the formation of joint-stock companies . In the first 50 years of the 19th century the population of London more than doubled from 1 million to 2.3 million. The small parish churchyards were rapidly becoming dangerously overcrowded, and decaying matter infiltrating the water supply was causing epidemics . The issue became particularly acute after
4118-455: A situation not dissimilar from the contemporary Hittite world, although the archaeological evidence remains ambiguous. A loose confederacy of city-states under the king of Mycenae, Agamemnon , is mentioned by Homer in Iliad . Much of the Mycenaean religion survived into classical Greece in their pantheon of Greek deities , but it is not known to what extent Greek religious belief
4260-532: A term still used to describe them today. The concept quickly spread across Europe. Garden/rural cemeteries were not necessarily outside city limits. When land within a city could be found, the cemetery was enclosed with a wall to give it a garden-like quality. These cemeteries were often not sectarian, nor co-located with a house of worship. Inspired by the English landscape garden movement, they often looked like attractive parks. The first garden/rural cemetery in
4402-737: Is Mycenaean, nor how much is a product of the Greek Dark Ages or later. Moses I. Finley detected only few authentic Mycenaean beliefs in the 8th-century Homeric world, but Nilsson suggested that the Mycenaean religion was the mother of the Greek religion . From the history traced by Nilsson and Guthrie , the Mycenaean pantheon consisted of Minoan deities, but also of gods and goddesses who appear under different names with similar functions in East and West. Many of these names appearing in
Necropolis - Misplaced Pages Continue
4544-530: Is an example of this practice. Burial of a body at a site may protect the location from redevelopment, with such estates often being placed in the care of a trust or foundation . In the United States, state regulations have made it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to start private cemeteries; many require a plan to care for the site in perpetuity. Private cemeteries are nearly always forbidden on incorporated residential zones. Many people will bury
4686-618: Is believed they were never able to hold substantial roles of power in the civilizations. The particular positions held and responsibilities performed within Mycenae's social structure are not well understood. According to the traditional view, Mycenae or any other palatial center of mainland Greece was not an empire, and the mainland consisted of independent city-states. This view has in recent years, however, been challenged by various specialists, such as Jorrit Kelder and, most recently, Birgitta Eder and Reinhard Jung . Kelder pointed out that
4828-682: Is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares (79 acres). The first correct identification of Mycenae in modern literature was in 1700, during a survey conducted by the Venetian engineer Francesco Vandeyk on behalf of Francesco Grimani, the Provveditore Generale of the Kingdom of the Morea . Vandeyk used Pausanias 's description of
4970-406: Is currently in charge of the site. In 1999, a scientific committee for Mycenae was created and numerous projects for the preservation, improvement, and stabilization of both archaeological sites have been completed by this scientific body. The committee also sought to improve visitor access to the monuments at the locations by laying out walkways and establishing information stations. It appears that
5112-429: Is not unheard of to discover groupings of tombstones, ranging from a few to a dozen or more, on undeveloped land. As late 20th-century suburban sprawl pressured the pace of development in formerly rural areas, it became increasingly common for larger exurban properties to be encumbered by "religious easements", which are legal requirements for the property owner to permit periodic maintenance of small burial plots located on
5254-418: Is thought to be Elamite in origin. The depiction is part of a larger image, most of which was removed at the command of Bahram II . Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face at a considerable height above the ground. The tombs are known locally as the " Persian crosses ", after the shape of the facades of the tombs. Later, Sassanian kings added a series of rock reliefs below
5396-655: The Urnfield culture of the European Bronze Age . [2] During the Early Middle Ages , the reopening of graves and manipulation of the corpses or artifacts contained within them was a widespread phenomenon and a common part of the life course of early medieval cemeteries across Western and Central Europe . The reopening of furnished or recent burials occurred over the broad zone of European row-grave-style furnished inhumation burial, especially from
5538-747: The Hindus , this sky-deity becomes " Dyaus Pita ". In Latin he becomes "Deus Pater" or Jupiter ; we still encounter this word in the etymologies of the words "deity" and "divine". Later in some cults, Zeus is united with the Aegean Great Goddess , who is represented by Hera , in a "holy wedding" ( hieros gamos ). At some point in their cultural history, the Mycenaeans adopted some Minoan goddesses like Aphaea , Britomartis , Diktynna and associated them with their sky-god. Many of them were absorbed by more powerful divinities, and some like
5680-505: The Linear B inscriptions can be found later in classical Greece, like Zeus , Hera , Poseidon , Athena , Hermes , Eileithyia and Dionysos , but the etymology is the only evidence of the cults. There are several reasonable guesses that can be made, however. It seems that originally the Mycenaeans, like many Indo-Europeans , considered divine any object that inherited an internal power ( anima ). Certain religious beliefs were mixed with
5822-602: The Lion Gate to identify the ruins of Mycenae. In 1999 the archeological site of Mycenae was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List , along with the nearby site of Tiryns , because of its historical importance as the center of the Mycenaean civilization, its outstanding architecture and its testimony to the development of Ancient Greek civilization . The Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus and
Necropolis - Misplaced Pages Continue
5964-480: The Mycenaean Hagia Triada sarcophagus (1400 BC), which combines features of Minoan civilization and Mycenaean style. It seems that the blood of a bull was used for the regeneration of the reappearing dead. Probably most of these cults existed in the Mycenaean period and survived by immemorial practice. A secondary level of importance was the cult of the heroes, which seems to have started in
6106-560: The Roman period in Greece its ruins had become a tourist attraction. The ancient travel writer Pausanias , for example, visited the site and briefly described the prominent fortifications and the Lion Gate, still visible in his time, the second century AD. Pausanias also describes being led to the site by shepherds, showing that the surrounding area was never completely abandoned. The Ministry of Culture, Education, and Religious Affairs
6248-461: The Tomb of Aegisthus – are dated to LHIIA. Burial in tholoi is seen as replacing burial in shaft graves. The care taken to preserve the shaft graves testifies that they were by then part of the royal heritage, the tombs of the ancestral heroes. Being more visible, all the tholoi had been plundered either in antiquity or in later historic times. At a conventional date of 1350 BC, the fortifications on
6390-477: The cholera epidemic of 1831 , which killed 52,000 people in Britain alone, putting unprecedented pressure on the country's burial capacity. Concerns were also raised about the potential public health hazard arising from the inhalation of gases generated from human putrefaction under the then prevailing miasma theory of disease. Legislative action was slow in coming, but in 1832 Parliament finally acknowledged
6532-432: The chthonic deities, or deities of the earth. Walter Burkert warns: "To what extent one can and must differentiate between Minoan and Mycenaean religion is a question which has not yet found a conclusive answer." He suggests that useful parallels will be found in the relations between Hellenistic and Archaic Greek culture and religion, or between Roman and Etruscan culture. The pantheon also included deities representing
6674-507: The grass can grow over and cover the plaque, to the distress of families who can no longer easily locate the grave. Grasses that propagate by an above-ground stolon (runner) can cover a plaque very quickly. Grasses that propagate by a below-ground rhizome tend not to cover the plaque as easily. The lawn beam cemetery, a recent development, seeks to solve the problems of the lawn cemetery while retaining many of its benefits. Low (10–15 cm) raised concrete slabs (beams) are placed across
6816-561: The vegetation goddesses Ariadne and Helen survived in Greek folklore together with the cult of the "divine child", who was probably the precursor of Dionysos . Athena and Hera survived and were tutelary goddesses, the guardians of the palaces and the cities. In general, later Greek religion distinguishes between two types of deities: the Olympian , or sky, deities (including Zeus), who are now commonly known in some form or another; and
6958-466: The walls of Mycenae and Tiryns are examples of the noteworthy architecture found in Mycenae and Tiryns. The structures and layouts of these discoveries exemplify the creative talent of the time. Greek architecture and urban planning have been significantly influenced by the Mycenaean civilization. Mycenae and Tiryns, which stand as the pinnacle of the early phases of Greek civilisation, provided unique witness to political, social and economic growth during
7100-679: The 5th to the 8th centuries CE, which comprised the regions of today's Romania , Hungary , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Switzerland , Austria , Germany , the Low Countries , France , and south-eastern England . From about the 7th century CE, in Europe a burial was under the control of the Church and could only take place on consecrated church ground. Practices varied, but in continental Europe, bodies were usually buried in
7242-570: The Aegean was unhindered until the massive disruption of society in the first half of the twelfth century (LHIIIC), which ended Mycenaean civilisation and culminated in the destruction of Mycenae itself c. 1150 BC. Outside the partial circuit wall, Grave Circle B , named for its enclosing wall, contained ten cist graves in Middle Helladic style and several shaft graves, sunk more deeply, with interments resting in cists. Richer grave goods mark
SECTION 50
#17327652560837384-583: The Archaic Period. A Mycenaean contingent fought at Thermopylae and Plataea during the Persian Wars . In 468 BC, however, troops from Argos captured Mycenae, expelled the inhabitants and razed the fortifications. Mycenae was briefly reoccupied in the Hellenistic period, when it could boast a theatre (located over the Tomb of Clytemnestra ). The site was subsequently abandoned, and by
7526-467: The Laying Out, Planting and Managing of Cemeteries (1843) was very influential on designers and architects of the period. Loudon himself designed three cemeteries – Bath Abbey Cemetery , Histon Road Cemetery, Cambridge , and Southampton Old Cemetery . The Metropolitan Burial Act of 1852 legislated for the establishment of the first national system of government-funded municipal cemeteries across
7668-457: The Mycenaean civilization. The accomplishments of the Mycenaean civilisation in art , architecture and technology, which inspired European cultures, are also on display at both locations. These sites are strongly connected to the Homeric epics. The earliest examples of the Greek language are also visible at Mycenae and Tiryn, preserved on Linear B tablets. A stringent legal framework
7810-485: The Mycenaean era. These were great men of the past who were exalted to honor after death, because of what they had done. According to an old Minoan belief, beyond the sea there was an island called Elysion , where the departed could have a different but happier existence. Later, the Greeks believed that there could live in human form only heroes and the beloved of the gods. The souls of the rest would drift unconsciously in
7952-457: The Mycenaean state was ruled by kings identified by the title 𐀷𐀙𐀏 , wa-na-ka ("wanax") in the Linear B inscriptions at Knossos and Pylos . The wanax had the supreme authority and was represented by a number of officials. In the Homeric poems, the word form is anax ( ἄναξ ), often translated in English as "lord". Some inscriptions with a list of offerings indicate that the king
8094-572: The Telestas are religious officials while others believe they were given land in return for services. Under the Telestas is believed to be the Hequetia, who are believed to be either military workers or warriors or companions of the king. Under the Hequetia are the general laborers which includes artisans, farmers, fisherman, and more. At the bottom of the social hierarchy slaves, which are commonly believed to be women. Even when women were not slaves it
8236-481: The Tiryns archaeological site. The name Mukanai is thought not to be Greek but rather one of the many pre-Greek place names inherited by later Greek speakers. Legend has it that the name was connected to the Greek word mykēs (μύκης, "mushroom"). Thus Pausanias ascribes the name to the legendary founder, Perseus , who was said to have named it either after the cap ( mykēs ) of the sheath of his sword or after
8378-572: The United States was Mount Auburn Cemetery near Boston , Massachusetts, founded by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1831. Following the establishment of Mount Auburn, dozens of other "rural" cemeteries were established in the United States ;– perhaps in part because of Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story 's dedication address – and there were dozens of dedication addresses, including
8520-506: The absence of a proscribed Perpetual Care and Maintenance Fund), over time many headstones are forgotten about and decay and become damaged. For cemetery authorities, monumental cemeteries are difficult to maintain. While cemeteries often have grassed areas between graves, the layout of graves makes it difficult to use modern equipment such as ride-on lawn mowers in the cemetery. Often the maintenance of grass must be done by more labour-intensive (and therefore expensive) methods. In order to reduce
8662-482: The acropolis and other surrounding hills were rebuilt in a style known as Cyclopean because the blocks of stone used were so massive that they were thought in later ages to be the work of the one-eyed giants known as the Cyclopes . Within these walls, much of which can still be seen, successive monumental palaces were built. The final palace, remains of which are currently visible on the acropolis of Mycenae, dates to
SECTION 60
#17327652560838804-554: The acropolis. The first burials in pits or cist graves manifest in MHII (c. 1800 BC) on the west slope of the acropolis, which was at least partially enclosed by the earliest circuit wall . In the absence of documents and objects that can be precisely dated, events at Mycenae can be dated only relatively within the constraints of Helladic chronology , which relies on categorisation of stratified material objects, mainly pottery, within an agreed historical framework. Mycenae developed into
8946-473: The ancient Greek world however. Sparta was notable for continuing the practice of burial within the city. Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient necropolis located about 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of Persepolis , in Fars Province, Iran . The oldest relief at Naqsh-i Rustam dates to c. 1000 BC . Though it is severely damaged, it depicts a faint image of a man with unusual headgear and
9088-441: The beam, the blades cannot damage the plaques. Up on the beam, the plaques cannot be easily overgrown by grass, and spaces between the plaques permit families to place flowers and other objects out of reach of the mowing. A natural cemetery, eco-cemetery , green cemetery or conservation cemetery , is a new style of cemetery as an area set aside for natural burials (with or without coffins ). Natural burials are motivated by
9230-435: The beliefs of the local populations as it appears in the old cults of isolated Arcadia , which survived up to classical Greece . In these cults, Poseidon appears usually as a horse, representing the river spirit of the underworld, as usually happens in northern European folklore. The precursor goddesses of Demeter and Persephone are closely related with springs and animals, and especially with Poseidon and Artemis , who
9372-627: The burials as possibly regal. Mounds over the top contained broken drinking vessels and bones from a repast, testifying to a more than ordinary farewell. Stelae surmounted the mounds. A walled enclosure, Grave Circle A , included six more shaft graves, with nine female, eight male, and two juvenile interments. Grave goods were more costly than in Circle B. The presence of engraved and inlaid swords and daggers , with spear points and arrowheads, leaves little doubt that warrior chieftains and their families were buried here. Some art objects obtained from
9514-475: The capacity of holding many bodies simultaneously. Such vaults include windows for people to peer through and are usually decorated ornately with text, drawings, and patterns. At least one resident believes that the graves unique in the region because many are not oriented toward Mecca , and therefore must pre-date Islam . Graves are terraced in Yagoto Cemetery , which is an urban cemetery situated in
9656-479: The causes of that deterioration. The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting. It was conceived in 1711 by the British architect Sir Christopher Wren , who advocated the creation of landscaped burial grounds which featured well-planned walkways which gave extensive access to graves and planned plantings of trees, bushes, and flowers. Wren's idea
9798-424: The cemetery and makes it difficult to use the larger mowers . While cemetery authorities increasingly impose restrictions on the nature and type of objects that can be placed on lawn graves and actively remove prohibited items, grieving families are often unwilling to comply with these restrictions and become very upset if the items are removed. Another problem with lawn cemeteries involves grass over-growth over time:
9940-404: The cemetery. Commemorative plaques (usually standardised in terms of size and materials similar to lawn cemeteries) stand on these beams adjacent to each grave. As in a lawn cemetery, grass grows over the graves themselves. The areas between the beams are wide enough to permit easy mowing with a larger mower. As the mower blades are set lower than the top of the beam and the mowers do not go over
10082-417: The center of a wall to the side of the hearth, allowing an unobstructed view of the ruler from the entrance. Frescos adorned the plaster walls and floor. The room was accessed from a courtyard with a columned portico. A grand staircase led from a terrace below to the courtyard on the acropolis. In the temple built within the citadel, a scarab of Queen Tiye of Egypt , who was married to Amenhotep III ,
10224-668: The city to the Catacombs of Paris . The bones of an estimated six million people are to be found there. An early example of a landscape-style cemetery is Père Lachaise in Paris. This embodied the idea of state - rather than church-controlled burial, a concept that spread through the continent of Europe with the Napoleonic invasions . This could include the opening of cemeteries by private or joint stock companies. The shift to municipal cemeteries or those established by private companies
10366-415: The city. In Mycenae , for example, the royal tombs were located in a precinct within the city walls. The way the large stones fit together so perfectly in the round shape of the underground tomb is one of the most amazing building achievements of the Mycenaean Age. This changed during the ancient Greek period when necropoleis usually lined the roads outside a city. There existed some degree of variation within
10508-559: The corpses were lightly exposed to fire in order to preserve them. Mycenaean religion certainly involved offerings and sacrifices to the deities, and some have speculated that their ceremonies involved human sacrifice based on textual evidence and bones found outside tombs. In the Homeric poems, there seems to be a lingering cultural memory of human sacrifice in King Agamemnon 's sacrifice of his daughter, Iphigenia ; several of
10650-400: The country, opening the way for a massive expansion of burial facilities throughout the late 19th century. In the United States, rural cemeteries became recreational areas in a time before public parks, hosting events from casual picnics to hunts and carriage races. There are a number of different styles of cemetery in use. Many cemeteries have areas based on different styles, reflecting
10792-411: The dead nor provide a place for the wider circle of friends and family to come to mourn or visit. Therefore, many cemeteries now provide walls (typically of brick or rendered brick construction) with a rectangular array of niches, with each niche being big enough to accommodate a person's cremated remains. Columbarium walls are a very space-efficient use of land in a cemetery compared with burials and
10934-420: The difficult weather. In the past, some Arab winters lasted for more than six months and would be accompanied with much rain and fog, impeding movement. But due to tribal rivalries many families would guard their cemeteries and put restrictions on who was buried in them. Across Baha, burial grounds have been constructed in different ways. Some cemeteries consist of underground vaults or concrete burial chambers with
11076-461: The diversity of cultural practices around death and how it changes over time. The urban cemetery is a burial ground located in the interior of a village, town, or city. Early urban cemeteries were churchyards, which filled quickly and exhibited a haphazard placement of burial markers as sextons tried to squeeze new burials into the remaining space. As new burying grounds were established in urban areas to compensate, burial plots were often laid out in
11218-750: The early Dynastic period) and tombs and graveyards for lesser personages. Almost as well-known as Giza is the Theban Necropolis , on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes (modern Luxor ). This necropolis is known for the rock-cut tombs of the Valley of the Kings , the Valley of the Queens , and the various tombs of nobles and others from the New Kingdom onward. The Theban Necropolis is home to some of
11360-875: The early stages of the Industrial Revolution , continued outbreaks of infectious disease near graveyards and the increasingly limited space in graveyards for new interments . In many European states, burial in graveyards was eventually outlawed altogether through legislation . Instead of graveyards, completely new places of burial were established away from heavily populated areas and outside of old towns and city centers. Many new cemeteries became municipally owned or were run by their own corporations, and thus independent from churches and their churchyards. In some cases, skeletons were exhumed from graveyards and moved into ossuaries or catacombs . A large action of this type occurred in 18th century Paris when human remains were transferred from graveyards all over
11502-505: The end of LHIIIB around 1200 BC, another, final extension to the citadel was undertaken. The wall was extended again on the northeast, with a sally port and also a secret passage through and under the wall, of corbelled construction, leading downwards by some 99 steps to a cistern carved out of rock 15 m below the surface. It was fed by a tunnel from a spring on more distant higher ground. Already in LHIIIA:1, Egypt knew *Mukana by name as
11644-406: The end of the second millennium BC, when the Mycenaean palaces collapsed, it seems that Greek thought was gradually released from the idea that each man was a servant to the gods, and sought a "moral purpose". It is possible that this procedure started before the end of the Mycenaean age, but the idea is almost absent or vague in the Homeric poems, where the interference of the gods is not related to
11786-458: The entire Early Helladic was discovered 1877 by Panagiotis Stamatakis at a low depth in the sixth shaft grave in Circle A. Further EH and MH material was found beneath the walls and floors of the palace, on the summit of the acropolis and outside the Lion Gate in the area of the ancient cemetery. An EH–MH settlement was discovered near a fresh-water well on top of the Kalkani hill south-west of
11928-493: The fall of the Mycenaean civilization and the end of the Greek Dark Ages, the original Mycenaean religion persisted and adapted until it finally emerged in the stories of human devotion, apostasy, and divine capriciousness that exists in the two great epic poems of Homer . Classical Greek myths assert that Mycenae was founded by Perseus , grandson of king Acrisius of Argos , son of Acrisius's daughter, Danaë and
12070-431: The famous Gettysburg Address of President Abraham Lincoln. The cost of building a garden/rural cemetery often meant that only the wealthy could afford burial there. Subsequently, garden/rural cemeteries often feature above-ground monuments and memorials, mausoleums , and columbaria . The excessive filling of rural/garden cemeteries with elaborate above-ground memorials, many of dubious artistic quality or taste, created
12212-551: The few Ancient Egyptian tombs that remained essentially intact until discovery by modern archaeologists, including the Tomb of Tutankhamun and the Tomb of Kha and Merit . Other ancient Egyptian necropoleis of note are the necropolis of Saqqara , home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser and other royal burials; the necropolis of Dahshur , site of the Red Pyramid of Sneferu , the oldest "true" pyramid; and Abydos , site of
12354-521: The field of cemetery management." Typically, lawn cemeteries comprise a number of graves in a lawn setting with trees and gardens on the perimeter. Adolph Strauch introduced this style in 1855 in Cincinnati . While aesthetic appeal to family members has been the primary driver for the development of lawn cemeteries, cemetery authorities initially welcomed this new style of cemetery enthusiastically, expecting easier maintenance. Selecting (or grading)
12496-676: The first evidence of this coming from the shaft graves discovered in 1876 by Heinrich Schliemann . Schliemann's shaft graves came to be known as Circle A to distinguish them from the Circle B graves , which were found at a later date, although Circle B are the earlier graves, dated c. 1650 BC to c. 1550 BC and entirely within MHIII. Circle A is dated to the sixteenth century BC, including the transition from Middle to Late Helladic IA (LHIA; c. 1550 – c. 1500 BC). The contents of Circle B are less wealthy than those of Circle A. Pottery material spanning
12638-537: The gloomy space of Hades . Gods and men had common origins, but there was an enormous gap between the immortal gods and mortal men. However, certain elements indicate that the Mycenaeans probably believed in a future existence. Two well-preserved bodies were found in Shaft Grave VI, and Wolfgang Helbig believed that an embalming preceded the burial. In the shaft graves discovered by Heinrich Schliemann ,
12780-401: The god Zeus . Having killed his grandfather by accident, Perseus could not, or would not, inherit the throne of Argos. Instead he arranged an exchange of realms with his cousin, Megapenthes , and became king of Tiryns , Megapenthes taking Argos. After that, he founded Mycenae and ruled the kingdoms jointly from there. Perseus married Andromeda and had many sons. His son, Electryon , became
12922-412: The gods were conceived as animals and birds, in a surrounding of animal-headed daemons . Later the gods were revealed in human forms with an animal as a companion or symbol. Some of the old gods survived in the cult of Dionysos ( Satyrs ) and Pan (the goat-god). The Mycenaeans adopted probably from the east a priest-king system and the belief of a ruling deity in the hands of a theocratic society. At
13064-637: The graves are the Silver Siege Rhyton , the Mask of Agamemnon , the Cup of Nestor and weapons both votive and practical. The chemical compositions of the silver objects indicate that the silver was sourced from several locations. Alan Wace divided the nine tholos tombs of Mycenae into three groups of three, each based on architecture. His earliest – the Cyclopean Tomb, Epano Phournos, and
13206-474: The ground. While the word is most commonly used for ancient sites, the name was revived in the early 19th century and applied to planned city cemeteries, such as the Glasgow Necropolis . Ancient Egypt is noted for multiple necropoleis. Ancient Egyptian funerary practices and beliefs about the afterlife led to the construction of several extensive necropoleis to secure and provision the dead in
13348-711: The hereafter. These necropoleis are therefore major archaeological sites for Egyptology . Probably the best-known ancient Egyptian necropolis is the Giza Necropolis . Made famous by the Great Pyramid of Giza , which was included in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World , the necropolis includes three major pyramid tombs of Old Kingdom kings and several smaller pyramids related to the royal burials, as well as mastabas (a typical royal tomb of
13490-518: The human body releases significant pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses which can cause disease and illness, and many urban cemeteries were located without consideration for local groundwater. Modern burials in urban cemeteries also release toxic chemicals associated with embalming, such as arsenic, formaldehyde , and mercury. Coffins and burial equipment can also release significant amounts of toxic chemicals such as arsenic (used to preserve coffin wood) and formaldehyde (used in varnishes and as
13632-457: The king was the Lawagetas, believed to be the leader of the army, based on Homer's works. The Lawagetas are thought to have gotten their power by owning the most land. Other opinions think Lawagetas were a sort of prince, having no military power. Under the Lawagetas are numerous craftsmen employed by the Lawagetas. Other groups commonly mentioned in landholding texts are the Telestas. Some think
13774-406: The labour cost, devices such as string trimmers are increasingly used in cemetery maintenance, but such devices can damage the monuments and headstones. Cemetery authorities dislike the criticism they receive for the deteriorating condition of the headstones, arguing that they have no responsibility for the upkeep of headstones, and typically disregard their own maintenance practices as being one of
13916-546: The land intended for a lawn cemetery so that it is completely flat allows the use of large efficient mowers (such as ride-on mowers or lawn tractors) - the plaques (being horizontally set in the ground) lie below the level of the blades and are not damaged by the blades. In practice, while families are often initially attracted to the uncluttered appearance of a lawn cemetery, the common practice of placing flowers (sometimes in vases ) and increasingly other items (e.g. small toys on children's graves) re-introduces some clutter to
14058-437: The location of the dead, so grieving family and friends can visit the precise location of a grave. Columbarium walls are a common feature of many cemeteries, reflecting the increasing use of cremation rather than burial . While cremated remains can be kept at home by families in urns or scattered in some significant or attractive place, neither of these approaches allows for a long-lasting commemorative plaque to honour
14200-465: The lord or spouse of the Earth goddess . Athena whose task was to protect the olive-trees is a civic Artemis. The powers of animal nature fostered a belief in nymphs whose existence was bound to the trees and the waters, and in gods with human forms and the heads or tails of animals who stood for primitive bodily instincts. In Arcadia were depicted animal-headed gods, indicating that in the remote past
14342-449: The need for the establishment of large municipal cemeteries and encouraged their construction outside London. The same bill also closed all inner London churchyards to new deposits. The Magnificent Seven , seven large cemeteries around London, were established in the following decade, starting with Kensal Green in 1832. Urban planner and author John Claudius Loudon was one of the first professional cemetery designers, and his book On
14484-524: The niches may be assigned by the cemetery authorities or families may choose from the unoccupied niches available. It is usually possible to purchase (or pay a deposit) to reserve the use of adjacent niches for other family members. The use of adjacent niches (vertically or horizontally) usually permits a larger plaque spanning all the niches involved, which provides more space for the writing. As with graves, there may be separate columbarium walls for different religions or for war veterans. As with lawn cemeteries,
14626-680: The north wall. One of the few groups of excavated houses in the city outside the walls lies beyond Grave Circle B and belongs to the same period. The House of Shields, the House of the Oil Merchant, the House of the Sphinxes, and the West House. These may have been both residences and workshops. The largest stones including the lintels and gate jambs weighed well over 20 tonnes; some may have been close to 100 tonnes. Somewhat later, toward
14768-454: The officials. Leonard Robert Palmer suggests that the "telestai were the men of telos- the fief holders". The 𐀁𐀤𐀲 , e-qe-ta ( ekwetai , "companions" or "followers") were a group of nobles (aristocrats), who followed the king in peace and war. It seems that they were representatives of the king among military groups and religious personnel. There is also at least one instance of a person, Enkhelyawon at Pylos, who appears titleless in
14910-399: The original expectation was that people would prefer the uncluttered simplicity of a wall of plaques, but the practice of leaving flowers is very entrenched. Mourners leave flowers (and other objects) on top of columbarium walls or at the base, as close as they can to the plaque of their family member. In some cases, it is possible to squeeze a piece of wire or string under the plaque allowing
15052-497: The other because of diseases. So the villagers would dig graves close by burying members of the same family in one area. That was how the family and tribal burial grounds came about... If the family ran out of space, they would open old graves where family members had been buried before and add more people to them. This process is known as khashf . During famines and outbreaks of epidemics huge numbers of people would die and many tribes faced difficulties in digging new graves because of
15194-407: The people", and sometimes interpreted as a given kingdom's military leader, though this is not confirmed by the inscriptions. Alternatively, he may have been the crown prince or, if one follows the argument of a single Mycenaean state, a local king who was a vassal to the overarching wanax / Great King. Below these two elevated persons, Linear B texts situate the 𐀳𐀩𐀲 , te-re-ta ("telestai"),
15336-410: The place of burial. Usually, the more writing and symbols carved on the headstone, the more expensive it was. As with most other human property such as houses and means of transport, richer families used to compete for the artistic value of their family headstone in comparison to others around it, sometimes adding a statue (such as a weeping angel ) on the top of the grave. Those who could not pay for
15478-423: The plaques. Thus, the niches are typically placed between 1 metre to 2 metres above the ground so the plaques can be easily read by an adult. Some columbarium walls have niches going close to ground level, but these niches are usually unpopular with families as it is difficult to read the plaque without bending down very low (something older people in particular find difficult or uncomfortable to do). As with graves,
15620-586: The powers of nature and wildlife, who appear with similar functions in the Mediterranean region. The "Mistress of the Animals" ( Potnia Theron ), later called Artemis , may be identified as the Minoan goddess Britomartis /Dictynna. Poseidon is the lord of the sea, and therefore of storms and earthquakes, (the "Earth shaker" in Linear B tablets). He may have functioned as a pre-Hellenic chthonic Zeus,
15762-415: The process of decomposition. Nonetheless, urban cemeteries which were heavily used were often very unhealthy. Receiving vaults and crypts often needed to be aired before entering, as decomposing corpses used up so much oxygen that even candles could not remain lit. The sheer stench from decomposing corpses, even when buried deeply, was overpowering in areas adjacent to the urban cemetery. Decomposition of
15904-423: The property but technically not owned with it. Often, cemeteries are relocated to accommodate building. However, if the cemetery is not relocated, descendants of people buried there may visit the cemetery. There is also the practice of families with large estates choosing to create private cemeteries in the form of burial sites, monuments , crypts , or mausoleums on their property; the mausoleum at Fallingwater
16046-430: The quick re-use of grave sites in comparison with conventional burials. However, it is unclear if reusing cemetery land will be culturally acceptable to most people. In keeping with the intention of "returning to nature" and the early re-use potential, natural cemeteries do not normally have conventional grave markings such as headstones . Instead, exact GPS recordings and or the placing of a tree, bush or rock often marks
16188-431: The relevant place of worship with an indication of their name, date of death and other biographical data. In Europe, this was often accompanied by a depiction of their coat of arms . Most others were buried in graveyards again divided by social status. Mourners who could afford the work of a stonemason had a headstone engraved with a name, dates of birth and death and sometimes other biographical data, and set up over
16330-473: The rightness or wrongness of men's actions. Later, Hesiod uses a lot of eastern material in his cosmology and in the genealogical trees of the gods, and he introduces the idea of the existence of something else behind the gods, which was more powerful than they. The Olympian Pantheon is an ordered system. The Greek divinities live with Zeus at the helm and each is concerned with a recognizable sphere. However, certain elements in some Greek cults indicate
16472-727: The scarab here. Wace's second group of tholoi are dated between LHIIA and LHIIIB: Kato Phournos, Panagia Tholos, and the Lion Tomb. The final group, Group III: the Treasury of Atreus , the Tomb of Clytemnestra and the Tomb of the Genii, are dated to LHIIIB by a sherd under the threshold of the Treasury of Atreus, the largest of the nine tombs. Like the Treasury of Minyas at Orchomenus the tomb had been looted of its contents and its nature as funerary monument had been forgotten. The structure bore
16614-477: The second of the dynasty, but the succession was disputed by the Taphians under Pterelaos , another Perseid, who assaulted Mycenae, lost, and retreated with the cattle. The cattle were recovered by Amphitryon , a grandson of Perseus, but he killed his uncle by accident with a club in an unruly cattle incident and had to go into exile. The throne went to Sthenelus , third in the dynasty, a son of Perseus. He set
16756-548: The site although it was continuously occupied from the Early Neolithic (EN, c. 5000–c. 4000 BC) through the Early Helladic (EH, c. 3200–c. 2000 BC) and Middle Helladic (MH, c. 2000–c. 1550 BC) periods. EN Rainbow Ware constitutes the earliest ceramic evidence discovered so far. The population had grown considerably by the Middle Helladic. As elsewhere, a dominant Cretan influence prevailed from c. 1600 BC,
16898-414: The start of LHIIIA:2. Earlier palaces must have existed but they had been cleared away or built over. The construction of palaces at that time with a similar architecture was general throughout southern Greece. They all featured a megaron , or throne room, with a raised central hearth under an opening in the roof, which was supported by four columns in a square around the hearth. A throne was placed against
17040-401: The stories of Trojan heroes involve tragic human sacrifice. In the far past, even human beings might be offered to placate inscrutable gods, especially in times of guilty fear. Later sacrifice became a feast at which oxen were slaughtered. Men kept the meat, and gave the gods the bones wrapped in fat. Beyond this speculation we can go no further. Somewhere in the shades of the centuries between
17182-434: The survival of some older cults from a less rationalized world: old cults of the dead, agrarian magic, exorcism of evil spirits, peculiar sacrifices, and animal-headed gods. In the Homeric poems, the avenging Fate was probably originally a daemon acting in parallel with the gods. Later, the cult of Dionysos Zagreus indicates that life-blood of animals was needed to renew that of men. A similar belief may be guessed from
17324-494: The texts as working either for the palace or for specific deities. Archaeological evidence supports the idea that the social hierarchy of Mycenae was a monarchy. The difference in the grave goods shows how the society was clearly separated by class. The king or the wanax was at the top of the hierarchy, who lived in the palaces and made laws for the people. It is believed that the kings came into power not because of great leadership duties, but because of hereditary succession. Below
17466-477: The tomb decorations provide much information about that era of ancient Egyptian history. The Etruscans took the concept of a "city of the dead" quite literally. The typical tomb at the Banditaccia necropolis at Cerveteri consists of a tumulus which covers one or more rock-cut subterranean tombs. These tombs had multiple chambers and were elaborately decorated like contemporary houses. The arrangement of
17608-555: The tombs. The site of Bin Tepe served as a necropolis for Sardis , the capital of the Lydian Empire . It consists of over 100 tumuli including the monumental Tumulus of Alyattes which was commented on by ancient writers including Herodotus and still marks the landscape today. Though Lydian elites also used other burial styles, tumuli are so numerous throughout Lydia that they are used to track settlement patterns. The style
17750-473: The top of the cemetery to create new burial space. A monumental cemetery is the traditional style of cemetery where headstones or other monuments made of marble , granite or similar materials rise vertically above the ground (typically around 50 cm but some can be over 2 metres high). Often the entire grave is covered by a slab, commonly concrete , but it can be more expensive materials such as marble or granite , and/or has its boundaries delimited by
17892-457: The traditional name of "Treasury". The pottery phases on which the relative dating scheme is based (EH, MH, LH, etc.) do not allow very precise dating, even augmented by the few existing C-14 dates due to the tolerance inherent in these. The sequence of further construction at Mycenae is approximately as follows. In the middle of LHIIIB, around 1250 BC or so, the Cyclopean wall was extended on
18034-486: The tumuli in a grid of streets gave it an appearance similar to the cities of the living. The art historian Nigel Spivey considers the name cemetery inadequate and argues that only the term necropolis can do justice to these sophisticated burial sites. Etruscan necropoli were usually located on hills or slopes of hills. In the Mycenean Greek period predating ancient Greece , burials could be performed inside
18176-403: The urban area, and many urban cemeteries in the late 20th century touted their role as an environmental refuge. Many urban cemeteries are characterized by multiple burials in the same grave. Multiple burials is a consequence of the limited size of the urban cemetery, which cannot easily expand due to adjacent building development. It was not uncommon for an urban cemetery to begin adding soil to
18318-406: The west slope to include Grave Circle A. The main entrance through the circuit wall was made grand by the best known feature of Mycenae, the Lion Gate , through which passed a stepped ramp leading past circle A and up to the palace. The Lion Gate was constructed in the form of a "Relieving Triangle" in order to support the weight of the stones. An undecorated postern gate also was constructed through
18460-417: The written record but whom modern scholars regard as being probably a king. From the existing evidence, it seems that the kingdom was further subdivided into sixteen districts. The 𐀒𐀩𐀮 , ko-re-te was the "governor of the district" and the 𐀡𐀫𐀒𐀩𐀮 , po-ro-ko-re-te was the "deputy". It is possible that these represent koreter and prokoreter . The 𐀅𐀗𐀒𐀫 , da-mo-ko-ro ( damokoros )
18602-516: The ‘Conservation of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General’, governs the preservation and protection of the sites. Ministerial Decree No 2160 of 1964 created and safeguarded the limits of Mycenae in addition to the sites themselves. The acropolis and the wider surroundings are also covered by the extension of protection conferred by this ministerial decree. Ministerial Decrees No 102098/4753 of 1956 and 12613/696 of 1991 both provide protection for
18744-743: Was adopted around 600 BC, likely inspired by similar Phrygian tombs at Gordion . It continued after the Persian conquest of Lydia, into the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Necropoleis have been built in modern times. The world's largest remaining operating necropolis from the Victorian era , for example, is Rookwood Necropolis , in New South Wales , Australia. A modern era example is Colma, California , United States. Cemetery A cemetery , burial ground , gravesite , graveyard , or
18886-400: Was an official appointment but his duties are not very clear. The communal land was held at the hands of 𐀅𐀗 , da-mo (literally, "people", cf. Attic δῆμος , dễmos ), or "plot holders". It seems that the da-mo was a collective body of men, representing the local district and that it had certain power in public affairs. It is suggested that qa-si-re-u had a council of elders,
19028-654: Was built on a hill 900 feet (274 metres) above sea level, some 19 kilometres (12 miles) inland from the Gulf of Argolis. Situated in the north-east corner of the Argive plain, it easily overlooked the whole area and was ideally positioned to be a centre of power, especially as it commanded all easy routes to the Isthmus of Corinth . Besides its strong defensive and strategic position, it had good farmland and an adequate water supply. There are only faint traces of Neolithic settlement on
19170-422: Was established to safeguard the integrity of the Mycenae and Tiryns sites against vandalism and other forms of damage and disturbance to the remains. The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports monitors the two archaeological sites. To maintain the quality and conditions of the Mycenaean and Tiryn sites, archaeological study is conducted methodically and systematically. The Greek Antiquities Law No 3028/2002, on
19312-499: Was not immediately accepted. But by the early 1800s, existing churchyards were growing overcrowded and unhealthy, with graves stacked upon each other or emptied and reused for new burials. As a reaction to this, the first "garden" cemetery – Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris – opened in 1804. Because these cemeteries were usually on the outskirts of town (where land was plentiful and cheap), they were called " rural cemeteries ",
19454-619: Was not uncommon in some places, such as England, for fresher corpses to be chopped up to aid decomposition, and for bones to be burned to create fertilizer. The re-use of graves allowed for a steady stream of income, which enabled the cemetery to remain well-maintained and in good repair. Not all urban cemeteries engaged in re-use of graves, and cultural taboos often prevented it. Many urban cemeteries have fallen into disrepair and become overgrown, as they lacked endowments to fund perpetual care. Many urban cemeteries today are thus home to wildlife, birds, and plants which cannot be found anywhere else in
19596-401: Was partly rebuilt after this destruction, though it was no longer the centre of a centralised literate bureacuracy. Pottery finds suggest that Postpalatial Mycenae eventually regained some of its wealth, before burning once again. After this period, the site remained sparsely populated until the Hellenistic era. A temple dedicated to Hera was built on the summit of the Mycenaean citadel during
19738-544: Was placed in the Room of the Idols alongside at least one statue of either LHIIIA:2 or B:1 type. Amenhotep III's relations with m-w-k-i-n-u , *Mukana, have corroboration from the inscription at Kom al-Hetan - but Amenhotep's reign is thought to align with late LHIIIA:1. It is likely that Amenhotep's herald presented the scarab to an earlier generation, which then found the resources to rebuild the citadel as Cyclopean and then, to move
19880-421: Was probably divine, but the term "for the king" is usually accompanied by another name. It is possible that a priest-king system was adopted from the East and the title probably indicates that his right to rule was given by the god. The term 𐀣𐀯𐀩𐀄 , qa-si-re-u ( cf. βασιλεύς , " basileús "), which was later used in Greece for "king", was apparently used for the "chief" of any group of people, or for
20022-467: Was the first nymph . Mycenaean religion was almost certainly polytheistic, and the Mycenaeans were actively syncretistic, adding foreign deities to their pantheon of deities with ease. The Mycenaeans probably entered Greece with a pantheon of deities headed by some ruling sky-deity, which linguists speculate might have been called *Dyeus in early Indo-European . In Greek, this deity would become Zeus (pronounced Zeus or Dias in ancient Greek ). Among
20164-540: Was usually accompanied by the establishing of landscaped burial grounds outside the city (e.g. extramural). In Britain the movement was driven by dissenters and public health concerns. The Rosary Cemetery in Norwich was opened in 1819 as a burial ground for all religious backgrounds. Similar private non-denominational cemeteries were established near industrialising towns with growing populations, such as Manchester (1821) and Liverpool (1825). Each cemetery required
#82917