Mycenae, << my SEE nee, >> was a city in ancient Greece, located 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of Argos in the southern peninsula. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann uncovered five royal graves at the site of Mycenae in 1876. This discovery started the study of the Bronze Age on the Greek mainland. These graves, known as the Shaft Graves, contained jewels, bronze weapons, and other bronze, gold, and silver objects.
Mycenae was the leading political and cultural center on mainland Greece from about 1400 to 1200 B.C. The Late Bronze Age on the Greek mainland from 1550 to 1100 B.C. is often called the Mycenaean period. The city is famous for its royal palace, walled fortress, and beehive-shaped tombs for kings. Visitors can still see these monuments today. Mycenaean society collapsed during the late 1100’s B.C., probably as a result of natural disasters and invasions by non-Greek peoples. It never regained its power.
See also Aegean civilization (The Mycenaean culture); Architecture (Mycenaean architecture); Ship (Minoan and Mycenean ships).
