The “griffin warrior”, so called because he was buried with a bronze sword and a griffin-embossed ivory plaque, was Mycenaean, hailing from the world of Homer’s epics and one of Europe’s oldest civilizations.
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A remarkable store of riches was deposited in the tomb with the warrior at the time of his death.
For years, archaeologists have meandered through an ancient palace in Pylos, Greece, excavating rooms and discovering tablets written in what appears to be the earliest form of Greek letters.
They came upon it nearly by accident on the first day of a dig at the site of the Palace of Nestor, part of the ancient city of Pylos, which dates from the Mycenaean era. There were four golden rings, silver cups, and bronze bowls, cups, basins, and jugs in the tomb as well.
The archaeologists believe a few of the jewels were woven into a burial shroud, a tiny fragment of which survived.
One three foot-long sword, with an ivory hilt that was overlaid with gold (in a rare technique imitating embroidery!).
This member of the elite was accompanied in the afterlife by about 50 seal-stones carved with intricate Minoan designs of goddesses as well as depictions of bulls and human bull jumpers soaring over their horns. Resting on the chest: a perfectly preserved gold necklace with two pendants.
“It is truly awesome that no ceramic vessels were included among the grave gifts”.
Two squashed gold cups, and a silver cup with a gold rim. “He clearly could afford to hold regular pots of ceramic in disdain”, according to Stocker.
Remarkably, the grave was only five feet below the ground, making the fact the tomb lasted so long so incredible.
A stone slab weighing a ton, which once probably sealed the grave, had collapsed inwards, crushing the coffin beneath. In addition, it could reveal how Minoan culture passed to the Mycenaean’s.
Many of these objects found in Pylos, like others in Mycenae in the Peloponnese peninsula, showed that they were influenced by the Minoan art and style which originated from Crete island, Xinhua quoted the experts as saying on Tuesday.
The shift of power was a key moment in the history of the Bronze Age, giving rise to classical Greek culture. There are also amber beads from the Baltic, amethyst from the Middle East, and carnelian that may originate in Egypt that might have been brought to Crete by Minoan traders.
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He was buried around 1500 BC, next to the site on Pylos on which, many years later, arose the palace of Nestor, a large administrative centre that was destroyed in 1180 BC, about the same time as Homer’s Troy. Image credit: University of Cincinnati. The Minoans were culturally do minant to the Mycenaeans but were later overrun by them.
