ATHENS: Archaeologists digging at Pylos, an ancient city on the southwest coast of Greece, have discovered the rich grave of a warrior who was buried at the dawn of European civilisation. He lies with a yardlong bronze sword and a remarkable collection of gold rings, precious jewels and beautifully carved seals.
“Probably not since the 1950s have we found such a rich tomb,” said James C Wright, the director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Seeing the tomb “was a real highlight of my archaeological career,” said Thomas M Brogan, the director of the Institute for Aegean Prehistory Study Center for East Crete, noting that “you can count on one hand the number of tombs as wealthy as this one.” The warrior’s grave belongs to a time and place that give it special significance.
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. The palace was part of the Mycenaean civilisation.
The palaces found at Mycene, Pylos and elsewhere on the Greek mainland have a common inspiration: All borrowed heavily from the Minoan civilisation that arose on the large island of Crete. The Minoans were culturally do minant to the Mycenaeans but were later overrun by them. How, then, did Minoan culture pass to the Mycenaeans? The warrior’s grave may hold many answers.
The grave was discovered this spring, on May 18, by Jack L Davis and Sharon R Stocker, a husband-and-wife team at the University of Cincinnati who have been excavating at Pylos for 25 years.The top of the warrior’s shaft grave lies at ground level, seemingly so easy to find that it is quite surprising the tomb lay intact for 35 centuries. The coffin has long since decayed, but still remaining are the bones of a man about 30 to 35 years old and lying on his back. Placed to his left were weapons, including a long bronze sword with an ivory hilt clad in gold and a goldhilted dagger. On his right side were four gold rings with fine Minoan carvings and some 50 Minoan seal stones carved with imagery of goddesses and bull jumpers.
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