one of the largest of such tombs ever found in Greece about 100 km northwest of Greek capital of Athens Dated back to the middle of the 14th century B.C. it is the ninth-largest chamber tomb out of roughly 4,000 excavated in the last 150 years The discovery was made in Prosilio site during the first year of a five-year cooperation program between the local Viotia Antiquities Ephorate and the British School at Athens (BSA) and Cambridge University which is monumental and reflects the special care that was paid for its creation which ends in an impressive room of 42 square meters The four sides of the hall have a circular tabletop covered with clay the original roof began to collapse already in antiquity giving a cave-like appearance to the interior of the chamber archaeologists found the remains of a man aged 40 or 50 years old The construction of the tomb dates back to the middle of the 14th century and its value lies in the fact that it yielded one of the best documented tombs of the palatial period in mainland Greece It is noteworthy that individual burials with important finds are rarely preserved in monumental Mycenaean chamber tombs since Mycenean chamber tombs tended to be reused for multiple burials across generations so that grave goods were disturbed or looted The Prosilio tomb is exceptional in that all the items found were linked to the single dead body buried there giving archaeologists greater insights into burial practices of the period The tomb is believed to be linked to the nearby Orchomenos palace complex that dominated the area in the 14th and 13th centuries B.C and to belong to a member of the upper social classes of the time Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 ellines.com © 2025 ellines.com, all rights reserved The discovery this summer of an impressive rock-cut tomb on a mountainside in Prosilio will shed new light on Mycenaean funerary practices let alone in a monumental tomb of the palatial period archaeologists have uncovered and carefully documented an intact burial in a monumental chamber tomb of the Mycenaean palatial period Research into the material uncovered has only just begun but the discovery will expand our knowledge of Mycenaean funerals – from the treatment of the body to the selection of objects placed for burial The tomb is approached by an impressive rock-cut passageway which leads to a deep façade some 5.40 m in height A doorway gives access to the burial chamber Its area of 42 sq m makes this the ninth largest known to date out of 4,000 examples excavated in the last 150 years in Greece The partial collapse of the original chamber roof has helped to preserve the burial layer intact “Mycenaean chamber tombs are generally found by archaeologists to have been disturbed or looted making an association between individual people and objects very difficult or impossible,” said Dr Yannis Galanakis of Cambridge’s Faculty of Classics co-director of the five-year Prosilio project and an expert in Aegean archaeology makes our discovery all the more special for the knowledge we can now acquire about the tomb-using group and the practices they performed during and after the funeral.” Once huge quantities of soil and rubble had been carefully excavated the archaeologists found in the chamber the remains of a man He was accompanied by a selection of fine objects: jewellery made in a range of materials and a group of tinned clay vessels of various shapes “The size and quality of construction of the tomb correlates well with the discovered objects all of which speak of a man from the upper echelons of the local society,” said Galanakis “Initial examination of the finds suggests a conscious selection by the tomb-using group responsible for the burial’s preparation of the objects interred with the body The impression we get is that the tomb was built during the man’s life to be able to excavate the remains of the man for whom the tomb must have been constructed.” Galanakis was struck by the placement of different shapes and types of jewellery with a male burial which challenges the commonly held assumption that jewellery in Mycenaean Greece should be chiefly associated with female burials “It also chimes with the discovery of considerable quantities of jewellery by the University of Cincinnati in 2015 in the burial of the ‘griffin warrior’ at Pylos which is older by a century than that of the man at Prosilio.” Striking too is the absence of painted pottery with the exception of two painted stirrup jars often taken to contain aromatic oils and which may be associated with the final use and closure of the tomb around 1300 BC Painted pottery is very common in Mycenaean tombs Its absence from the initial burial is further confirmation of the conscious choices made in the selection of objects placed alongside this man’s burial at Prosilio The Prosilio team believes that this monumental structure a major centre which controlled northern Boeotia oversaw in the 14th and 13th centuries BC the partial drainage of Lake Kopaïs – once the largest lake in Greece – a project that yielded a sizeable area of land for agriculture Orchomenos’s power is reflected in its most famous monument first excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in the 19th century and comparable only in size and refinement to the tholos tomb ‘of Atreus’ at Mycenae “Despite the tholos ‘of Minyas’ and some earlier important discoveries by Greek and German teams in the area we still know very little about ancient Orchomenos We hope that the continuation of our project will help us understand better Orchomenos’s position in the region and learn more about its population and their practices,” said Galanakis “The discovery this year enables us to ask questions such as why certain objects were selected for burial while others were not – and what kind of rituals were performed as part of funerary and post-funerary practices The finds will spark new discussions about the role of burials in Mycenaean life during the palatial period.” The five-year Prosilio project is in its first year the team aims to excavate more tombs and study and publish the archaeological data collected The initiative is a collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia and the British School at Athens Its directors are Dr Alexandra Charami (Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia) and Dr Yannis Galanakis (Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics and Director of the Museum of Classical Archaeology The Prosilio team also includes Kyriaki Kalliga archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia geo-archaeologist and Director of the Wiener Laboratory at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens bio-archaeologist and senior researcher at the Wiener Laboratory field supervisor and PhD candidate in Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and Professor Ann Brysbaert of the University of Leiden and Principal Investigator of the ERC project SETinSTONE specialists and workers helped in this year’s fieldwork The Prosilio project was conducted with permission from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sports and Ioannis Papadopoulos the University of Cambridge (Faculty of Classics the Cambridge Humanities Research Grant scheme the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) and the British School at Athens Inset images: entrance to Prosilio tomb 2; horse bits found with the burial (Yannis Galanakis) Excavation of a Myceneaen tomb at Prosilio in central Greece Credit: Yannis Galanakis I wish to receive a weekly Cambridge research news summary by email The University of Cambridge will use your email address to send you our weekly research news email. 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Please read our email privacy notice for details Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the largest Mycenaean citadel in Greece emerges under the archaeologist's eye It all began some twenty-five years ago in the boiling-hot and humid basin of Kopais a drained marshland in the region of Boeotia in Greece already a first-year graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania I was working as a sector supervisor at the archaeological excavation of the Mycenaean citadel of Glas under the direction of my mentor our work focused on the east wing (C) in the area of the so-called “Agora,” the largest of three central enclosures that were protected by the cyclopean fortification walls of the citadel The finds were astonishing: my team was unearthing a long storage building with ramps (K) which was filled with a thick destruction layer of burnt soil and crops and residential quarters (M) that yielded frescoes the first (and so far the only) seal stone ever found at Glas and pottery dating the destruction (advanced LH III B2 – ca During intervals and occasionally in the afternoons I would walk the site with the other sector supervisor an archaeologist of the Department of Underwater Antiquities: it made no sense to either of us that two thirds of the vast area of the citadel (ten times the size of Tiryns and seven times that of Mycenae) would have been left void of any structures or that three kilometers of massive cyclopean walls would have been built to protect empty space The site was literally covered with Mycenaean pottery sherds and at places wall corners were partly emerging from the soil Simpson in his plans and descriptions of the citadel (Mycenaean Greece We promised ourselves that one day we would return to the site to further explore it Dimitris never made it – he died young after a routine dive while I was excavating the newly discovered Lower Town of Mycenae under the direction of Iakovidis I made up my mind to pursue my long-standing goal I drove back to Athens to chat with Iakovidis After having a cup of coffee at his apartment in the city I posed the critical question: would he object to a re-investigation of Glas so long after his final publication of the site he tried to discourage me: the rest of the citadel was most probably empty; it would be a certain waste of funds I had more important work to do at Mycenae with him remarking rather audaciously that he did not believe that there was a Lower Town at Mycenae either I promised that I would continue excavating and publishing at Mycenae with him ceaselessly as I had done for the past twenty years and reminded him that at my age he was conducting not two He paused and stared at me enigmatically; if there were anything else to be discovered at Glas he was impatiently pacing in the hall of the McCarthy House at Mycenae in anticipation of my preliminary survey results; I still remember vividly his astonishment when I unfolded the new map of Glas before his eyes… Maps illustrating locations of Boeotia and Kopais A vast citadel today known as “Gla(s)” or “Kastro” (castle) flat-topped bedrock outcrop rising 9.5-38 m above the plain below and encompassing an area of 20 ha or 49.5 acres or 200,000 square meters at the northeastern edge of the Kopais basin The Mycenaean citadel of Glas was fortified by a massive cyclopean wall (5.50-5.80 m thick) which runs along the brow of the rocky natural platform for approximately 3 km features four gates (including one double gate) and encompasses a cluster of three adjacent and intercommunicating central enclosures __________________________________________ The northern enclosure (II) (3.7 acres or 1.5 ha) surrounds an administrative and residential complex with two ‘twin’ long wings built at an angle on the summit of the rocky hill single-storey megaron-like room (melathron) at its remote end which was richly decorated with frescoes but lacks a throne or a fixed central hearth surrounded by interior columns Both wings also contain several two-storey residential apartments communicating through two long corridors and a central staircase The southern enclosure (III) (12.6 acres or 5.1 ha) encompasses two parallel 150 m.) storage buildings with a total capacity of ca which were divided internally by cross-walls and were equipped with wide access ramps; other attached subsidiary rooms used as guard houses m.) were arranged quite symmetrically north and south of the storage facilities and were often decorated with frescoes (several rooms in E The southern enclosure is connected with the south gate of the citadel via a road running through a central propylon on its southern peribolos wall while another road connects the northern enclosure with the north gate of the citadel through a propylon on its eastern peribolos wall; the two adjacent enclosures communicate through a guarded internal gate Another smaller enclosure is formed immediately east of the northern enclosure without any apparent entrance or visible ruins (I) an internal cross-wall running from the central tower of the southeast double gate to the north cyclopean wall separates and isolates the eastern sector of the citadel which was accessible only from the eastern entrance of the double gate (IV) But what was the purpose of this vast Mycenaean citadel and how did it relate to its surrounding landscape The Mycenaean palatial economy required specialized agricultural production to meet basic needs of a fast growing population and to afford surplus for exportation the indigenous environmental circumscription and resource limitations of the Greek mainland eventually necessitated expansion and intensification of such surplus-geared specialized agricultural production In the closing years of the 14th century BC (LH IIIA2) a large-scale engineering project of gigantic proportions was realized in Boeotia perhaps a joint venture of the neighboring palaces of Thebes and Orchomenos which effectively transformed the Kopais basin (ca 20,000 ha) into the most fertile plain on mainland Greece: the submerged marshland was artificially drained by means of an ingenious and complex drainage control system which involved course diversion of six rivers and streams (Kephissos Lophis on the south) from the basin into two wide peripheral canals These artificial and possibly navigable canals converged in the northeastern edge of the Kopais basin The canals were flanked by massive watertight embankments (2 m high and 30 m wide) which were reinforced in places with double Cyclopean revetments bearing roads on their crowns and were supplied with underground drains and channels leading the water overflow into artificial polders or to the bay of Larymna (see area map above) The Kopais drainage project was colossal by both ancient and modern standards: it is estimated that 2,000,000 cubic meters of earth were moved to build the extensive dykes and massive embankments running for many kilometers on the periphery of the basin more than 250,000 cubic meters of stone were used to revet the embankments and the water overflow of the main canal is estimated at 100 cubic meters per second The area once named Arne was still remembered as ‘multi-vined’ in the Iliad (“polystaphylon Arne,” II 507) and Orchomenos as one of the richest kingdoms of the heroic past (Iliad I whose wealth and power was associated in the ancient literary sources with the cultivation of the drained lake (Strabo IX.2.40; Pausanias IX.17.2; Diodorus IV.18.7) Understanding the dynamics of the monuments with the formation/deformation processes of their related landscape ecosystem and their relative environmental impact is essential for an integrated synthesis roads and bridges facilitating circulation and access to farmland and protection of land resources are essential parameters of systematic intensification of agriculture necessitated by a centralized economy. Such public works of grand scale can only be designed and realized by palatial authorities aiming to appropriate ownership and exert political power land development and water management are also means of property claim which effectively transfered ancestral family/clan/community property rights to palatial management thus transforming not only landscape but also the dynamics of the socio-economic structure (integrative to coercive) interpreted as the regional storage center of production and fortified administrative seat and residence of two local rulers who were probably appointed by the palaces of Thebes and Orchomenos to supervise and maintain the complex draining system organize and regulate the agricultural production central storage and redistribution of products (crops and wine) and control and defend the satellite peripheral settlements and populations View of the Kopais from Glas A Brief History of Glas and the Mycenaean World The first Greeks descended through the Balkans into mainland Greece in ca 2300/2200 BC (beginning of the Early Helladic III) They settled down mainly in the fertile inland formed villages and eventually small towns organized egalitarian societies and developed a distinct regional culture (Middle Helladic) based on agricultural economy and limited trade contacts with the Cyclades and eventually Crete Rising to power was a long process realized through trade and constant warfare abroad and at home during the formative Early Mycenaean period (Late Helladic I-IIA/B The Mycenaeans proved to be meticulous students: through increasing contacts with Minoan Crete their trade horizons gradually expanded from the Balkans and Northern Europe to Egypt This gradual expansion is documented in the multicultural amalgam of stylistic technical elements and materials of the exquisite finds in the royal Shaft Graves at Mycenae (Minoan the extensive corpus of foreign imports in Greece (orientalia and aegyptiaca) and the increasing Mycenaean exports abroad silver Siege Rhyton from Grave Circle A at Mycenae) illustrate some of the early military achievements of the rising new power abroad: raiding foreign exotic lands (Egypt?) jointly with the Minoan fleet The Mycenaeans were recorded as Ahhiya or Ahhiyawa (~Homeric Achai(w)oi/Achaeans) in Hittite diplomatic documents already by 1420/1400 BC (since the reign of Tudhaliya II) and as Danaja or Tanaja (~ Homeric Danaoi) in Egyptian tribute lists like those of Thutmose III (ca where Mukanu or mki[n] (~Mycenae) was listed first among mainland sites the Danaja references in Egyptian sources gradually replaced the earlier Keftiu accounts and depictions of Minoan embassies of the 15th century BC echoing contemporary archaeological evidence for drastic Mycenaean expansion and simultaneous reduction of Minoan presence abroad This reversal of the political and military situation in the Aegean in the 14th century BC was triggered by the gradual infiltration and military presence of the Mycenaeans on Crete in 1420/1410-1370 BC (Late Helladic IIIA1) in the wake of a devastating earthquake which had leveled the Minoan palaces and left the Minoan world in disarray The Mycenaean occupation of Crete marked for the Minoans the beginning of the end and for the Mycenaeans the end of the beginning The Mycenaean world and particularly Mycenae flourished in the following two centuries (ca a period known as Palatial Mycenaean or Late Helladic IIIA/B The Minoan palaces served as modus operandi for the sociopolitical and economic organization of the rising Mycenaean states This period is marked by regional centralization of power geared towards efficient surplus of local production and overseas trade both coordinated and regulated by the palace administration and sustained by palatial bureaucracy (Linear B) the Mycenaean palaces were fortified into citadels large-scale public works were carried out (such as the Kopais drainage system the Pylos bay) and production was systematized the Mycenaeans assumed control over the Minoan colonies and trade outposts in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean thus firmly establishing their own trade network and successfully succeeding the Minoans in the overseas trade (Mycenaean thalassocracy) A vital sector of the centralized palatial economy and sociopolitical structure overseas trade required not only a tight network of island and coastal outposts Diplomatic contacts involved exchange of royal letters and gifts and Pylos maintained a protagonistic role in overseas trade of luxury/prestige goods and diplomatic contacts at the highest level The organized trade of luxury/prestige goods which required a well-coordinated control mechanism for acquiring raw materials and producing artifacts or other products to be marketed in exchange while the king’s special access to external prestige goods reinforced royal image and authority The exquisite artifacts found in tombs in the area of Mycenae as well as the great variety of precious materials recorded in palatial inventory lists and yielded in the archaeological contexts of palatial workshops further document privileged connections and constant contact with Egypt closely following the successful Minoan archetype The effective regulation of production and organization of the socio-economic life by the Mycenaean palatial administration was followed by a long period of prosperity and stability which led to population growth as indicated by the rapid increase in the number and size of the Mycenaean settlements and cemeteries and their geographical distribution in the homeland and abroad in the 13th century BC rapid and dramatic changes in several socio-economic and environmental variables affected a fragile balance and triggered a chain reaction of progressively magnified and multiplied cumulative effect resulting inevitably in a catastrophic systems collapse which caused the decline and fall of the Mycenaean world The latter half of the 13th century BC was marked by intense and frequent seismic activity in certain regions of mainland Greece (two major destruction horizons were recorded in the Argolid in ca These ‘earthquake storms’ caused severe structural damage immediate allocation of manpower for costly and energy-consuming repairs and hence disruption of economic life and trade A typical example of a low-diversified surplus-geared economy without sufficient alternative resources to fall back to Mycenaean economy could hardly withstand and recover from temporary setbacks or survive the combined impact of various factors and palatial military/financial overextension Natural disasters may have acted as catalysts for a catastrophic system failure inflicting the final blow to the system: they eliminated short-term food supplies destroyed high-yield specialized agricultural production and livestock and consequently upset dependent satellite industries (flax internal wars and raids by starving populations on less affected regions followed causing decentralization and political fragmentation and Glas were destroyed by fire slightly earlier than Pylos most likely by enemy action; Thebes and Orchomenos continued to exist and were reoccupied on a smaller scale whereas Glas and the Kopais drainage works were completely destroyed and abandoned This regional destruction may be associated with internal conflicts between the Mycenaean palaces of Thebes and Orchomenos may be attributed to external aggression by Mycenaeans from the Argolid Both versions have been well-preserved in mythology and folk memory: according to mythical tradition with Heracles blocking the sinkholes and flooding the lake (Strabo IX.2.40) and the Argives repeatedly campaigned against and finally besieged Thebes (Seven against Thebes the palace of Thebes (Kadmeia) was not included among the Boeotians in the “Catalogue of Ships” (Iliad II.494-516) a separate and possibly much older poem later embodied in the Iliad and the king (wanax) of Thebes did not participate in the Trojan War which allegedly took place shortly after the destruction of Thebes The movement of peoples (called “Sea People” in the Egyptian sources) and the subsequent widespread destructions in Asia Minor and the Levant in the beginning of the 12th century BC led to the collapse of the Hittite Empire but also eradicated the Mycenaean trade outposts and colonies in the East The loss of their off-shore trade posts disrupted foreign trade and paralyzed the overseas sector of the centralized palatial economy given the peripheral geopolitical location of Mycenaean Greece depended on the contact with the main zone of exchange through intermediaries That must have been another terrible blow to the already distressed and staggering palatial economy forcing it to fall back on domestic production and isolation In the course of the 12th century BC many small settlements in several regions (i.e Asia Minor) sustained continuity and achieved substantial revival with their limited production and trade capacity despite the general decline and fragmentation; on the contrary never fully recovered and were gradually abandoned The deterioration of the same system that had strengthened central palatial authority through the coordination and regulation of political and socioeconomic life resulted inevitably in the dissolution of the palaces’ power decentralization and fragmentation of Mycenaean Greece that it was the Mycenaean elite and its diagnostic key elements (palatial administration and writing monumental art and megalithic architecture) that suffered the most from the system meltdown whereas at a lower level the impact was less direct and the core of Mycenaean society changed more gradually (in terms of basic material culture and cultural practices) and evolved organically into the Early Iron Age Greece The citadel of Glas was partially excavated (central enclosures) by T.A 2001) of earlier and recent excavations in the Mycenaean citadel of Glas and the synthesis of archaeological and historical evidence established the form importance and uniqueness of this archaeological site the archaeological plan of Glas changed drastically as a result of a systematic geophysical survey (2010-2011) which was conducted under my direction and the auspices of the Athens Archaeological Society and was generously funded by Dickinson College and the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) The geophysical survey was carried out by a team of archaeologists and the Exploration Geophysics Laboratory of the Univ The geophysical survey of Glas changed the archaeological picture of the site but also questioned the established interpretations of its function and purpose The final results of the systematic geophysical survey are being currently prepared for publication in an international archaeological journal Posing the Problem: fort or fortified settlement The form and layout of the citadel of Glas did present certain spatial peculiarities: The systematic geophysical survey of the citadel of Glas focused mainly on unexplored sectors aiming to produce new architectural evidence and further define the topography as well as trace earlier occupation phases of the site The project involved remote-sensing investigation of the following areas: Re-discovering Glas: Methods and Results of the Geophysical Survey Aside from certain areas of the citadel (plateaus or steep slopes) that have been severely eroded down to the natural bedrock the natural fill of the hill is approximately 1 m deep or deeper The geophysical remote-sensing survey was conducted with a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and a Fluxgate Gradiometer Both types of equipment produce detailed images to a depth of 2 m The portable geomagnetometer (Geoscan FM256 Fluxgate Gradiometer processed with Geoplot software) detects positive or negative anomalies in the magnetic field of the Earth and records them as dark grey or black features (positive magnetic anomalies potentially reflecting ditches metal finds) and light grey or white features (negative magnetic anomalies possibly indicating stone walls The fluxgate gradiometer offers several advantages namely speed of geoprospection (on average one acre per day) and use on irregular terrains or over low vegetation as it does not involve any contact with the ground; on the down side the gradiometer reproduces two-dimensional geoprospection images of the magnetic traces which are conflated and compressed on a single plane without any real indication of depth the GPR (Subsurface Interface Radar or SIR-2000 with a 400MHz antenna) is considerably slower requires extensive preparatory work in the form of surface clearing; furthermore it involves collection of data in two perpendicularly-oriented datasets with repeated passing on closely-spaced transects of an orthogonal grid to better detect subsurface features generates three-dimensional geoprospection images of the buried remains (stone walls and floors the occasionally rough terrain and wild bush vegetation on the hill and the need for time efficiency dictated a well-planned combination of both methods: at first extensive and generalized use of the gradiometer for fast and immediate results followed by targeted use of the GPR on select areas or sectors that present strong or diagnostic geomagnetic traces Such combination of these two methods proved exceptionally successful and precise at Mycenae (2003-2013) where the systematic geophysical survey detected and plotted extensive remains of the Lower Town outside the citadel such as Electrical Resistivity and Quickbird satellite panchromatic and multispectral imagery were also successfully employed at Glas and the detailed mapping of all buried remains and features were done with the aid of Differential Global Positioning System (GPS) and Total Station and geophysical data will be embedded in the G.I.S database of Dickinson College and 3-D digital maps The geophysical survey focused on the two large northern enclosures (I and the eastern sector of the citadel (IV) The indications from the enclosures were rather poor due to severe ground erosion on the summit and the slopes from the western/central and eastern sectors of the citadel and the cyclopean fortification wall were impressive J) consisting of long rectangular buildings with several large rooms N) were located between the large complexes occasionally abutting on the inner face of the cyclopean wall In the northwestern part of the citadel lies the West Building (D) with an E-W orientation This building complex consists of an oblong rectangular structure divided by at least four parallel partition walls into a row of five rooms with the central two rooms being of equal size Another parallel room and few wall remains were traced immediately south of the West Building and may belong to the same complex A cluster of scattered rooms (E) were further explored in the vicinity of the West Gate lies a two-room (guard house?) abutting on the inner face of the western cyclopean wall (West Gate Building) four semi-circular rooms (silos?) were built against a recess of the western cyclopean wall The southwestern area of the citadel is accessible from both the West Gate and the South Gate and is dominated by the plateau of a low hill which is occupied by a large building complex and possibly enclosing other important structures as well (P The Southwest Complex (F) consists of at least three parallel oblong rectangular wings of similar ground plan and same orientation as the West Building divided by parallel partition walls into rows of large rooms The complex has solid walls constructed of roughly dressed construction and ground plan of the Southwest Complex and the West Building recall the two parallel long storage buildings in the southern central enclosure (Sector III: B G) were detected to the southeast of the Southwest Complex as indicated by their relatively small size The Glas site general plan In the southern sector of the cyclopean wall approximately midway between the West and the South Gate thus raising the number of gates in the citadel of Glas to six The southwest sally port (H) is 3 m wide and gives access to a low terrace in front of the wall that affords unobstructed viewing of the plain to the south facilitates safe descent to the plain below via a narrow and steep staircase that was partly built and partly hewn out of the bedrock providing access to a cave at the base of the rocky hill Between the two sally ports were identified five narrow rectangular niches (1 m x 3 m) opening into the outer face of the wall with no access from within the citadel but once accessible possibly through trapdoors from the upper part of the wall These niches were likely sentry boxes associated with the guarding of the adjacent sally ports Two more niches were located in the northern and western sectors of the cyclopean wall traces of large rectangular rooms (casemates or towers) were detected within the thickness of the cyclopean wall in the western sector (100 m north of the west gate) in the northeastern sector (70 m east of the north gate) and in the southwestern sector (200 m west of the south gate and east of the sally ports) The geophysical survey expanded eventually in the central and the eastern part of the citadel with equally impressive results In the central area (Sector V) lies the South Complex (J) which consists of a large building with a NW-SE orientation flanked by a parallel oblong rectangular wing Farther to the northeast of this complex were detected a cluster of scattered buildings This cluster includes a multi-room building (Central Building 1) an oblong rectangular wing of another building with an E-W orientation (Central Building 2) partly built and partly hewn out of the bedrock which is associated with a long retaining wall with a N-S orientation are similar to those of the West Building and the Southwest Complex The eastern part of the citadel (between Sectors IV and V) preserves a surviving corner of the cross-wall that ran at an angle from the northeastern course of the cyclopean wall to the central tower of the double Southeast Gate.SE orientation This cross-wall separated and isolated the eastern part of the citadel (Sector IV) which was accessible only from the eastern entrance of the double Southeast Gate This isolated eastern sector of the citadel contained scattered structures (East Cluster including several retaining walls for terracing with an E-W orientation and at least ten circular structures (2.5-3 m in diameter) Six of these circular structures are located in the center of the eastern sector while four more were traced near the northeastern course of the cyclopean wall Outside the eastern course of the cyclopean wall was found a built staircase (East Staircase and briefly surveyed at the foot of the rocky hill of Glas _______________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ _________________________________________ Caves at Glas _________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ The old archaeological picture of Glas changed drastically and the traditional interpretation of the citadel as a fort is now being challenged the citadel of Glas presented the layout of a fort with enigmatic spatial peculiarities; our geophysical survey established that the citadel area was not left void of structures outside the central enclosures after all but was apparently covered with many buildings of various uses extensive residential quarters and clusters of buildings stretching between these complexes may not have been merely a fort maintaining the drainage works and managing agricultural production; apparently whose identification raises interesting questions about Mycenaean political geography The Homeric poems (Catalogue of Ships) and later literary sources list several important Mycenaean towns in the Kopais area (Arne among them); could Glas be identified with one of these towns we would need to explore the dynamics between this regional administrative center and satellite peripheral settlements in the Kopais basin and define the relations between the palatial centers of Glas Orchomenos and Thebes in the framework of the Mycenaean political geography a far more intriguing hypothesis: what if Glas is Orchomenos Is it possible that the palatial authorities of Orchomenos moved their palace and settlement to the most strategically important and highly defensible location available after the draining of the marshland of Kopais in the 13th century BC while using the original site of Orchomenos mainly as an ancestral burial place despite such astonishing discoveries and fascinating prospects systematic geophysical survey of Glas was abruptly suspended by the Athens Archaeological Society in 2012 after only the first two years of operation on grounds of complete lack of interest in further exploring the site The systematic investigation of the Mycenaean citadel of Glas will hopefully continue and must intensify in the next few years to unearth convincing answers to all these intriguing questions The geophysical survey and excavation of this monumental site can offer field training to hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students through the D.E.P.A.S great opportunities for faculty/student collaborative research interdisciplinary collaboration and leading scholarship for scholars and researchers from around the world _______________________________________________ For information, see the Project website: http://glas-excavations.org Contact information to participate or donate to the project: contact Prof. Chr. Maggidis at [email protected] and (717) 245-1014 Did this article interest you? You can read more like this with a premium subscription to Popular Archaeology Christofilis Maggidis is currently Director of Glas and President of the Mycenaean Foundation with nearly three decades of field experience at major archaeological sites Since receiving his post-doctorate from Brown University and a research fellowship from Harvard his research and teaching interests focus primarily on Minoan and Mycenaean art and archaeology but they also include topics in Greek sculpture and architecture Subscribe to Popular Archaeology Premium Still the industry’s best value at only $9.00 annually One of the largest Mycenean-era carved tombs ever discovered in Greece has been located in Orchomenos in Viotia during the first year of a five-year cooperation programme between the Viotia Antiquities Ephorate and the British School at Athens (BSA) and Cambridge University the tomb is the ninth-largest chamber tomb out of roughly 4,000 excavated in the last 150 years," the culture ministry announced The tomb is of monumental size and artfully constructed it includes a large death chamber measuring 42 metres square with a 20-metre carved 'road' leading up to it On all four walls of the chamber is a carved ledge covered in clay plaster while the initial height of the roof is estimated to have been 3.5 metres high There is evidence that this roof began to collapse very early after construction giving the tomb a cave-like aspect and a total height of 6.5 metres The collapse disturbed the position of the body and objects inside but then covered and protected the tomb from later interference Greece's Culture Ministry says the 3,350-year-old chamber near Orchomenos belonged to a man who was 40 to 50 years old when he died surrounded by carefully chosen grave goods Best collections of confirmed burial goods The tomb is dated to the middle of the 14th century B.C and has yielded some of the best collections of confirmed burial goods from the palace period of mainland Greece The discovery of a single burial with important finds is exceptionally rare The Prosilios tomb is exceptional in that all the items found were linked to the single dead body buried there One example is the discovery of several items of jewellery in the tomb as in that of the Pylos warrior found in 2015 casts doubt on the previously held belief that jewellery was mainly used in the burials of women The tomb is believed to be linked to the nearby Orchomenos palace complex that dominated the area during the 14th and 13th centuries B.C The Mycenaean civilization was located in the northeast Peloponnese approximately 200 kilometers from the current side and flourished on flourished on the Greek mainland prior to roughly 1200 BC Orchomenus (Ancient Greek: Ὀρχομενός Orchomenos) is best known as a rich archaeological site in Boeotia that was inhabited from the Neolithic through the Hellenistic periods Orchomenus is also referenced as the "Minyean Orchomenus" in order to distinguish the city from the "Arcadian Orchomenus" According to the founding myth of Orchomenos its royal dynasty had been established by the Minyans who had followed their eponymous leader Minyas from coastal Thessaly to settle the site during the fourteenth and thirteenth centuries Orchomenos became a rich and important centre of civilisation in Mycenaean Greece and a rival to Thebes The palace with its frescoed walls and the great tholos tomb show the power of Orchomenos in Mycenaean times A massive hydraulic undertaking drained the marshes of Lake Copaïs making it a rich agricultural area.[2] Like many sites around the Aegean Orchomenos was burned and its palace destroyed in ca Orchomenos is mentioned among the Achaean cities sending ships to engage in the Trojan War in Homer's "Catalogue of Ships" in the Iliad: together with Aspledon they contributed thirty ships and their complement of men Orchomenos seems to have been one of the city-states that joined the Calaurian maritime League in the seventh century BC.[3] Although their rivals Thebes confirmed their supremacy by the end of the century reflected bu inscriptions Orchomenos joined the Theban-led Boeotian League in ca Classical Orchomenos was known for its sanctuary of the Charites or Graces according to Pausanias (5.172–80); the Byzantine (9th century) monastery church of Panaghia Skripou probably occupies the long-sacred spot.[5] Here the Charites had their earliest veneration in legend instituted by Eteocles; musical and poetical agonistic games the Charitesia,[6] were held in their honour in the theatre that was discovered in 1972.[7] The Agrionia involved the ritual pursuit of women by a man representing Dionysus Orchomenos struck its coinage from the mid-sixth century the Orchomenians joined their neighbouring rivals the Thebans to turn back the invading forces of Xerxes in the Greco-Persian Wars Orchomenos sheltered the oligarchic exiles who freed Boeotia from Athenian control In the fourth century the traditional rivalry with Thebes made Orchomenos an ally of Agesilaus II and Sparta against Thebes The Theban revenge after their defeat of Sparta in the battle of Leuctra (371 BC) was delayed by the tolerant policies of Epaminondas:[8] the Boeotian League sacked Orchomenos in 364 BC Although the Phocians rebuilt the city in 355 BC The broad plain between Orchomenos and the acropolis of Chaeronea witnessed two battles of major importance in Classical antiquity after a whirlwind march south into central Greece Philip II of Macedon defeated Thebes and Athens on the plain of Chaironeia during the First Battle of Chaeronea establishing Macedonian supremacy over the city-states and demonstrated the prowess of Philip's young son Alexander the Great During Alexander's campaign against Thebes in 335 BC Orchomenos took the side of the Macedonians when the theatre and the fortification walls The Second Battle of Chaeronea occurred when Roman forces under Lucius Cornelius Sulla defeated those of King Mithridates VI of Pontus near Chaeronea This Second Battle of Chaeronea was followed by the Battle of Orchomenus when Archelaus' forces were completely destroyed Orchomenos remained a small town until Late Roman times Most excavations have focussed on the early and Mycenean areas of the lower town while the later Hellenistic city on the acropolis remains largely unexplored Leipzig 1881) revealed the tholos tomb he called the "Tomb of Minyas" a Mycenaean monument that equalled the "Tomb of Atreus" at Mycenae itself de Ridder excavated the temple of Asklepios and some burials in the Roman necropolis a Bavarian archaeological mission under Heinrich Bulle and Adolf Furtwängler conducted successful excavations at the site Research continued in 1970–73 by the Archaeological Service under Theodore Spyropoulos The Tomb of Minyas is one of the greatest burial monuments of the Mycenaean period.[10] The tomb was probably built for the members of the royal family of Orchomenos in 1250 BC and was plundered in antiquity The monument was visible for many centuries after its original use and even became a place of worship in the Hellenistic period It was probably a famous landmark until at least the second century AD when Pausanias visited Orchomenos and described the tholos in detail.[11] It had a dromos thirty metres long Its entrance was built of dark grey Levadhia marble and had a wooden door is six metres long and weighs several tons The entrance and the chamber were decorated with bronze rosettes as shown by the attachment holes on the walls and the ceiling of the side chamber is decorated with spirals and floral motifs in relief a rectangular burial monument dates to the Ηellenistic period (323–30 B.C.) It was partially restored by the architect-archaeologist A the Hellenic Ministry of Culture undertook restoration work consisting mainly of drainage and strengthening of the walls of the side chamber The Neolithic remains found at Orchomenos were first thought to be in situ (Bulle 1907) but it later appeared that they consisted of fill in a levelling deposit (Kunze 1931; Treuil 1983) Thus the associated round houses (two to six metres in diameter) were in fact from the Early Bronze Age (2800–1900 BC) The Mycenaean palace to the east of the Tholos tomb and lying partially underneath the church is only partially excavated and consists of three wings some of which were decorated with frescoes The fortification walls of Orchomenos were built in the 2nd half of the 4th century B.C under the Macedonians and crown the east end of mount Akontion The theatre was built around the end of the 4th century BC the orchestra and part of the scena are all preserved It was in use until late Roman times (4th century AD) Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Gerhard Haubold License: CC-BY-SA Nafplio at the epicenter of world yachting with the 10th Mediterranean Yacht Show Samaria Gorge “War Zone” – “Others Decide, We Pay the Price” Argosaronic Islands: Need for a long-term strategy and modern infrastructure FedHATTA | Tourism Bridges between Greece and the Chinese province of Guizhou Top distinctions for Greece and Santorini at the American Leisure Lifestyle Awards 2025 HOTREC | Supporting SMEs in European Hospitality Tourism | Promoting Crete in the Arabian Gulf Aegean and Emirates expand their partnership Delta | Athens is in 5th place in American searches for 2025 Promotion of Preveza on the metro and tram in Athens TripAdvisor Awards 2025 | Elafonisi Beach World's Best Beach - 9th in Crete, Sani Beach Award 12th BAJAGREECE: Motorsports Competition in Western Macedonia Crete also invests in cycling tourism - 13th Pediadas Tour Competitions with a summer and autumn backdrop: Attica runs at the pace of sports ATM'25 - Tourism | The fight against food waste at the forefront of sustainable development easyJet holidays | Fam trips to Santorini, Skiathos and Rhodes Chania: The next actions of the “Tourism Partnership” Navarino Challenge returns on May 9-11, 2025 Cruise Takeoff in Chania – Record Arrivals in the First Quarter of 2025 Three Greek beaches among the world’s 50 best – Triumph for the Ionian The “Typhoon” that saves the Greek coasts from garbage EOT at the “Arabian Travel Market” | Interest from Gulf countries, India, and Australia CERT to manage Vasilitsa Ski Resort – Investment of over 20 million euros Is American tourism in Europe “slowing down”? What do professionals see for 2025 and 2026 This is Athens & Partners | The 7 partners renew their collaboration - the joint actions FedHATTA: Dynamic presence of Greek travel agencies at the international Dubai exhibition ATM 2025 Ryanair announces new offer for Prime members on June flights Thomas Ellerbeck | “Rhodes can become a model of sustainable tourism internationally” The Times | The perfect time to experience the authentic side of Santorini Chania: The Alternative Tourism Festival returns to the Venetian Port Angela Gerekou: "Tourism is a force for good and Greece can play a leading role" New flights to Greece in 2025 from 4 airlines Crete welcomes Reveil 12 – Festival of Sounds and Ecology Greek tourism - 3rd quarter | 97% of arrivals in Athens and Thessaloniki Modernization aid for the marinas of Symi and Messolonghi HOTREC Assembly: Focus on challenges and reforms in European tourism AEGEAN 2025: Passenger growth and fleet expansion with an eye on the international market FedHATTA Cooperation with Shaanxi Province, China Greek academic in finalists of European Sustainable Energy Awards 2025 Thessaloniki museums join forces to promote the city GNTO introduces “Sustainable Greece” to British Agents Strategic meeting for cruises in Santorini A message of friendship and cooperation at the friendly Greek-Turkish football match in Chios Municipality of Xiromero | Diving tourism: Request for sinking of a decommissioned warship The first La Quinta by Wyndham in Batumi, Georgia Double racing event in Megalopolis on May 11: Festival Enduro and Theater Run 2025 Explora Journeys: Start of the summer season with the luxurious EXPLORA I from Piraeus Strong start in 2025 for Aegean and SKY Express Xanthi Tastes: A Gastronomy Festival with a Cultural Flavor Rhodes: These are the five-star hotels with the highest revenue – Which ones “fill up” first Greek Tourism/Webhotelier: The Winners and Losers in Online Bookings for 2025 GNTO | Promotion of Santorini in target markets Unprecedented blackout in Spain, Portugal, France Greece can play a leading role in the global sports tourism scene Rhodes | Event for the protection of biodiversity Attica, the …Caribbean of the Germans Agios Nikolaos | Cruise season kicks off with arrival of luxury Silver Spirit Operational Plan: “Cretan Food Culture 2026-2030” Destination Management and Promotion Organization in Thessaloniki Kefalonia: The authentic character of the island through the “Travel Reimagined” project Hoteliers vs. Booking.com: The European uprising has begun Tourism | Greece 4th choice for Europeans' holidays in 2025 - what the ETC survey shows New high-standard heated swimming pool in Chania, aimed at sports tourism Greeks Traveled (A Lot!) in 2024 – Where They Went, How Much They Spent Greek-American Dean Spanos brings the NFL to Greece – Opportunities for promotion in the USA Lesvos: The season begins with birdwatching tourists MSC Cruises: Strengthens its presence in Greece with 6 cruise ships New Luxury Arrival in Crete | JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa Opens on June 2 "Peloponnese Trails" inaugurated today: New network of trails for sustainable tourism Knossos: 125 years since the excavations of Arthur Evans The Spanish TV show “Viajeros Cuatro” in Corfu Wyndham - Soliteight | 40 Super 8 hotels in Spain and Portugal Airbnb: Final price now displayed in accommodation searches Investments in the beaches of the Attica Riviera The Municipality of Chania at the “From Crete to Side” Festival in Turkey Region of Central Macedonia: Tourism Promotion Activities in Poland and the Middle East Region of Crete | Connecting Minoan Palatial Centers with Archaeological Sites Biodiversity protection plan is in full swing in Elafonisi Record participation in the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition | Chania 8 - 10 May Communities at the heart of tourism development Booking.com | No to limiting tourists, yes to infrastructure investments Thessaloniki’s dynamic presence at the World Tourism Summit in Hong Kong easyJet | Summer 2026 sales open Cruise | Turkey doubles its share, new opportunities for Greek ports Aid for the upgrade of the tourist shelter of Astakos and the Marina of Alimos Preparing the settlement of Kionia for the tourist season: An example to follow The action of the region of Crete "Let's go for... Greens" concludes this weekend “Art is our Language”: Campaign for the 70th Anniversary of the Athens Epidaurus Festival Tourism | Nostalgia drives Brits’ travel choices ΕΟΤ China | B2B meetings with Chengdu's t.os - Flights to Athens in June State-of-the-art conference center at Theartemis Palace Hotel in Rethymno Zagori: Collaboration with Impact Hub Athens for sustainable tourism and innovation Cooperation Memorandum between Development Athens and Piraeus University on Tourism Kos: New advertising campaigns with Jet2 and National Geographic Traveller UK Five cruise ships in Souda by Saturday Imbros Trail Run & Hike 2025: A sporting tribute to the History of Sfakia Cultural Days and Sea Routes in Piraeus Religious Tourism | The University of Palermo comes to Panagia Nafpaktiotissa Audio Walk in the Sitia Geopark: A Different Exploration Experience in Crete AEGEAN “takes off” Larnaca with a new direct flight to Rome FedHATTA | Tourism Bridges between Greece and the Chinese province of Guizhou Tourism | Promoting Crete in the Arabian Gulf Top distinctions for Greece and Santorini at the American Leisure Lifestyle Awards 2025 Nafplio at the epicenter of world yachting with the 10th Mediterranean Yacht Show Aegean and Emirates expand their partnership HOTREC | Supporting SMEs in European Hospitality Samaria Gorge “War Zone” – “Others Decide, We Pay the Price” Delta | Athens is in 5th place in American searches for 2025 Argosaronic Islands: Need for a long-term strategy and modern infrastructure TripAdvisor Awards 2025 | Elafonisi Beach World's Best Beach - 9th in Crete, Sani Beach Award ATM'25 - Tourism | The fight against food waste at the forefront of sustainable development Promotion of Preveza on the metro and tram in Athens Crete also invests in cycling tourism - 13th Pediadas Tour Competitions with a summer and autumn backdrop: Attica runs at the pace of sports 12th BAJAGREECE: Motorsports Competition in Western Macedonia Cruise Takeoff in Chania – Record Arrivals in the First Quarter of 2025 The 20 "loudest" luxury hotel arrivals in Greece in 2025 Athens Municipality Festival 2025 | The city's biggest celebration, with more than 200 events New flights to Greece in 2025 from 4 airlines What to expect at this year’s ITB Berlin Exhibition from March 4-6 easyJet holidays | Fam trips to Santorini, Skiathos and Rhodes PM at 1st Greece-Saudi Arabia High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on Monday Greece's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO organizing concert on January 16 North Macedonia: Increase in foreign tourists in 2024 Athens to host the European Film Awards in 2027 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the Misthios must prove themselves to the Kings to win back their childhood home - their first challenge: to win control of the state of Boeotia for their homeland In this quest line, the reverberations of previous choices can be felt, as old faces make their reappearance. Here's how to complete the Conqueror quest in Assassin's Creed Odyssey including where to find all four Boeotia champions you have to travel to Boeotia to get the lay of the land from the Spartan Polemarch on duty Granted you didn't kill him for good back in Megara and he'll send you out to weaken Boeotia's resolve by killing their four champions: Drakon One of the more interesting parts of this line is the Last Fight of Aristaios quest you need to head over Lake Kopais in the centre of Boeotia On the eastern tip of this island is where you will find Aristaios he'll step in to finish off the champion - no fighting necessary If you're trying to get the "best" ending to Assassin's Creed Odyssey when you talk to Nikolaos you need to tell him to "go to" Stendor Otherwise he'll stay angry at you and there will be consequences then he won't appear and you'll have to kill Aristaios yourself pick up his Epic breastplate and be on your way Head over to the City of Orchomenos on the western bank of Lake Kopais you'll find a side-quest marker on a man called Timon Find the cave on your map and go through the entrance the Misthios will muse on whether the cult is at work here too Slide under the gap at the back of the first cave you're in then take the left fork and climb across the room with the stalagmites and stalactites and your suspicions will be confirmed: Deianeira is a cultist Kill her to complete the quest and claim the Amazon's Greaves This part requires some devious thinking and manipulation on the part of the Misthios which is the built-up area on the map to the southeast of Lake Kopais On the western side of Thebes you'll see a side-quest icon called Brewing Love Here you'll meet a man scheming to brew a love potion so that he can win the heart of your target Drakon Completing this quest will not only tell you where Drakon is but because Melanippos will take Drakon's armour to administer the love potion To the southwest of Thebes you'll find the farm you need Kill the bandits and the farmer will come out to thank you Melanippos will not only take away Drakon's armour but tell you about his training ground too Make your way north of Thebes until you reach the sea The final target is the most straightforward All you have to do is go and find Nesaia's camp in Boeotia roughly level with the sports area outside the city walls to the east Nesaia is a strong rogue-style fighter that uses poison attacks but if you're similar in level it shouldn't be a problem claim her belt and return to Stendor (or whoever's there if you killed him) based on your actions you'll speak to Stentor again If you convinced Nikolaos to step in during your meeting with him he'll enter the fray to smooth things over then you and Stentor will have to fight to the death and you can take your progress back to one of the kings For more help with Assassin's Creed Odyssey quests, why not try taking on some of the mythical series in the game, like the Minotaur de Force line of side-quests Or if you're after the artifacts, why not check out how to answer the Sphinx's riddles or defeat the Minotaur No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission VG247 is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited A new program to introduce the public to lesser-known ancient theaters in Greece through Aristophanes' comedy was initiated by the Diazoma association and the National Theater in collaboration with the Culture Ministry which is funding it with a 100,000-euro grant the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) had provided unanimous approval of the venues requested - 17 in total - for performances of Aristophanes' "Plutus" on condition that there be no fees or tickets for the performances other than admission to archaeological sites where the venues are situated exact dates of performances were not available with their general location in parentheses: The Ancient Theaters of Kabeirion (Thebes) Combine a stroll in a beautiful landscape with culinary pleasures in less than a 2 hours’ drive from Athens Apart from any plans for longer trips away from Athens, there are always options for daytrips closer to the capital for those who prefer to spend their holiday in Athens. And some of these options are not just about strolls in beautiful landscapes, but they also guarantee culinary pleasures. In less than a 2 hours’ drive from the centre of Athens you can find good options especially if you’re looking for meat dishes. However, there are also great choices for those in search of seafood, while vegetarians will also find options to cater to their preferences. Viotia has become famous for its meat and is often visited by Athenians, due to its proximity to Athens. Orchomenos is not as famous as Livadeia but it’s a more laidback destination at a more or less equal distance (around 1.5 hours away). If you prefer seafood or feel that you need a break from meat consumption by eating some seafood, then head to Nea Lampsakos, by the sea, outside Chalkida. You need to go to Evia to do this, but it’s no longer than an hour drive from the centre of Athens. Even though they’re very close to the borders of Attica, the Dervenohoria villages in Viotia (Pyli, Panaktos, Prasino, Skourta and Stefani) as still relative unknown among Athenians, who usually head to northerner destinations like Livadeia or Arachova. The Dervenohoria villages are also known as “Parnitha’s backyard”, they are at about 600 m altitude and you reach them after 50 minutes’ drive from the centre of Athens. Levidi is a town in Arcadia at 860 m altitude, built on the eastern slope of mount Mainalo. It’s the destination that’s furthest away on this list, however with the new roads it won’t take longer than 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there from the centre of Athens. Next to a fir forest, Levidi offers the perfect opportunity for a visit to a winter destination, while it’s also quite scenic with its stone mansions. In fact, it’s quite an old settlement that has been around since the time the Peloponnese was under the Frankish rule. A small village in Korinthia with just 65 permanent residents that became known due to a famous battle during the 1821 Greek War of Independence won the much larger Ottoman army of Mahmud Dramali (1822) Dervenakia is a 1 hour and 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of Athens while regarding food there’s only one place to go: the famed country restaurant “To Hani tou Anesti to palio” (Anestis’ old inn) that has been in the village since the year 1822 they say that Anestis was a local resident who excelled in the battle and that’s why Kolokotronis himself gave him the land We recommend you call in advance if you’re planning on visiting in the weekend (tel The menu includes classic choices of a Greek grill house and both their chops and the roasted pork the prevailing theory on how the Mycenaean civilisation collapsed was that devastating earthquakes led to the destruction of its palaces in the Peloponnese new evidence suggests that some type of internal uprising or an external invasion might have brought about the downfall of the Mycenaean civilisation a team led by German archaeologist Joseph Maran of Heidelberg University and geophysicist Klaus-G Hinzen has been conducting research in Tiryns and Midea The findings of their research were published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America “Although some of the observations from the two investigated citadels could be explained by seismic loading alternative nonseismic causes could equally explain most observed damage the structural damage was clearly not caused by earthquakes” adding that: “Our results indicate that the hypothesis of a destructive earthquake in Tiryns and Midea which may have contributed to the end of the LBA Mycenaean palatial period Mycenaean Greece (or Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece spanning the period from approximately 1600–1100 BC It represents the first advanced civilization in mainland Greece Athens in Central Greece and Iolcos in Thessaly after which the culture of this era is named Mycenaean and Mycenaean-influenced settlements also appeared in Epirus The Mycenaean Greeks introduced several innovations in the fields of engineering while trade over vast areas of the Mediterranean was essential for the Mycenaean economy offers the first written records of the Greek language and their religion already included several deities that can also be found in the Olympic Pantheon Mycenaean Greece was dominated by a warrior elite society and consisted of a network of palace states that developed rigid hierarchical Mycenaean Greece perished with the collapse of Bronze Age culture in the eastern Mediterranean to be followed by the so-called Greek Dark Ages a recordless transitional period leading to Archaic Greece where significant shifts occurred from palace-centralized to de-centralized forms of socio-economic organization (including the extensive use of iron) Various theories have been proposed for the end of this civilization among them the Dorian invasion or activities connected to the "Sea Peoples" Additional theories such as natural disasters and climatic changes have been also suggested The Mycenaean period became the historical setting of much ancient Greek literature and mythology Grace Circle B at Mycenae Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: K beard License: CC-BY-SA the first wave of destruction apparently occurred in various centers of mainland Greece for reasons that cannot be identified by archaeologists while the Boeotian fortifications of Gla were deserted a number of buildings surrounding the citadel of Mycenae were attacked and burned These incidents appear to have prompted the massive strengthening and expansion of the fortifications in various sites arrangements were also made for the creation of subterranean passages which led to underground cisterns Midea and Athens expanded their defences with new cyclopean-style walls The extension program in Mycenae almost doubled the fortified area of the citadel To this phase of extension belongs the impressive Lion Gate the main entrance into the Mycenaean acropolis It appears that after this first wave of destruction a short-lived revival of Mycenaean culture followed Mycenaean Greece continues to be mentioned in international affairs the king of Ahhiyawa is again reported to have been involved in an anti-Hittite uprising in western Anatolia Another contemporary Hittite account reports that Ahhiyawan ships should avoid Assyrian-controlled harbors as part of a trade embargo imposed on Assyria trade was in decline in the Eastern Mediterranean most probably due to the unstable political environment there.[62] The final collapse of Mycanean civilization None of the defence measures appear to have prevented the final destruction and collapse of the Mycenaean states This event marked the end of Mycenae as a major power preserved by the heat of the fire that destroyed the palace mention hasty defence preparations due to an imminent attack without giving any detail about the attacking force specific regions in mainland Greece witnessed a dramatic population decrease Mycenaean refugees migrated to Cyprus and the Levantine coast.[64] Nevertheless other regions on the edge of the Mycenaean world prospered parts of Attica and a number of Aegean islands.[59] The acropolis of Athens and the main entrance of the citadel (left) at Mycenae Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Andreas Trepte License: CC-BY-SA The reasons for the end of the Mycenaean culture have been hotly debated among scholars there is no satisfactory explanation for the collapse of the Mycenaean palace systems The two most common theories are population movement and internal conflict The first attributes the destruction of Mycenaean sites to invaders is supported by sporadic archaeological evidence such as new types of burials It appears that the Dorians moved southward gradually over a number of years and devastated the territory until they managed to establish themselves in the Mycenaean centers called "Barbarian Ware" because it was attributed to invaders from the north the collapse of Mycenaean Greece coincides with the activity of the Sea Peoples in the Eastern Mediterranean They caused widespread destruction in Anatolia and the Levant and were finally defeated by Pharaoh Ramesses III in c One of the ethnic groups that comprised these people were the Eqwesh a name that appears to be linked with the Ahhiyawa of the Hittite inscriptions Alternative scenarios propose that the fall of Mycenaean Greece was a result of internal disturbances which led to internecine warfare among the Mycenaean states or civil unrest in a number of states as a result of the strict hierarchical social system and the ideology of the wanax due to the obscure archaeological picture in 12th-11th century BC Greece there is a continuing controversy among scholars over whether the impoverished societies that succeeded the Mycenaean palatial states were newcomers or populations that already resided in Mycenaean Greece Recent archaeological findings tend to favor the latter scenario droughts or earthquakes have also been proposed The period following the end of Mycenaean Greece Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Andreas Trepte License: CC-BY-SA The Athens Guide School has issued a call for tenders for the award of the implementation of the educational excursions program of the School of the Ministry of Tourism The estimated value of the contract is 37,200 euros including VAT The duration of the contract is determined by its signature and expires on 15.06.2025 The criterion for awarding the contract is the most economically advantageous offer exclusively based on the lowest price for all educational excursions In the event of multiple bidders with equal offers the contractor will be selected by drawing lots The following excursions are planned: Lavrio - Thorikos - Sounion Central Greece (Delphi - Arachova - Monastery of Saint Loukas) The financial offers of interested parties for the implementation services of the educational excursion program can be submitted to the Athens Guide School The prospective contractors may submit their bid either in person through their legal representative or through a legally authorized person or by post (by registered letter) or through a courier company It is noted that valid bids are those that will be received and registered at the Athens Tour Guide School by the deadline for submission of bids The contracting authority is not responsible for any deficiencies in the content of bids sent by post or for delays in their arrival No envelopes or other documents will be received from any post office even if the contracting authority is notified in good time Bids that for any reason are submitted or submitted late will not be accepted and will be returned to the bidders without being unsealed Sport With the Australian Grand Prix 2019 and Formula One season just one week away from starting it’s time to cast the spotlight on the much-rumoured F1 track that has been discussed for Greece there has been much speculation and comments regarding whether or not the country would move forward with the creation of a race track for Greece and where it should take place Some investors from nearby Patra had shown interest in funding the venture back in the late Nineties The next location to be brought up as a potential Grand Prix host was Elliniko After the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the relocation of the airport the grounds of the old airstrip were left unused and many rumours began to surface regarding what its future use would be Whispers were heard regarding the creation of a park with the inclusion of a Formula One track it was to be designed based on those of Melbourne and Montreal pointing out that he would not be against the creation of an F1 track but it would need to be created outside of the residential zone and with proper infrastructure the Hellenic Fan Club of Cars and Tours (ELPA) got as far as to receive a signed order by the then President of the Republic himself regarding the requirements for the creation of an F1 track in the city of Orchomenos in Boeotia All the groundwork had been completed and it was calculated that around 60-80 milion euros would be necessary for the track to be completed within two years the relevant government board had agreed to pass on 1,400 acres worth of land to a company that was comprised of the ELPA the Municipality of Orchomenos and the prefecture and was founded solely with the purpose of creating the track What happened to this venture remains unknown but it is apparent that things did not progress as scheduled as Greece was already trying to learn how to live with the new rules that the financial crisis brought along with it a company under the name of “Autokinhtodromio Patras” (Patra Speedway) appeared seemingly out of nowhere to suggest that they could easily create a Formula One race course within the Chalandritsa area and provide working opportunities for hundreds of people the groundwork had been laid and the country could have its own Grand Prix within three years time provided they could be inducted into Parliament and receive 29 million euros worth of public funding the project went nowhere as they never received the money that they needed the plan that came closest to becoming reality has been the Grand Prix of Drapetsona an area in the southwestern suburbs of Athens the civil engineer Thanasis Papatheodorou designed the sketches for the race course and after years of planning and capital raising the company “Dielpis Formula 1” was founded in the hopes of gaining the support of the political world and the attention of the racing world as former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras threw his backing towards the project according to an interview Papatheodorou gave to CNN Bernie Ecclestone mentioned that he had taken notice of the plan and wanted to meet with Samaras and the people behind it to see if they had the necessary funding the matter progressed so far that the company “Formula One Licensing” patented the name “Formula One Mediterranean Grand Prix.” However which led to political and financial instability in Greece and so the nation still remains without a Grand Prix It remains unknown if Athens or Greece in general will ever have its own Formula One course Several attempts have been made and the infrastructure does exist for the creation of a satisfactory racing experience Perhaps now that the country is beginning to slowly come out of the financial crisis it would be a good time to for such an investment to take place Heartbreaking footage has been captured by the Up Stories team using a drone over Lake Yliki the team recorded images on Monday (28/10) of the lake and its island which was once 120 meters from the shore and is now accessible by car Lake Yliki, the ninth largest in Greece is located in eastern Central Greece in the region of Boeotia near the southeastern boundaries of the Municipality of Orchomenos and the northwestern edge of the Municipality of Thebes Although its surface area fluctuates due to climatic conditions It has a maximum depth of 38.5 meters (with an average depth of 28.8 meters) reaches approximately 663 million cubic meters To the northeast lies the smaller lake Paralimni (15 square kilometers) known in ancient times as Trephia or Ungria It is connected to Yliki by a 2.5-kilometer canal In 1959, a water supply connection was established from Lake Yliki to the artificial Lake Marathon as Athens’ rapid population growth made it impossible for the city to rely solely on the latter the demand for water surpassed the capacity of both lakes leading to the primary water source for Athens shifting to the artificial Lake Mornos The transfer of water from Yliki to Lake Marathon occurs through a canal and tunnel Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to 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