Mycenæ: a narrative of researches and discoveries at Mycenæ and TirynsSchliemann, Heinrich
History
Mycenæ: a narrative of researches and discoveries at Mycenæ and Tiryns
Schliemann, Heinrich
Mycenae (Extinct city); Tiryns (Extinct city)
It deserves particular notice that between and on both sides of the
double circular row of slabs, there were found many objects of interest,
such as a fish of wood (No. 211), and a large number of Hera-idols of the
various forms already described; also some in the shape of a standing
or a sitting cow without horns, but with a female head-dress,[249] or
with the neck perforated for suspension with a string,[250] which seems
to indicate that they were worn as amulets. Also a female idol having
two feet instead of a tube as usual; it has an uncovered bird's head, no
mouth, very large eyes, protruding hands, and a necklace; the hair is
well represented on the back; the dress is marked with a red colour.[251]
There was also found an unpainted male figure of clay, with large eyes,
an aquiline nose, and no mouth; the head is covered with a cap in form
of a turban. I doubt if this is an idol. There was also found a very
primitive idol, with an uncovered bird's head and two ears; the hands
are on the breast, but not joined; the head is turned towards heaven (No.
212). I here call attention to the large number of idols of Aphrodite in
the British Museum, which are represented touching both breasts with the
hands, probably as symbols of fecundity.
There were also found two knives of lever-opal and three arrows of
obsidian,[252] which are of rare occurrence here; further, a number of
small perforated glass necklace beads, and three whorls of terra-cotta.
I frequently find here, in the prehistoric _débris_, fragments of a
wall-coating of chalk with painted archaic ornamentations of red, blue,
green, or yellow spiral lines. As no trace of chalk is found in any of
the Cyclopean houses, I cannot claim for these wall-coatings a remote
antiquity; and I fancy they are derived from frame houses of the last
century before the capture of the city by the Argives.
To the south of the circular double row of slabs my excavations have
brought to light a vast Cyclopean house, which, so far as it has been
uncovered, contains seven chambers intersected by four corridors of four
feet in breadth (see Plans B and C). Here and there the walls still
retain their clay coating, which, however, nowhere shows a trace of
painting. The walls are from 2 to 4½ ft. thick, and the same wall is in
some places 6 to 8 in. thicker than in others. The largest room is 18½
ft. long by 13½ ft. broad, and its east side is cut out in the rock to a
depth of 16 in.
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