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)
There were further found in this tomb, in a heap together, thirty-five
arrow-heads of obsidian, which were probably mounted on wooden shafts and
contained in a wooden quiver which has disappeared. I represent under
No. 435 the fifteen different types of these arrow-heads. Nothing could
give a better idea of the great antiquity of these tombs than these stone
arrow-heads, for the Iliad seems to know only arrow-heads of bronze.[331]
Probably there had also been bows deposited in the tomb; but, being of
wood, like the quivers and arrow-shafts, they would have decayed.
[Illustration: No. 435. Arrow-heads of Obsidian. Sepulchre IV. Size 7 :
8, about.]
There were further found here sixty boars'-teeth; of all which the
reverse side is cut perfectly flat, and has two borings, which must have
served to fasten them on another object, perhaps on horse-trappings. But
we see in the Iliad[332] that they were also used on helmets, either as a
protection or as an ornament.
[Sidenote: BOARS'-TEETH AS ORNAMENTS.]
I found there also a large quantity of flat quadrangular pieces cut
out of boars' teeth. They are from 1 to 2 inches long and from 1/2
in. to 3/4 in. broad; and they have two perforations, one at each
extremity, by which they were attached to other objects, most probably
to horse-trappings.[333] I also found a piece of bone, flat and
almost circular, with a round hole in the centre, and with six small
perforations; its use is unknown to us.
I also found there two large copper handles with unequivocal marks that
they had once been plated with gold, and thus it is probable that they
belong to a large silver vase.
Besides the five large copper vessels found (as I have already said) at
the southern end of the sepulchre, I found five more at the eastern
side, behind the heads of the bodies; further, ten on the west side, at
their feet, and twelve at the northern extremity, towards which the heads
of two of the bodies were turned. Thus, the sepulchre contained in all
thirty-two copper vessels, some of which, however, were too fragmentary
to be preserved. The chief types of these copper vessels are shown in the
following engravings.
No. 436 represents a large can, 1 ft. 8 in. deep, and 1 ft. 4 in. in
diameter; it has two handles, of which the one, which is upright, unites
the rim to the body, and the other, which is horizontal, is on the lower
part of the can. Both handles are fastened with large pins to the vessel.
Of this type seven specimens were found in this tomb.
[Illustration: No. 436.
A large Copper Vessel. Sepulchre IV. Size 1:8.]
No. 437 shows one more can of the very same form, but only its upper
part can be seen, because it sticks fast in another large copper vessel,
and seems to have been welded to it by the funeral fire. Of the form of
the lower vessel seven specimens were found; it has two handles standing
vertically, each of which is attached to the rim by four large pins.
[Sidenote: COPPER VESSELS.]
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