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)
Much more interesting than all the other buildings in the suburb are the
"Treasuries," which, owing to their great resemblance to ovens, are now
called φοῦρνοι by the country people. One of them is just without
the line of the town wall, on the slope of the hill near the Gate of the
Lions. The doorway is visible, but it is nearly buried; the entrance is
roofed with three large thick slabs; and the length of the passage is 18
feet, its width 7 ft. 9 in. Only a small part of the lower circular wall
of the dome-shaped building can now be seen, the upper part having fallen
in, probably ages ago.[134]
Descending the slope in a south-westerly direction, we come to a smaller
Treasury, the entrance passage of which is 15½ feet long, and likewise
roofed with three large slabs. The width of the door is 7½ feet; part
of the lower circular wall of the dome-like building is here also above
ground, and shows at the height of the top of the entrance a diameter of
25 feet; so that the diameter on the ground floor may be 32 feet. Turning
thence to the south, and ascending the slope, we come, near the crest
of the ridge, to a third Treasury, of which only the entrance passage
remains. This is 20 feet long, and only 5 ft. 3 in. broad; and is roofed
by five large slabs.
The whole site of the vast suburb being on slopes, and having been but
scantily inhabited, on account of its vast extent, the accumulation
of _débris_ is everywhere small, and seldom exceeds a foot and a half
in depth. A much greater accumulation is found only on the terraces
immediately to the west and north-west of the Lions' Gate.
Though the site of the enclosed city is also on slopes, yet, as it is
but small and must at all times have been more densely inhabited, the
accumulation of _débris_ is in general more considerable there, and
particularly on the western and south-western side of the Acropolis.
But at points more distant from the Acropolis, and particularly on the
steeper slopes whence the remains of houses have been washed away by
the rains, the accumulation does not exceed the quantity general in
the suburb. It deserves particular attention that, except close to the
western circuit-wall of the citadel, the site of the enclosed city shows
far less of Cyclopean substructions or remnants of house-walls than the
suburb; but immediately beyond the Cyclopean bridge on the opposite bank
of the ravine are the ruins of two vast buildings which may have been
forts and may have served for the defence of the bridge. I may here
mention that traces of the ancient Cyclopean highway from Mycenæ to
Tiryns are still visible for some distance beyond the bridge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account