Grave Circle A, Mycenae

Grave Circle A is a 16th-century BC royal cemetery situated to the south of the Lion Gate [1]. This burial complex was initially constructed outside the walls of Mycenae and ultimately enclosed in the acropolis when the fortification was extended during the 13th century BC [1]. The site circle has a diameter of 27.5 m and contains six shaft graves [1]. Among the funerary gifts found were a series of gold death masks, full sets of weapons, ornate staffs, gold jewelry, as well as gold and silver cups [1]. The site was excavated by the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and Panagiotis Stamatakis in 1876–77, following the descriptions of Homer and Pausanias [1]. A total of nineteen bodies – eight men, nine women, and two children – were found in the shafts [1].