Mark's Pages

"A total of nineteen bodies – eight men, nine women and two children — were found in the shafts, which contained two to five bodies each (with the exception of Grave II, which was a single burial). Among the findings, boars' tusks were found in Grave IV, as well as five golden masks in Graves IV and V. One of them, the supposed Mask of Agamemnon, was found in Grave V. Additionally, gold and silver cups, including Nestor's Cup and the Silver Siege Rhyton, were found by the side of the deceased. A number of gold rings, buttons and bracelets were also found. Most of the graves were equipped with full sets of weapons, especially swords,[18] and the figural depictions of the objects show fighting and hunting scenes. The gender of those entombed here were distinguished based on the grave goods that they were buried with. Men were found with weapons while women received jewelry.

"Many objects were also designed to signify the social rank of the deceased, for instance, decorated daggers, which were objets d'art and cannot be considered real weapons. Ornate staffs as well as a scepter from Grave IV clearly indicate a very significant status of the deceased. Items such as bulls' heads with a double axe display clear Minoan influences. At the time that the Grave Circle was built, the Mycenaeans had not yet conquered Minoan Crete. Although it seems that they recognized the Minoans as the providers of the finest in design and craftsmanship, most of the objects decorated in Minoan style and buried in Grave Circle A are not of Minoan but of indigenous craftsmanship. On the other hand, certain motifs such as fighting and hunting scenes are clearly of Mycenaean style. The combination of luxury goods found at this site was interesting in how it represented many different societies of the time. This was an example of "international style" meaning countries would use the basic technology of one society and modify it to fit the common imagery of their society."

— "Grave Circle A, Mycenae", Wikipedia