THE FIFTH SEPULCHRE, AND THE FIRST AGAIN.

At length again a guard and watchfire on the Acropolis of MycenÆ—Exploration of the Fifth Tomb—Its sepulchral stÊlÆ—The tomb described; containing only one body—Golden diadem and other objects found in the tomb—Hand-made vases of terra-cotta; one with female breasts, like the prehistoric vases at Santorin and Troy—Wheel-made pottery—Excavation of the First Tomb completed—Its position and construction—Three bodies in it: the middle one has been disturbed and rifled of its ornaments—Large size of the bodies—Golden mask and state of the first—Wonderful preservation of the third—Its ponderous gold mask, face, and teeth—Description of the body—its remarkable compression—Golden breast-plate, and leaves of gold on the forehead, eyes, and breast—Excitement caused by the discovery—Measures taken to preserve and remove the body—Its shoulder-belt and bronze sword with crystal ornament, and disks of gold for the sheath: all special funeral ornaments, and not for ordinary use—Description of the golden breast-covers of this and the first body—Highly-decorated bronze swords and other objects found with the third body—Ornamented golden leaves, a wooden comb, and bronze swords, with the second body—A large heap of broken bronze swords, with knives and lances—Other weapons, chiefly in fragments—Amber and gold beads, and various objects of gold and silver—An alabaster vase—Wonderful plates of gold—The two massive golden masks of the first tomb—The skilled work argues a long-trained school of artists—Several large goblets of gold and silver—Objects in this sepulchre—A silver vase, with copper and gold plating—A drinking-cup of alabaster—Plates of gold, in form of double eagles, &c.—Fragments of silver vases; one with a gold mouth-piece and handle—A splendidly ornamented plate of gold, covering a cylinder of charred wood—Hundreds of gold button-plates, large and small, with various ornamentation—The new types shown—Gold plates, ribbons, and ornaments for greaves—Tubes and buttons of bone; their probable use—An ivory plate, and a curious object of glazed Egyptian porcelain—Hand-made and wheel-made pottery—Seven large copper vessels, caldrons and cans—A quadrangular wooden box, with most interesting reliefs.

MycenÆ, 6th December, 1876.

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For the first time since its capture by the Argives in 468 B.C., and so for the first time during 2,344 years, the Acropolis of MycenÆ has a garrison, whose watch-fires seen by night throughout the whole Plain of Argos carry back the mind to the watch kept for Agamemnon's return from Troy, and the signal which warned Clytemnestra and her paramour of his approach.[351] But this time the object of the occupation by soldiery is of a more peaceful character, for it is merely intended to inspire awe among the country-people, and to prevent them from making clandestine excavations in the tombs, or approaching them while we are working in them.

Already while engaged in the excavation of the large Fourth Tomb, the results of which I have described, I explored the Fifth and last Sepulchre, which is immediately to the north-west of it (see Plan B and the Ichnography, Plate VI.), and which had been marked by the large stÊlÉ with the bas-relief of frets or key-patterns resembling two serpents, and by an unsculptured tombstone, both of which were 11 ft. 8 in. below the surface of the mount, as it was when I began the excavation. At a depth of 10 ft. below the two sepulchral stÊlÆ, or of 21 ft. 8 in. below the former surface, I found two unsculptured stÊlÆ, evidently much older; and, only 3 ft. 4 in. below these, I found a tomb 11 ft. 6 in. long and 9 ft. 8 in. broad, which had been cut out in the calcareous rock to a depth of only 2 ft., so that its bottom is 27 ft. below the former surface of the mount. Unlike the other tombs, the four inner sides of this sepulchre were not lined with walls, but merely with large pieces of schist, which were placed in a slanting position against the low border of the tomb, and had not been joined with clay.

As usual, the bottom of the tomb was strewn with a layer of pebbles, on which I found the mortal remains of only one person, with the head turned towards the east, which, like all the other bodies, had been burned on the precise spot where it lay. This was proved by the calcined pebbles below and around the corpse, as well as by the undisturbed masses of ashes with which it was covered, and finally by the marks of the funeral fire on the walls of rock. Around the skull of the body, which was unfortunately too fragile to be saved, was a golden diadem, similar to those already represented, with an ornamentation in repoussÉ work, showing in the middle three shield-like circles, with flowers or a wheel in rotation; the remaining space being filled up with beautiful spirals.

On the right side of the body I found a lance-head with a ring on either side, like that already shown;[352] also, two small bronze swords and two long knives of the same metal. On its left was found the gold drinking-cup now represented (No. 453). It has only one handle, and its ornamentation in repoussÉ work exhibits four horizontal bands, joined two and two, and ornamented with slanting strokes which converge in the form of wedges, so that the ornamentation of every two bands conjointly resembles fish-spines; and in order to enhance still more the beauty of these bands, the wedges of each two bands point in opposite directions. The whole upper part is ornamented with a continuous row of pointed arches, the joined sides of which are adorned with nine horizontal strokes. The handle is fastened with four nails to the rim and the body of the goblet. With the swords were found small rags of beautifully-woven linen, which, doubtless, belonged to the sheaths of these weapons.

In the same tomb was found a fragmented light green vase, 6½ in. high, of Egyptian porcelain, ornamented with two rows of protruding bosses, three in each row; also fragments of a light red vase of terra-cotta, ornamented with black spiral lines, and with two female breasts surrounded by circles of black strokes. Professor Landerer, who has examined and analysed a fragment of the former vase, writes me that the porcelain is very calcareous, and would be called in mineralogy "Thonmergel-schiefer" (clay-marl-slate); that the borders, examined with a magnifying glass in the sun, exhibit a gold-like and silvery glaze, produced by a lead varnish with which the vase was covered and which was afterwards burned in.

With regard to this vase with the female breasts, similar vases were found on the islands of Thera (Santorin) and Therassia, in the ruins of the prehistoric cities which, as before stated, were covered by an eruption of that great central volcano which is believed by competent geologists to have sunk and disappeared about 1,700 to 1,800 B.C. They are also very frequent in the ruins of Troy, where, however, most of them have also a navel and an owl-face.[353]

There were further found in this tomb, besides a mass of fragments of hand-made pottery, fragments of beautiful wheel-made pottery, ornamented with plants turned into spirals; and other fragments, which present on a light yellow dead colour a magnificent ornamentation of dark red spirals.

The mud in the First Sepulchre, whose site had been marked by the three stÊlÆ with low reliefs, having dried up in the fine weather, I continued the excavation there, and struck at last the bottom of the tomb, which is cut out in the rock, 17½ ft. deep on the north side, and 17 ft. deep on the south-east side. But from these points the slope is so abrupt that, although the upper breadth of the sepulchre does not exceed 10 ft. 10 in., yet the greater part of its west side needed only to be cut 11 ft. deep into the rock to make a level bottom. This west side is close to the Cyclopean wall, with the parallel double row of large calcareous slabs, which forms the enclosure and benches of the Agora, and rises vertically over the sepulchre. (See Plans B and C.) For all these reasons it appeared to me, on first excavating this tomb, that the wall passed through its north-west angle. But, by propping up with planks and beams the earth and stones which cling to the wall and overhang the north-west corner of the tomb, I have now cleared the latter in its entire length, and visitors will perceive that the wall does not pass through the tomb but merely touches its brink in the north-west corner.

The length of the tomb is 21 ft. 6 in., its breadth at the bottom is 11 ft. 6 in., and thus 8 in. more than at the top. The four inner sides were lined with a Cyclopean wall, 3 ft. high and 2 ft. broad; and this had superposed on it a slanting wall of schist plates joined with clay, which reached to a height of 6½ ft., and projected on all sides a foot more than the Cyclopean wall, and thus in all 3 feet on the bottom of the tomb. The latter was covered with the usual layer of pebbles, which were, however, more irregularly strewn than in the other tombs, there being places without any pebbles; which circumstance made me at first believe that there was no layer of pebbles at all in this tomb. But on careful examination, I found such a layer, and below the bodies I found it just as regular as in any other tomb, which circumstance appears to give an additional proof that those layers of pebbles were merely intended to procure ventilation for the pyres.

The three bodies which the sepulchre contained lay at a distance of about 3 ft. from each other, and had been burnt in the very same place where I found them. This was evident from the marks of the fire on the pebbles and on the rock below and also around the bodies, and to the right and left of them on the walls, as well as from the undisturbed state of the ashes. Only with the body which lay in the midst the case was different. The ashes had evidently been disturbed; the clay with which the two other bodies and their ornaments were covered, and the layer of pebbles which covered the clay, had been removed from this body. As, besides, it was found almost without any gold ornaments, it is evident that it had been rifled. This opinion is also confirmed by the twelve golden buttons, the small golden plates, and the numerous small objects of bone, which had been found together with small quantities of black ashes at different depths below the three sculptured tombstones which adorned this sepulchre. It is further confirmed by the fragments of the usual Mycenean pottery of later times, which in this tomb were mixed up with the very ancient hand-made or wheel-made vases. Most likely some one sank a shaft to examine the tomb, struck the body in question, plundered it recklessly, and for fear of being detected, carried off his booty in such a hurry that he only thought of saving the large massive gold ornaments, such as the mask, the large breast-cover, the diadems and the bronze, swords, and, in remounting to the surface, dropped many of the smaller objects, such as the twelve golden buttons, etc., which I found at intervals in digging down. There can be no doubt that this larceny occurred before the capture of MycenÆ by the Argives (468 B.C.); for, if it had been committed while the later Greek city stood on the top of the prehistoric ruins, I should also have found fragments of Greek pottery in the tomb; but of these I saw no vestige.

The three bodies of this tomb lay with their heads to the east and their feet to the west; all three were of large proportions, and appeared to have been forcibly squeezed into the small space of only 5 ft. 6 in. which was left for them between the inner walls. The bones of the legs, which are almost uninjured, are unusually large. Although the head of the first man, from the south side, was covered with a massive golden mask, his skull crumbled away on being exposed to the air, and only a few bones could be saved besides those of the legs. The same was the case with the second body, which had been plundered in antiquity.

But of the third body, which lay at the north end of the tomb, the round face, with all its flesh, had been wonderfully preserved under its ponderous golden mask; there was no vestige of hair, but both eyes were perfectly visible, also the mouth, which, owing to the enormous weight that had pressed upon it, was wide open, and showed thirty-two beautiful teeth. From these, all the physicians who came to see the body were led to believe that the man must have died at the early age of thirty-five. The nose was entirely gone. The body having been too long for the space between the two inner walls of the tomb, the head had been pressed in such a way on the breast, that the upper part of the shoulders was nearly in a horizontal line with the vertex of the head. Notwithstanding the large golden breast-plate, so little had been preserved of the breast, that the inner side of the spine was visible in many places. In its squeezed and mutilated state, the body measured only 2 ft. 4½ in. from the top of the head to the beginning of the loins; the breadth of the shoulders did not exceed 1 ft. 1¼ in., and the breadth of the chest 1 ft. 3 in.; but the large thigh-bones could leave no doubt regarding the real proportions of the body. Such had been the pressure of the dÉbris and stones, that the body had been reduced to a thickness of 1 in. to 1½ in. The colour of the body resembled very much that of an Egyptian mummy. The forehead was ornamented with a plain round leaf of gold, and a still larger one was lying on the right eye; I further observed a large and a small gold leaf on the breast below the large golden breast-cover, and a large one just above the right thigh.

The news that the tolerably well preserved body of a man of the mythic heroic age had been found, covered with golden ornaments, spread like wildfire through the Argolid, and people came by thousands from Argos, Nauplia, and the villages to see the wonder. But, nobody being able to give advice how to preserve the body, I sent for a painter to get at least an oil-painting made, for I was afraid that the body would crumble to pieces. Thus I am enabled to give a faithful likeness of the body, as it looked after all the golden ornaments had been removed. But to my great joy, it held out for two days, when a druggist from Argos, Spiridon Nicolaou by name, rendered it hard and solid by pouring on it alcohol, in which he had dissolved gum-sandarac. As there appeared to be no pebbles below it it was thought that it would be possible to lift it on an iron plate; but this was a mistake, because it was soon discovered that there was the usual layer of pebbles below the body, and all of these having been more or less pressed into the soft rock by the enormous weight which had been lying for ages upon them, all attempts made to squeeze in the iron plate below the pebble-stones, so as to be able to lift them together with the body, utterly failed. There remained, therefore, no other alternative than to cut a small trench into the rock all round the body, and make thence a horizontal incision, so as to cut out a slab, two inches thick, to lift it with the pebble-stones and the body, to put it upon a strong plank, to make around the latter a strong box, and to send this to the village of Charvati, whence it will be forwarded to Athens as soon as the ArchÆological Society shall have got a suitable locality for the Mycenean antiquities. With the miserable instruments alone available here it was no easy task to detach the large slab horizontally from the rock, but it was still much more difficult to bring it in the wooden box from the deep sepulchre to the surface, and to transport it on men's shoulders for more than a mile to Charvati. But the capital interest which this body of the remote heroic age has for science, and the buoyant hope of preserving it, made all the labour appear light.[354]

The now nearly mummified body was decorated with a golden shoulder-belt (te?a??), 4 ft. long and 1¾ in. broad, which, for some cause or other, was not in its place, for it now lay across the loins of the body, and extended in a straight line far to the right of it. In its midst is suspended, and firmly attached, the fragment of a double-edged bronze sword (see No. 455), and to this latter was accidentally attached a beautifully-polished perforated object of rock crystal, in form of a jar (p????), with two silver handles. It is pierced in its entire length by a silver pin. This little object has unfortunately been detached in removing the treasure from Charvati to Athens, and thus I represent it separately (No. 456). Together with the shoulder-belt and the little crystal jar was found the small object of rock-crystal (No. 457), which has the shape of a funnel. In the extremity of the shoulder-belt, to the left of the spectator, are two perforations; at the other end there has probably been a clasp, because there are no perforations; on the fragment of the sword we see one of those small shield-like or button-like golden disks, with an ornamentation of repoussÉ work, which have decorated the sheaths of the swords in uninterrupted rows, their size being always determined by the breadth of the sheaths. The disk before us is divided by three concentric circles into three circular compartments, of which the outer and the central one represent a number of ornaments resembling horse-shoes. A glance at this shoulder-belt will convince every one that it is by far too thin and fragile to have been worn by living men. Besides, I feel certain that no living warrior has ever gone to battle with swords in sheaths of wood ornamented on either side with rows of gold plates, which are merely glued on the wood. Thus, we may consider it beyond all doubt that a great part of all the golden ornaments have been expressly prepared for funeral use. There was also found an alabaster stand for a vase.

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The massive golden breast-plate of this same body is perfectly plain, and it is therefore unnecessary to engrave it. It is 15? in. long and 9½ in. broad; it has no ornamentation, but two protruding breasts can be distinctly seen; they are not, however, in the middle, as they ought to be, but more to the right of the spectator. While speaking of breast-covers, I may as well give here the breast-cover of the body at the southern end of this first tomb (No. 458). It is 1 ft. 9 in. long and 1 ft. 2? in. broad. Here the two breasts are well represented by two protruding shield-like bosses, and the whole remaining space is richly ornamented with beautiful spirals in repoussÉ work.

The best preserved parts of the same body, at the southern end of the tomb, are two large bones and a small bone. On the latter, which is probably an arm-bone, is still attached a broad golden ribbon, with a splendid ornamentation of repoussÉ work (No. 459).

I return to the body at the northern extremity. To its right lay the two bronze swords represented under No. 460, and close to them all the other objects just as we see them in this engraving. The handle of the upper sword is of bronze, but thickly plated with gold, which is all over covered with a magnificent intaglio work of the most varied description. On the upper part of the handle, where the blade issues from it, is fastened a broad curved gold plate with splendid intaglio work, similar to that represented below (No. 462),[355] of which we only here recognise the exact use. No doubt this sword has had a wooden sheath, which must have been ornamented with the long gold plate, with a ring and much resembling the shape of a man, which we see to the right of it. This gold plate is similar to that represented under No. 369.[356] The sheath must have been further adorned with the golden button, with engraved concentric circles, which we see close to the blade. Much still richer has evidently been the ornamentation of the other bronze sword, for its wooden sheath must evidently have been adorned, in its entire length, on both sides, with a series of those large golden buttons with a magnificent intaglio work of spirals which we see below and on the right side of the sword. The sheath has evidently been also adorned with the tubular golden plate, ornamented with spirals in intaglio work, which we still see around the sword.

The handle of this sword must have been of wood, because it has entirely disappeared, and it must necessarily have been adorned with the two quadrangular golden plates which we see lying, still closely joined together, in the very place where the knob of the handle ought to have been; only on the small side, which is turned towards the spectator, the two plates are slightly disjoined. They are perfectly similar in size and shape to that shown a little later under No. 472;[357] both have exactly the same ornamentation in repoussÉ work of interwoven spirals; and, as on No. 472, we see in their long sides the marks of a number of small pins, which must have served to attach both plates to a piece of wood which stuck between them, and of which some traces remain. This piece of wood must have been very thin, for otherwise the two plates could not after its disappearance have fallen together so exactly as to appear still joined. Certainly they must have served as ornaments of the sword-handle, but how this was done is altogether inexplicable to me. I find it impossible to suppose that the sword-handle terminated in a thin piece of wood, so as to be fastened between the two plates; besides, this is contradicted by their raised borders. With the two plates was found a bead of amber, the presence of which here must be only accidental, for of course it can have nothing in common with the swords. To one of these swords was doubtless attached the golden tassel represented under No. 461, which I found near them. Probably all these weapons had been suspended on a belt of embroidered work which has disappeared.

At a distance of hardly more than one foot to the right of the body I found eleven bronze swords, of which nine had suffered more or less from moisture; but the other two were pretty well preserved. One of them has the enormous length of 3 ft. 2 in., the other of 2 ft. 10 in. With the swords I found the two golden plates represented under No. 462, both of which have belonged to sword-handles; that to the left having been on the upper part of the handle, to which it was attached with no less than twelve gold pins, of which five with large globular heads are still visible. This object is so thickly covered with ashes of the funeral fire that but little of its spiral ornamentation in intaglio can be discerned. The other golden plate has been used as the cover of the wooden sword-handle, and it is perfectly similar to those which we passed in review in describing the discoveries in the fourth tomb (see Nos. 430, 431).

I further found with the swords three tubes of gold plate, one 12½ in. long, another 10½ in. long, both containing remnants of wood, and the third 5? in. long. There were also 124 large round gold buttons, plain or with splendid intaglio work, two of which are two inches in diameter, and four of the size of five-franc pieces; the other 118 are smaller. Further, six large splendidly-ornamented golden buttons in the form of crosses, three of which are 3 in. long and 2¼ in. broad. All these buttons consist either of flat pieces of wood covered with gold plates, and in this case they have invariably been pasted or soldered as embellishments on sword-sheaths or other objects, or they are real wood buttons resembling our present shirt-studs and covered with gold plates, and in this case they must have been used on clothes. The magnificently engraved ornamentation of both these kinds of buttons can leave no doubt as to the importance attached to them. I may add that in this tomb not only all the cruciform gold buttons, but also all the very large round gold buttons, have on their lower side a flat piece of wood.

With the body which lay in the middle of the tomb were found some round leaves of gold with an impressed ornamentation, and the remnants of a wooden comb. With the body at the south end of the sepulchre I found fifteen bronze swords, ten of which lay at his feet. Eight of them are of very large size, and tolerably well preserved.

A large heap of more or less broken bronze swords, which may have represented more than sixty entire ones, was found on the west side, between the last-mentioned body and the middle one; also a few bronze knives and lances. Very remarkable is the battle-axe, No. 463, for I have never yet found this shape here, but I very frequently found it in Troy, and fourteen of them were contained in the Trojan treasure.[358] Compared with our present axes, this Mycenean and the Trojan battle-axes have no hole in which the wooden handle could be fixed, and thus they had evidently been fastened in or on the handle instead of the handle being fastened in them. Some of the swords show traces of having been gilded; several of them have golden pins at the handle. The other weapons shown under Nos. 464, 465, and 466, are short swords. At the lower end of No. 465 are remnants of gold-plating.

I also found, with the body at the south end of the tomb, the large handle with a fragment of a bronze sword represented under No. 467. This handle is covered with thick gold plate richly ornamented with intaglio work, which can be well distinguished, though the handle is very dirty from the smoke and ashes of the funeral pyre. The ornamentation is exactly the same on both sides. In the hollow of the handle is still preserved part of the wood with which it was once filled.

I also found with the body at the southern end a large quantity of amber beads and five small plain cylinders of gold plate (in one of which still sticks a piece of wood), which have evidently covered a stick, perhaps a sceptre; further seven large sword-handle knobs of alabaster and one of wood, all ornamented with gold nails; a small piece of gold in the form of a bar of a watch-chain (see No. 468), which cannot but have served as a sort of clasp to a shoulder-belt (te?a??); thirty-seven round gold leaves of various sizes, twenty-one fragments of gold leaves, two fragmentary silver vases, a pair of silver tongs or tweezers (see No. 469), and a large vase of alabaster, with a mouthpiece of bronze, plated with gold. The perforations on three sides in the upper part of the body can leave no doubt that this vase has had three handles, and the large round hole with four small perforations in front show that it has had a pipe. In this vase I found thirty-two small and three large round gold buttons with rich intaglio patterns, as well as two gold buttons in the shape of crosses, each with two very small golden handles; further a large gold button of conical shape, and a wedge-shaped golden tube.

The following engravings represent three more of those wonderful gold plates, two of which we have already passed in review in explaining the objects engraved under No. 460. There were found twelve of them in all, to the right and left of the body at the northern extremity of the tomb. No. 470 represents a lion chasing a stag; the four feet of the former are in a horizontal line to show the great speed with which he is running; he has just overtaken the stag, which sinks down before him, and his jaws are wide open to devour it. The head of the lion, as well as the mane, are pretty well represented. On the other hand, the representation of the stag, which has no horns, is clumsy and indistinct; beyond it we see an animal with spines and a long fishtail, probably a sea monster. Above the lion are represented two long palm-fronds, and below it the crowns of two palm-trees and a palm-frond.

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No. 471 represents nearly the same subject: we see again a lion running at full speed and catching a stag, which is represented with the body turned towards his pursuer and with his head in the opposite direction; he stands on his hind-legs, into which the lion, with open jaws, is just biting. The fore-feet of the stag are uplifted, and his lower feet protrude at a right angle from the knee. Just before the uplifted loins of the stag we see the wide-open jaws of a large cow-head with two long horns of the crescent form and two enormous eyes, to which I call particular attention. Between the two large horns we see two smaller ones, the space between which is filled with small objects in the form of figs; similar objects are seen between the small and the large horns. Though the artist has given us a front view of the cow-head, yet he represents its jaws in profile. To the right of the cow-head we see five long palm-fronds, below which, in the corner to the right of the spectator, is an object which I cannot recognise; it resembles a bird's foot.

The whole scene certainly appears to be symbolic.

I think there can be no reasonable doubt that the cow-head represents Hera BoÖpis,[359] the patron deity of MycenÆ, and that when, in later times, this goddess received a female head, her enormous cow's eyes alone survived of her former cow-shape; because her sole characteristic epithet ??p??, consecrated as it was by the use of ages, was thenceforward indiscriminately used for both goddesses and mortal women to designate large eyes. Thus, for example, Clymene, one of Helen's female servants, is called by Homer ox-eyed[360] (??p??). Hera's representation here, with a double pair of horns and the fruits between the four horns, can, I think, have no other purpose than to glorify her. I further believe that the lion represents the house of the Pelopids, and perhaps Agamemnon himself, and that the stag represents a sacrifice offered by the lion (the house of the Pelopids or Agamemnon himself) to the patron deity of the town, and the open jaws of the cow-head may have the meaning that she benignantly receives the sacrifice.

The remaining plate (No. 472) represents the same spiral ornamentation which we have so frequently passed in review.

To the reverse side of these wonderful golden plates there sticks a good deal of a blackish matter, perhaps a sort of cement, which must have served to attach them to flat pieces of wood, on each side of which must have been one plate. This opinion seems also to be confirmed by the marks of nails which we see in the rims of the plates, for the nails can, of course, only have been used to fasten them to a softer substance.

No. 473 represents the massive golden mask of the same body at the north end of the first tomb;[361] unfortunately, the lower part of the forehead has been so much pressed upon the eyes and the nose, that the face is disfigured, and the features cannot be well distinguished. Highly characteristic is the large round head, the enormous forehead, and the small mouth with the thin lips.

In a perfect state of preservation, on the other hand, is the massive golden mask of the body at the south end of the tomb (No. 474).[362] Its features are altogether Hellenic and I call particular attention to the long thin nose, running in a direct line with the forehead, which is but small. The eyes, which are shut, are large, and well represented by the eyelids; very characteristic is also the large mouth with its well-proportioned lips. The beard also is well represented, and particularly the moustaches, whose extremities are turned upwards to a point, in the form of crescents.[363] This circumstance seems to leave no doubt that the ancient Myceneans used oil or a sort of pomatum in dressing their hair. Both masks are of repoussÉ work, and certainly nobody will for a moment doubt that they were intended to represent the portraits of the deceased, whose faces they have covered for ages.

The question now naturally arises:—have they been made in the lifetime, or after the death, of the persons? Probably after their death: but then we wonder again how the masks can have been made so quickly; because here, as in all hot climates, the dead are buried within twenty-four hours after their decease; and this must have been the custom here at all times. If Homer leaves the bodies of Patroclus and Hector for ten or twelve days unburied, it was owing to peculiar circumstances; and if they remained well preserved, it was that Thetis dropped ambrosia into the veins of the former, and Apollo into those of the latter. However that may have been with the bodies before us, we are amazed at the skill of the ancient Mycenean goldsmiths, who could model the portraits of men in massive gold plate, and consequently could do as much as any modern goldsmith would be able to perform.

But this skill of the early Mycenean goldsmiths shows a great practice in similar work, and it can leave no doubt that they were preceded by a school of artists which had flourished for ages before such work could be produced.

There was further found to the right of the body at the north end of the sepulchre the very large gold drinking-cup, with one handle, represented under No. 475. It is 6 in. in diameter, and as much in height; it has a beautiful ornamentation in repoussÉ work, divided by a rope-like horizontal band into two compartments. The upper one represents a row of arches, founded as it were on high pilasters of square cut stones, and much resembling a Roman aqueduct; the lower compartment contains a wedge-like ornamentation.

In the same tomb I found another very large golden cup, which likewise has only one large broad handle (No. 476). It is 5? in. in diameter, and is likewise divided by a horizontal band into two compartments, both of which are decorated in repoussÉ work with two parallel horizontal rows of beautiful spirals. In these occur a large number of that curious cross, which is so frequently met with in the ruins of Troy, and which is thought to be the symbol of the holy fire, the Arani of the Brahmans.[364]

Another large and splendid thick gold goblet found here is represented under No. 477. It is ornamented in repoussÉ work with three lions, which are represented as running with great velocity. This goblet represents again the type of all the terra-cotta goblets at MycenÆ, with but one exception. (See Nos. 83, 84, 88.) The handles of all these golden goblets are fastened to the rim and body of the vessels by gold pins with large flat heads.

There were further found two golden goblets, one of which is likewise of thick gold plate, but it is nevertheless much crumpled; it has a beautiful massive handle, of a shape which we have repeatedly passed in review in the fourth tomb. The other gold goblet has an ornamentation in repoussÉ work of two double parallel rope-like bands; the upper compartment representing a horizontal zigzag line, united by vertical bands of horizontal strokes to the upper double rope-like band. The ornamentation has a remarkable resemblance to the form of the ogive-like passages in MycenÆ and Tiryns. In this latter goblet sticks a very thin and much crumpled smaller golden drinking-cup.

There were also found four silver goblets; one of them has a handle, but no ornamentation; the second is ornamented in repoussÉ work with bands of double lines, which terminate at the top in bows. The other two goblets are very large, but broken and defaced; the one, whose sole ornamentation is a raised horizontal band, is still filled with ashes of the funeral pyre. The second of these is ornamented with a number of furrow-like horizontal bands, and in it sticks a smaller silver cup. To the bottom of this goblet is still attached one of the pebbles with which the bottom of the tomb is strewn.

There was also found in this first sepulchre, close to the body in question, a large silver vase, 2 ft. 6 in. deep and 1 ft. 8 in. in diameter in the body; but, unfortunately, it had been in contact with a saline substance, which had converted the silver into chloride, in consequence of which the vase is broken into many pieces. No. 478 represents the upper and the lower part of it, put together. Its whole body was ornamented with a repoussÉ work of interwoven spirals; the lower part with horizontal parallel flutings; but it must be distinctly understood that we see in the engraving only the inner side of the lower part. The mouth, as well as the band marked with strokes on the upper part of the body, are plated with copper, and the copper had been plated with gold. The bottom is entirely of copper, probably in order to give more solidity to the vessel; very likely the rim of this copper bottom had also been plated with gold. Of this vase, therefore, it may be said that the early artist endeavoured to the utmost to combine solidity with splendour.

There was also found the large drinking-cup of alabaster represented under No. 479; it is 10¼ in. high, and its form is not unlike our present glasses.

There were further found five plates of gold in the form of double eagles, of which I represent two under No. 480; all of them are of repoussÉ work, and have exactly the same size and shape. The figures of the eagles are true to nature, except for a spiral line which protrudes from their neck; just below this spiral we see a long serpent across the bodies of the two eagles: both the serpent and the spiral may have a symbolic meaning. The eagles are leaning against each other with their whole body, and even with their claws, but are turning their heads in opposite directions; above the heads we see a long tube, which can only have served to draw the ornaments on a string for a necklace.

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There were also found five large shield-like disks, and a small one, of thin gold plate, with an ornamentation in repoussÉ work, representing in the centre a star, and around it, within a border of two double circles of points, an ornamentation of spirals (see No. 481). Further, two whorl-shaped, hollow objects of gold, which fit together, but whose use is unknown to us. Perfectly similar objects have been represented under Nos. 425 and 426.[365] Further, a fragmentary silver vase, with the beautiful golden mouthpiece (No. 482) and the golden handle (No. 483); both having an ornamentation of repoussÉ work. In the mouthpiece we see the six perforations by which it was fastened with pins to the neck of the silver vase, of which we see a fragment still attached to the handle. There were further found two fragmentary plain silver vases, of one of which the lower half is preserved: also a fragmentary silver vase, with a copper bottom and mouthpiece, which latter may have probably been plated with gold. Also, a large fragmentary silver vase, with a repoussÉ work of spirals; and two large disks of copper, plated with silver, which probably belong to silver vases.

From the same tomb came the small cylinder of gold plate (No. 484), which is profusely covered with intaglio work, and still contains a piece of charred wood, to which the cylinder was attached below with three gold pins; one of these can still be seen to the right of the spectator. If we look from the top of the cylinder downward, we see that its upper part is divided by horizontal bands of three or four lines into four compartments, of which the upper one has an ornamentation of small concentric circles[366] the second of vertical strokes, the third again of concentric circles, and the fourth of vertical strokes; on both sides of this fourth compartment were golden pins, of which the one to the right is still in its place. The space below is divided by vertical bands into three compartments, of which those to the right and left are filled with an ornamentation of spirals, and the middle one with a tree-like band, from the top of which project, to the right and left, branch-like spirals forming circles, in which we again see small spirals: the remaining space is filled up with spirals and closely joined wedge-like ornaments. Thus we see on this cylinder not the tenth part of an inch unornamented.

Inclusive of the gold buttons already mentioned, there were found in this first tomb in all 340 such buttons, from most of which the wooden mould has disappeared, so that only the gold plates remain. Of these, eighty-four are plain and without any ornamentation; namely, thirty-five very large ones, being 2 in. in diameter, thirty-six of a less size, measuring 1½ in. in diameter, and thirteen small ones, measuring 1 inch or less. The remaining 256 gold buttons are ornamented with intaglio work. The total number consists of thirteen very large ones of 2 in. in diameter, thirty-nine of about 1½ in. and 194 of 1 in. or less, and eight large and two smaller ones, in form of crosses; making in all ten cross-shaped buttons, all of which have retained their wooden moulds. As before-mentioned, two of the cross-like buttons have each two small gold handles. Not to fatigue the reader, I give no engravings of the plain buttons, and even of the richly ornamented ones I represent in the accompanying plates only those whose ornamentation shows a variance from that of the types of the buttons of the Fourth Tomb. The reader may therefore take it for granted that, of the large buttons of this First Tomb, those represented under Nos. 485-491 are the only ones whose ornamentation exhibits new types.

On No. 485, we see around three concentric circles, and within a border of two circles, a star-like ornament with curved sides and obtuse points, each of the latter containing a small circle, the space between each curve and the border being filled up by a crescent and a small circle. In 486 we see six concentric circles around a magnificent central ornamentation of spirals of a new form; in the border an uninterrupted row of a sign which resembles the letter koppa.

In No. 487, we see in the centre two spirals standing opposite each other, and surrounded by five concentric circles, then by an ornamentation of four signs in the form of a cornucopia, and by four circles, which form the border. In the following button (No. 488) we see in the middle a figure approaching the oval form, within which are spirals impossible to describe, the remaining space being filled up by a small border and a large number of curved lines and two signs resembling hand-saws, with handles of a spiral form. In No. 490, we see around the central circle two borders, of which the outer one is filled with a circular row of double circles, the inner one with a circular row of signs resembling a sling with a stone in it. The ornamentation of No. 491 is very beautiful, but I find it impossible to describe. As to the gold buttons of the second size, the only new pattern I found is No. 489; it represents in the centre a beautiful spiral in the shape of a coiled-up serpent, whose head is distinctly visible; around it are three concentric circles, and a border filled up with an ornamentation resembling a row of figs.

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Of the small buttons, I represent the new types under Nos. 492-499 and 501-512. I have added a couple of those whose patterns the reader has seen before, because of superior beauty. In No. 492 we see, within a small border of two circles, a flower-like ornament, with three inner and three outer circles; in No. 493, within a border with round or square signs, a spiral in the form of a serpent; in No. 494, two concentric denticulated circles; in No. 495, a spiral ornament, which very frequently occurs both here and at Troy; in No. 496, we see two concentric circles of small triangles; in No. 497, we again see a flower. No. 498 is a massive gold button, and represents a beautiful flower; it is perforated, and it may be that it never served as a button, but as a lid of a small golden can or bottle. In No. 499, we recognise the shape of a beautiful flower with two denticulated circles; No. 501 represents the very same ornament as No. 495; No. 502 and No. 503 represent flowers. The ornamentation of No. 504 is difficult to describe; if we turn the figure to the right it resembles the bust of a man; in No. 505, we see two spirals of a new shape; in No. 506 again a flower. No. 507 exhibits a treble ?, with the arms converted into spirals, each of them terminating in a round point, which is joined by a stroke to the usual points, the marks of the four nails. No. 508 has no other ornament than four concentric circles; in No. 509, we see only a single ?, with curved arms and the marks of the four nails; No. 510 exhibits an ornamentation resembling three knives with handles in the form of spirals; No. 511 is identical with No. 501; and finally No. 512 shows us a figure similar to that of No. 507, with the sole difference that it is here but single and there treble.

Of the ten large cross-like buttons I give the engraving, under No. 500, of the only new pattern. As with the cross-like buttons of the fourth tomb, the wooden moulds, beneath the gold plates of the ten buttons have exactly the same intaglio ornamentation which we see on the latter, and there can consequently be no doubt that the intaglio work was made when the gold plate was already fastened on the wooden buttons, and that the engraving made on the former was reproduced on the latter by the pressure of the artist's hand. The ornamentation of the cross-like button, No. 500, is as follows: it has at each acute angle of the lozenge three and at each obtuse angle two globular projections ornamented with concentric circles, and in the interior lozenge two spirals in the form of omegas standing opposite each other; the four angles being filled up by small circles.

Of the other cross-like buttons, not sufficiently different to require engraving, we have the following patterns. One has at each angle three globular projections, but the ornamentation consists solely of circles, which stand together, forming flowers. On another large button there are only two globular projections at each corner, and the lozenge has a broad border filled with an uninterrupted row of small circles; in the centre we see a double circle filled with spirals, of the form we have so frequently passed in review; the remaining space in each acute angle being filled up with an omega-like spiral and three small figures similar to those in No. 501. Identical with this is the ornamentation of another cross-like button, with the sole difference that its border is wider and that, instead of the sign in No. 500, it has only one small circle in each acute angle of the interior lozenge. I have no observations to make on the other cross-buttons, for their patterns are perfectly similar to those already represented.

In the same sepulchre I found the broad golden ribbons represented under Nos. 513-518, with a magnificent ornamentation in repoussÉ work.

There was also found a round gold plate, having in its centre a star, surrounded by three concentric circles, a circular row of small spiral ornaments, and a border of three circles. Also another double gold plate, which has probably formed a cylinder.

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Of objects of gold there were further found in this tomb two ornaments for greaves (????de?), of which I represent one under No. 519. It consists of an upper golden band, terminating in a ring which must have served to attach it to a button, and a lower golden band, broad in the middle and gradually diminishing in breadth towards the two extremities, which has served to fasten the greave round the thigh. There is no ornamentation on the upper band, where we see only a thicker tube-like gold plate, which, being soldered to the rim of the ring, becomes gradually smaller, and is fastened with small pins to the lower end of the upper band, which it is intended to make more solid. The lower horizontal band is decorated with repoussÉ work, showing in the middle three ornaments, composed of treble concentric circles of protruding points, and at each end a branch with leaves.

I have further to mention among the objects found in this tomb the three tubes of bone, Nos. 520, 521, and 522, and the two bone buttons, Nos. 523 and 524, the latter still having a fragment of the bone-stick, which must have served as a syringe-handle in the three tubes, which have undoubtedly been fastened together. We therefore have here in all probability an ancient Mycenean clyster-pipe.

The object, No. 525, is a thick flat piece of ivory, and may have served as handle to an ornamental dagger. The upper rounded end is slightly concave, and we see engraved on it a double concentric circle with that beautiful type of spiral ornamentation which so often occurs here. Below it are four treble concentric circles and a band of three horizontal lines.

The object, No. 526, in the form of a horse-shoe, is, according to Professor Landerer, of Egyptian porcelain, which has been rubbed with a lead-glazing before being put into the oven; by this process it has got a glancing greenish colour. On the reverse side it is hollow, and must therefore have been fastened on something else. All the objects now described have evidently been much exposed to the funeral fire.

This tomb contained a vast quantity of fragments both of beautiful hand-made and wheel-made pottery. Among the former, particular attention is claimed by the goblets of the usual Mycenean type, but of a light greenish colour with black spiral ornaments; also, the much larger black goblets with a large hollow foot and deep horizontal furrows in the middle; further, the splendidly-fashioned small monochromatic lustrous red or black vases, whose fabrication is far superior to any painted wheel-made vases to be found here; further, the light green vases with black spirals, likewise hand-made; these vases are rather rudely made, and their painted ornamentation is still ruder. I found fragments of the last-named vases in all the tombs, and also among the stones of the Cyclopean walls on Mount Euboea. Of the painted wheel-made vases the most interesting are those with a dark red ornamentation on a light red or yellow dead ground, of which I represent a specimen under No. 527.

Of large copper vessels I found in this tomb only seven, all of which stood on the west side; one of them, a ???? ??et??????, or kettle for heating water for the bath, like the one already represented (No. 438, p. 275.) It has three vertical handles, and measures 22 in. in diameter. There is another smaller one of the same form and also with three vertical handles, and three of the same shape with only two handles; also two enormous cans with two handles, of which the one joins the rim to the body, while the other is fastened below. As perfectly similar cans, found in the fourth tomb, have been already represented, I abstain from giving any more engravings of them. (See Nos. 436, 437, pp. 274, 275.)

I may further mention the copper bottom of a vessel; and, among other objects, a marble disk which may have served as the bottom to a vase of alabaster, and a large whetstone of very fine sandstone; also 16 flat quadrangular pieces of bone, having at each end two perforations; they are 1¹⁰/12 in. long and ⁷/12 in. broad, and must have served somehow as ornaments, probably on horse-trappings. Especially characteristic of this tomb was the large quantity of wood it contained. Besides a number of half-burnt pieces of wood of the funeral fires, I found there a piece of cypress-wood, 9 in. long and 4¹/2; in. broad, which had not been touched by the fire, though apparently it had been on the pyre. There was also collected in this tomb a very large quantity of cloven wooden instruments or handles, and three lids of wooden boxes, as well as remnants of sword-sheaths or domestic utensils.

Perhaps still more important and interesting than all the jewels found in this tomb was a small quadrangular wooden box (??????), of which I picked up two sides, on each of which are carved in relief a lion and a dog. Small as these sculptures are, they are nevertheless of capital interest to science, because they prove to us that the art of carving in wood flourished in the mythic heroic age.

When first taken out of the grave all this wood was moist and soft like a sponge, but it is now dry, and I hope that with proper care it can be preserved. There were also found many larger and smaller pieces of cork, several of them with a curved border, from which I conclude that all must have belonged to shields; otherwise their use is quite inexplicable. Food seems also to have been deposited with the three bodies of this tomb, for I gathered in it a large quantity of oyster-shells, and among them several unopened oysters. A very large number of boars' teeth were also found.

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