Mycenae

Mycenae, the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, is the most significant palatial centre of the late bronze age in Greece. It is located in the Peloponnese between Corinth and Argos, on a naturally defensible hill with plentiful supply of fresh water, dominating the Argive plain and controlling both the land and sea routes. Mycenae has been inhabited since the seventh millennium BC (Neolithic period). Very little remains of this early settlement because of continuous re-occupation up until the historical period. Most of the monuments visible today were erected in the Late Bronze Age, between 1350 and 1200 BC, when the site was at its peak. After the 12th century BC Mycenae went into decline. It was rediscovered in the 19th century, when archaeological excavation activities started. In 1876, after opening several small test trenches in 1874, Heinrich Schliemann began excavating Grave Circle A, where he uncovered five graves. The site of Mycenae is a UNESCO World Heritage site.