Griffin Warrior Tomb facts for kids
 Location in Greece
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| Alternative name | Bronze Age Warrior Tomb |
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| Location | Pylos |
| Region | Greece |
| Coordinates | 37°01′41.6″N 21°41′45.4″E / 37.028222°N 21.695944°E |
| History | |
| Periods | Aegean Bronze Age |
| Cultures | Minoan, Mycenaean |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | May 28, 2015 |
| Archaeologists | Jack Davis, Sharon Stocker |
| Website | www.griffinwarrior.org |
The Griffin Warrior Tomb is a Bronze Age shaft tomb dating to around 1450 BC, near the ancient city of Pylos in Greece. The grave was discovered by a research team sponsored by the University of Cincinnati and led by husband-and-wife archaeologists Jack L. Davis and Sharon Stocker. The tomb site was excavated from May to October 2015.
During the initial six month excavation, the research team uncovered an intact adult male skeleton and excavated 1400 objects including weapons, jewels, armour and silver and gold artifacts. Since 2015, the number of artifacts recovered from the grave has reached over 3500 items, including a historically significant Minoan sealstone called the Pylos Combat Agate and four signet gold rings with detailed images from Minoan mythology.
Background
The "most completely preserved of all Bronze Age palaces on the Greek mainland" is the so-called "Palace of Nestor", located near the city of Pylos. In 1939, archaeologist Carl Blegen, a professor of classical archaeology at the University of Cincinnati, with the cooperation of Greek archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis, led an excavation to locate the palace of the famous king of Homer's Iliad.
Blegen selected a hilltop site in Messenia, called Epano Englianos, as a possible location of the ancient ruins. The excavation uncovered the remains of a number of structures, tombs and the first examples of Greek writing in Linear B. The excavation continued from 1952 to 1966, with Blegen retiring in 1957.
With questions still to be answered about the Mycenaean civilization prior to the 13th century BC, the University of Cincinnati renewed excavations at the "Palace of Nestor" in 2015, with the support of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the permission of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Blegen's work at Pylos is continued by Davis and Stocker, who have both worked in this area of Greece for the past 25 years.
Initial excavation
The gravesite was discovered in an olive grove near the ancient Palace of Nestor, within the Bronze Age city of Pylos, in southwest Greece. The excavation leaders, Davis and Stocker, had originally planned to excavate downhill from the Palace. Due to local bureaucracy issues and an unforeseen strike, they were unable to get a permit for their desired site and were instead only given permission to dig in a neighboring olive grove.
A few spots in the olive grove were chosen for investigation, including "three stones that appeared to form a corner". On May 28, 2015, as two members of the research team started to dig, a two meter by one meter shaft revealed itself, suggesting a grave. Researchers discovered a skeleton at the bottom of the grave surrounded by various artifacts. The remains were found in a wooden coffin placed within a stone lined chamber. Items determined to be grave offerings were found inside and on top of the coffin and in the stone lined shaft. The finds consisted of jewelry, sealstones, carved ivories, combs, gold and silver goblets, and bronze weapons.
Identifying the Griffin Warrior
"Analyses of the skeleton show that this 30-something dignitary stood around 5ft. Combs found in the grave imply that he had long hair. A recent computerized facial reconstruction based on the warrior's skull, created by Lynne Schepartz and Tobias Houlton, physical anthropologists at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, shows a broad, determined face with close-set eyes and a prominent jaw."
"So far we have no idea of the identity of this man," said Stocker — other than he was someone very important and very rich. His bones showed he had been of a robust stature — which, along with martial objects found in the grave, suggested he was a warrior — although he could also have been a priest, as many of the objects found with him had ritual significance."
Further analysis of the skeleton will enable researchers to learn more about the identity of the male skeleton. Scientific examination of his well-preserved teeth and pelvic bones may help determine his genetic background, diet and cause of death.
Tomb artifacts
- A gold box-weave chain with "sacral ivy" finials.
- A meter-long sword with a gold-coated hilt.
- A gold-hilted dagger.
- Multiple gold and silver cups.
- Carnelian, amethyst, amber, and gold beads.
- Four gold rings.
- Dozens of small, carved seals with etched depictions of combat, goddesses, reeds, altars, lions, and men jumping over bulls.
- A plaque of ivory with a representation of a griffon in a rocky landscape.
- A bronze mirror with an ivory handle.
- Thin bands of bronze (remains of the warrior's armor).
- Boar tusks, possibly from the warrior's helmet.
- A knife with a large, square blade.
- Two squashed gold cups, and a silver cup with a gold rim.
- Six silver cups.
- Bronze cups, bowls, amphora, jugs, and a basin, some trimmed with gold, some with silver trim.
- Six decorated ivory combs.
See also
In Spanish: Tumba del guerrero del grifo para niños
