Griffin Warrior Tomb facts for kids
 Location in Greece
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| Alternative name | Bronze Age Warrior Tomb |
|---|---|
| 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 an ancient burial place from the Bronze Age. It was found near the city of Pylos in Greece. This tomb is about 3,400 years old, dating back to around 1450 BC.
Archaeologists Jack L. Davis and Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati discovered this tomb. They started digging it up in May 2015 and finished in October of the same year. Inside, they found a complete skeleton of an adult man. They also found over 1,400 amazing objects with him. These included weapons, jewelry, armor, and items made of silver and gold. Since then, more than 3,500 items have been found in the tomb. One very important find is a Minoan sealstone called the Pylos Combat Agate. They also found four gold rings with detailed pictures from ancient Minoan stories.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Pylos
Near the Griffin Warrior Tomb is the "Palace of Nestor". This palace is the best-preserved Bronze Age palace on the Greek mainland. In 1939, archaeologist Carl Blegen from the University of Cincinnati began digging here. He worked with Greek archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis. Their goal was to find the palace of the famous King Nestor, mentioned in Homer's Iliad.
Blegen chose a hilltop called Epano Englianos in Messenia. He thought this might be where the ancient ruins were. His team found remains of buildings, tombs, and the first examples of Greek writing called Linear B. Blegen's work continued until 1966.
Even after Blegen's work, some questions about the Mycenaean civilization remained. So, in 2015, the University of Cincinnati started new digs at the "Palace of Nestor". This was done with help from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker, who had worked in Greece for 25 years, continued Blegen's research.
Finding the Griffin Warrior Tomb
The Griffin Warrior Tomb was found in an olive grove. This grove is close to the ancient Palace of Nestor in the city of Pylos, southwest Greece. Davis and Stocker had planned to dig in a different area. But due to some local issues, they could only get permission to dig in this olive grove.
They picked a few spots in the olive grove to investigate. One spot had "three stones that appeared to form a corner." On May 28, 2015, two team members started digging there. They soon found a shaft, about two meters long and one meter wide. This looked like a grave.
At the bottom of the grave, researchers found a skeleton. It was surrounded by many different objects. The man's remains were in a wooden coffin. This coffin was placed inside a stone-lined chamber. Many items were found inside and on top of the coffin, and in the shaft itself. These items were likely gifts for the dead. They included jewelry, sealstones, carved ivory, combs, gold and silver cups, and bronze weapons.
Who Was the Griffin Warrior?
Scientists studied the skeleton from the tomb. They found that this important man was in his 30s when he died. He was about 5 feet tall. Combs found in the grave suggest he had long hair.
Experts Lynne Schepartz and Tobias Houlton created a computer image of his face. This image, based on his skull, shows a strong face with close-set eyes and a noticeable jaw.
Sharon Stocker said that they don't know the man's exact name. But they know he was very important and very rich. His bones showed he was strong. This, along with the weapons found, suggests he was a warrior. However, he might also have been a priest. Many of the objects found with him were used in ancient rituals.
More studies of his well-preserved teeth and bones will help researchers learn more. They hope to find out about his family background, what he ate, and how he died.
Amazing Tomb Treasures
The Griffin Warrior Tomb was filled with many incredible items. Here are some of the treasures found:
- A gold chain with special ivy designs.
- A sword about a meter long, with a handle covered in gold.
- A dagger with a gold handle.
- Many cups made of gold and silver.
- Beads made from stones like carnelian and amethyst, and also amber and gold.
- Four gold rings.
- Dozens of small, carved seals. These seals showed pictures of battles, goddesses, lions, and people jumping over bulls.
- An ivory plaque with a picture of a griffon in a rocky area.
- A bronze mirror with an ivory handle.
- Thin bronze bands, which are the remains of the warrior's armor.
- Boar tusks, which might have been part of his 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, jugs, and a basin. Some of these had gold or silver trim.
- Six decorated ivory combs.
See also
In Spanish: Tumba del guerrero del grifo para niños
