page_title: Gold grave goods at Grave Circles A and B
section_title: Differences between Grave Circles A and B
hierarchical_section_title: Gold grave goods at Grave Circles A and B / Differences between Grave Circles A and B
caption_attribution_description: English: Mycenae, grave circle B: Reconstructed mound and stela on grave Α (Alpha). Behind there is grave Ι (Iota) and to the right the enclosing wall of grave circle B. Deutsch: Mykene, Gräberrund B: Rekonstruierter Grabhügel und Grabstele auf Grab Α (Alpha). Dahinter befindet sich Grab Ι (Iota) und rechts sieht man die Umfassungsmauer von Gräberrund B.
context_page_description: There have been many discoveries of gold grave goods at Grave Circles A and B in the Bronze Age city of Mycenae. Gold has always been used to show status amongst the deceased when used in grave goods. While there's evidence that the practice of grave goods and monumentalizing graves to show status was used throughout Ancient Greece from the Bronze Age and passed through the Classical Period, the goods themselves changed over time. However, using gold as a material was a constant status marker. At the Grave Circles in Mycenae, there were several grave goods found that were made out of gold; masks, cups, swords, jewelry, and more. Because there were so many gold grave goods found at this site there's a legend of Golden Mycenae. Each family group would add ostentatious grave goods to compete with the other family groups for who is the wealthiest. There was more gold found at Grave Circle A and B than in all of Crete before the late Bronze Age.
context_section_description: The amount of luxury items found in both of the Mycenae Grave Circles was a true phenomenon. There are some scholars who believe that graves in the two Grave Circles represent two royal lines because the grave goods were of such high quality, but it has never been more than a speculation. Combined, the graves contained 5 generations over the years 1650-1500 BC, but Grave Circle B was started around 50 years before Grave Circle A. The majority found there were weapons and gold ornaments, and then the masks. Overall, the biggest difference between the gold grave goods is just that there are more found at Grave Circle A, but both of them show the amount of wealth that was abundant in Mycenae during the Bronze Age. The family groups that attributed to these graves made sure that those who died carried their status with them into death, and the use of gold was so ostentatious it brought even more attention to them.
caption: Grave circle B 3
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