Polar graphs

The great Mycenean tholos tombs

Excavations in the Treasury of Atreus
by Schliemann and his wife Sophia (1875).

From Henry Schliemann's book "Mycenae"
(London, 1878)

The great tholos tomb "Treasury of Atreus"

The tomb of Clytaemnestra

The tomb of Aegisthos

Tomb of the Lions

Tomb of the Lions - The lintel consists of three blocks

Tomb of the Lions - The upper part of the tholos has collapsed

The Treasury of Minyas

Measurements: 18 May and 1 September 2002

Plan of the Treasury of Minyas.

Dromos. The walls of the dromos have been completely destroyed and it is impossible to measure its length and width.

Entrance. The width of the entrance on the threshold is 2.71 m (1.5 cm less than that of the Treasury of Atreus). Schliemann gives 2.71 m too. The arc is 1 cm greater, or 168 d (6 MC). This is three times the width of the threshold (3 x 56 d = 168 d).

Tholos. The length of each stone is given in d as it was measured in cm on the ground. I did not measure the bottom of the second row because it is about the same as the first one. At the corners B, B' of the entrance it seems that the curve of the tholos for the first three rows becomes greater instead of smaller. Then it turns towards the tholos and becomes gradually smaller. The circumference on the ground is about 2705 d, so the diameter is 861 d. According to Schliemann, the diameter is 13.84 m from South to North and 14.05 m from SW  to NE. The average is 13.945 m (or 860 d). I made three measurements of the diameter and found 866 d (14.045 m).

Detail of the corner of the entrance and the tholos.

Each block is different in size and the lines are not exactly parallel. The dashed lines show the points where other measurements were made for the height of two or three rows.

The length of the first block at B is 128 d (1 rod) in the entrance (top), or 3 times the height of the block (3:1).

The ceiling of the Burial Chamber

Taken on May 18, 2002

The entrance of the Treasury of Minyas