At Knossos, Crete, the first palace was built around 1900 BCE on a previously settled site. This complex was destroyed, possibly by an earthquake, about 1700 BCE. The rebuilt, more elaborate complex is associated with the mythical labyrinth. Despite being damaged several times, it stood until destroyed by volcanic eruption in 1450 BCE. Following the Mycenaean invasion, the site became the Mycenaean capital of Crete until 1375 BCE.
At its largest, the complex occupied about 20,000 square meters and had dozens of multistoried buildings; the upper-story chambers were reached by elaborate staircases. During Minoan times, the palace was the center of the island’s administration and the site of ritual activities. Especially notable was the Throne Room. The complex featured numerous storage areas and workshops, and the walls held elaborate murals, often frescoes. The Bull panel from the east wing and the Dolphins from the queen’s megaron are among the most notable wall paintings. Other significant features were a large central courtyard and a theater.
The Mycenaean citadel above the Argolid plain in northeastern Peloponnese, Greece, is that civilization’s most significant center; its territory included Aegean islands and parts of Asia Minor as well as mainland Greece. Its mythical founder was Perseus. Construction and occupation were likely most significant from the seventeenth to the fifteenth centuries BCE, but the so-called Tomb of Atheus dates to about 1350–1250 BCE. The hilltop site shows a series of circular high walls protecting the palace.
The main access to the citadel is through the limestone Lions’ Gate. A monumental, triangular sculpture sits atop a wide one-piece lintel; the lions’ heads, which were probably metal, have disappeared. The large Cult Center area included five building complexes. On the citadel’s top is the palace, with numerous rooms around a central court, near the Megaron, which had four columns. The walls were once decorated with frescoes. Elaborate site engineering includes a highly developed cistern system to bring water from a natural spring.
In addition to several burial areas, called Grave Circles, are elaborate tombs associated with individuals. These are the so-called Tomb of Clytemnestra and the Tholos-style Tomb of Aegisthus. Burials at the site revealed the civilization’s significant achievements in material culture, including jewelry, often of precious metals and stones; ceramics; and weapons.
https://ancient-greece.org/archaeology/knossos.html
https://ancient-greece.org/archaeology/mycenae.html
https://www.ancient.eu/mycenae/
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