Skip to main content

Maps, Plans and Drawings, 1920-1969

 Series
Reference Code: GBR/3437/MCNE/2

Scope and Contents

From the Fonds:

The Mycenae Excavation and Publication archive comprises records created in connection with the British School at Athens (BSA) and British-Helleno excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site of Mycenae, Greece.

Dig and study seasons took place in the following years:
1920-1923 – BSA excavations directed by A. J. B. Wace
1939 – BSA excavations directed by A. J. B. Wace
1950 – 1955 BSA excavations directed by A. J. B. Wace
1956-1957 – Study seasons at Nauplion Museum
1959 - 1960 British-Helleno excavations directed by Lord William D. Taylour
1962 - British-Helleno excavations directed by Lord William D. Taylour
1964 - British-Helleno excavations directed by Lord William D. Taylour
1965 – Study season at Nauplion Museum
1966 - British-Helleno excavations directed by Lord William D. Taylour
1967 – Study season at Nauplion Museum
1968 – 1969 British-Helleno excavations directed by Lord William D. Taylour
1970-88 - Study seasons at Nauplion directed by Dr E. B. French

Areas excavated or re-excavated on the acropolis include the Lion Gate and Granary, Grave Circle A, the Ramp House, Hellenistic Chambers, Citadel House area, Tsountas House, the Palace, the Archaic Temple, the House of Columns, the Postern Gate and Gallery. Beyond the citadel, in the ancient town below, the 'Ivory Houses' - House of Sphinxes (South House), House of Shields (North House), House of the Oil Merchant - Schliemann's dump, Perseia area, Fountain House (Hellenistic Gymnasium), Cyclopean Terrace Building (House of the Wine Merchant) were dug. In addition to the Prehistoric Cemetery (which begins in Grave Circle A and extends north-west beyond the citadel walls), the other main areas of funerary archaeology were the chamber tombs and the tholos tombs: Aegisthus, Clytemnestra, Epano Phournos, Kato Phournos, Cyclopean, Panagia, Lion and Treasury of Atreus. Further afield, Atreus Ridge (House of Lead), the Agamemnoneion and Argive Heraion tholos tomb were investigated.

Primary material encompasses the Excavation and Study seasons 1920-1969 notebooks, site albums, pottery notes, pottery drawings, site plans and sections, maps, photographic positive and negative prints and transparencies, and administrative papers.

Secondary material was created by post-1969 study seasons.

The archive also contains original material which underpin publications relating directly to these excavations, in particular Chamber Tombs at Mycenae Archaeologia 82 (1932) and Mycenae (1949) by A. J. B. Wace, BSA and Journal of Hellenic Studies articles, the Archaeological Atlas of Mycenae by Dr E. B. French and the Well Built Mycenae series which is ongoing in its publications.

Dates

  • Creation: 1920-1969

Creator

Extent

1 collection

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This series comprises 3 sub-series: 1. Maps: topographical and archaeological maps of the Argolid and Mycenae area, including ordinance maps as well as maps produced for publications. 2. Plans and sections: layouts of areas, trenches and levels of the site of Mycenae. 3. Drawings: includes pencil and ink line drawings of pottery vessels in section and drawings in ink, pencil and gouache of small finds in different media (ivory, pottery, faience). Both types of drawing were produced to be used sd illustrative plates in publications.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Cambridge: Faculty of Classics Archives Repository

Contact:
Faculty of Classics
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge CB3 9DA United Kingdom
+441223 335193