Coin variations

Mask of Agamemnon

The Mask of Agamemnon is an artifact discovered at Mycenae in 1876 by Heinrich Schliemann. The mask is a gold funeral mask, and was found over the face of a body located in a burial shaft.

Schliemann believed that he had discovered the body of the legendary Greek leader Agamemnon, and from this the mask gets its name. However, modern archaeological research suggests that the mask is from 1550-1500 B.C.E, which is earlier than the traditional life of Agamemnon. In spite of this, the name remains. The mask is currently displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

The mask is one of five discovered in the shaft graves at Mycenae. The graves are certainly royal. The faces of the men are not all covered with masks. That they are men, and warriors, is indicated by the weapons in their graves. The quantities of gold and carefully worked artifacts surely denote honor, wealth and status.

• Location information
• http://odysseus.culture.gr/