Mask of Agamemnon

The Mask of Agamemnon was discovered by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavations at Mycenae in Greece in 1876. You should, in the opinion of Schliemann's the legendary King Agamemnon, represent a hero of the Trojan War.

Excavations near the "Lion Gate " at Mycenae, Schliemann came across a grave that hid three unusually large skeletons, one of which had apparently been robbed. The other two wore gold masks, one additionally a golden breastplate. Due to the size of the latter skeleton and rich furnishings Schliemann assumed that there must be at Agamemnon.

However, this view was not shared by other scholars. Professor Ernst Curtius, who had excavated the historic Olympia, visited the Fund. In his opinion, the gold of the mask was way too thin to provide such a powerful ruler that. He concluded that the skeletons from the Byzantine era would come.

Schliemann replied that all the gold discoveries of the tombs were much too thin to be worn by the living rulers or warriors. The jewels had been specially made for the funeral.

Another critic, the captain and private scholar Boetticher, even claimed that the jewelry Schliemann himself had be prepared to bury him secretly. Because of his avarice, he did not want to use more gold. It was also noted that the mask having a certain similarity with Schliemann. This must be seen as a mere polemic, however.

According to current knowledge, the graves and finds are to the year 1500 BC dated and may therefore not the House of Atreus King Agamemnon and be assigned. The House of Atreus had been, according to legend only returned victorious in 1180 BC from Troy and then murdered.

Rather, it is assumed that the mask to the grave of a Mycenaean princes belonged (around 1500 BC).

Today, the mask is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.