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P1060800.JPG

P1060800.JPG

Tholos, Greece: Tomb of Minyas and Ancient Theatre We went to see the Tholos (round) tomb of Minyas, dating from the 13th c BC, and the Ancient Theatre, dating from the 4th c BC. This area was one of the two major centers of the Mycenean world. The tomb was made by first excavating the area, then a beehive shaped tomb with a vaulted roof and a corridor to the central tomb was built from marble rocks. The huge lintel is a single stone. A side area was created, perhaps for actual burial, or perhaps for treasure. The entire tomb is then covered with dirt. To move the rocks to create the tomb, they did not have pulleys, but rather used stone ramps. The Mycenean civilization flourished from about the 16th c BC and declined in the 11th c BC when there was a first great migration to Italy, where they learned a lot about hydraulics from the Etruscans.