Mycenaean architecture: Key features, structures & engineering explained

Cyclopean masonry is a construction method that uses enormous, roughly cut limestone boulders stacked together without mortar.

You can still walk through the Lion Gate, explore the Grave Circle A, and trace the outline of the palace megaron. You’ll also find several tholos tombs, including the famous Treasury of Atreus, and remnants of the Cyclopean walls and an ancient underground cistern.

Mycenaean tholos tombs were constructed using corbel vaulting, where each stone layer slightly overlaps the one below, creating a beehive-shaped dome. A long stone passageway, called a dromos, leads into the circular burial chamber. These tombs were used for elite burials and are often located just outside the citadel walls.

Yes — especially the megaron, a large hall with columns and a central hearth, which became a model for Greek temples. The use of symmetry, columns, and elevated platforms in Mycenaean architecture deeply influenced classical Greek civic and religious buildings.

Mycenaean builders primarily used local limestone and fieldstone for walls and foundations. Clay bricks were sometimes used in upper levels, while wooden beams supported roofs and interiors. The mix of heavy and light materials showed both practical skill and adaptability.

The Lion Gate is not only the main entrance to the citadel but also features two lions flanking a column. It’s the earliest monumental sculpture in Europe. This triangular relief also had a structural role, reducing pressure on the gate’s lintel.