Fortifications of Mycenae

Mycenae is a city in the Argolid, in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It was first excavated by Heinrich and Sophia Schliemann in the 1870s and is believed to have flourished in the Mid- to Late Bronze Age.^[1] The fortifications of Mycenae were built with the use of Cyclopean masonry. With the citadel built on a cliff, the architects created protection not only for the upper class that lived within the walls, but the lower-class farmers in the surrounding areas, who could find refuge there in times of war. Due to high competition in the Mid to Late Bronze Age, the citadel wall expanded significantly with the inclusion of Grave Circle A and the addition of the Lion Gate.^[1]