Atlas of Mycenae Introduction

The Archaeological site of Mycenae, located in southern Greece, was first excavated in 1841.

Since this time, the citadel and the surrounding areas have undergone much survey work and

excavation. The Archaeological Atlas of Mycenae compiles much of this information in one

place, thereby making it a highly useful resource for those looking to study Mycenae. By

digitizing the maps in the atlas, this project aims to utilize the information already documented

within the framework of a GeoDatabase in order to conduct various kinds of spatial analysis

and archaeological research.

Materials and Methods

The Archaeological Atlas of Mycenae has served as the primary source material for this

project. An Overview Map, as well as all 12 individual Detail Maps were scanned at 600 DPI

to maintain accuracy. These maps were then georeferenced to the Greek Grid national

coordinate system and mosaiced to form a high detail map of the entire area. Features’ XY

coordinate values were recorded, along with any other pertinent attributes from the index.

The contour lines included on the atlas maps were also digitized and vectorized to produce a

high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the site.

Viewshed

The traditional belief of Mycenaean settlements is that

there was a fear and reverence of the dead. For this

reason, graveyards faced away from the domestic

spaces, yet were still visible as a reminder of their

ancestors. A Viewshed analysis, conducted using the

DEM and the Tholos Tombs as observer points,

reveals very few areas that do not look upon the

Tholos tombs. In fact, almost all the known

Mycenaean structures fall within the Visible area.

Spatial Distribution

In the Atlas of Mycenae, Chamber tombs are all

symbolized in the same way. This, however, can

be misleading since some of these “tombs” are

actually cemeteries containing upwards of 18

tombs. When symbolized to reflect this, a new

distribution pattern can be observed that is, that

there are 3 main chamber tomb centers: one

centrally located by the Citadel, one to the

northwest and one to the southeast.

Predictive Model

Knowing where to dig is a fundamental problem in archaeology.

Surface survey is often used to identify possible locations for

excavation however GIS offers another way. By analyzing the

various features shown in the Atlas, areas can be identified which

are more likely to contain Mycenaean remains and a predictive

model made. This predictive model can be used to direct excavation

efforts in order to increase the efficacy. Elevation and slope data for

this area were extracted and other areas which shared these values

were identified (Probability). The structures near the Citadel also

appear to be located in close proximity to Chamber tombs so the

Probable Areas were ranked to reflect this proximity. Additionally, it

is interesting to note that with the exception of the SE areas, the

other probable areas also in view of the Tholos Tombs.

Conclusions

The goal of this project was to create a database

which would assist in archaeological research.

Many features have been recorded in this database

as well as important attribute data. The information

has been used to create the predictive model which

will be tested during the 2012 study season to

determine its accuracy.

Sources: Archaeological Atlas of Mycenae, Iakovidis, Spyros et a., Archaeological Society of Athens, 2003

Dan Ehrlich