Mycenae's Grave Circles
While researching last week's post about the infant burial in Shaft Grave III, Grave Circle A, I learned that although the Grave Circle A burials (circa 1550-1500 B.C.) were far richer than the earlier Grave Circle B (circa 1650-1600 B.C.) ones, the occupants of Grave Circle B on average lived longer. The oldest Grave Circle A individual complete enough to be studied was a man aged 35-45, while the oldest complete Grave Circle B individual was Sigma 131, a man aged around 55. The elite in those rich burials were shockingly young, most between 25-30. Don't assume that the later burials were those of warriors who lived harder lives; the pathological studies on the earlier burials revealed individuals who endured the hardships of war, trepanning, and arthritis. And diet certainly doesn't seem to be to blame, for if anything, the elite of Grave Circle A ate more protein in the form of seafood from the Gulf of Argolis.