Treasury of Atreus

The "Treasury of Atreus" was built at Mycenae between 1300 and 1250 BC. It was not a treasury, but rather a tholos tomb for an important individual or family, and it remains the best preserved example of this form at the site. The tomb's facade consists of a large door approached through a corridor flanked by ashlar walls. The 16-foot door was once surrounded by engaged red and green columns with a decorative style suggestive of Minoan influence. These columns were covered in ornaments, rosettes, chevrons and spiral motifs. Above the entrance is a relieving triangle to reduce the weight of the superstructure on the monolithic lintel of the door. The interior of the tomb is shaped like a beehive, with stone corbeled courses laid around a circular base to create a dome-like structure. The enormous vault has a diameter of 48 feet and a height of 43 feet. There is an additional side chamber which is thought to have been used to store bodies from previous burials when the tomb was re-used.  Unfortunately, the Treasury of Atreus was heavily looted before its discovery and therefore the original grave goods have been lost.