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On the east part of the Citadel of Mycenae, the ground sloped away rather steeply but had been terraced to support the Eastern Wing of the palace. The buildings were arranged on three different levels but little is preserved of the upper two. The lowest, however, has the remains of a number of substantial structures. There is a large block consisting of a narrow courty flanked by four rooms on the eastern and western sides. This is generally interpreted as having been a workshop and quarters for various craftsmen and artists. Below it, and separated from it by a long corridor to the east, was a building known as the House of Columns. The corridor leads to a small courtyard with porticoes on three of its sides (some of the column bases are still in place). There is a megaron to the east of the court which suggests that it was a residential unit, probably for a member of the royal family. A stairway led to a second story to the south of the court but only the cellars of that part of the building have survived. Two other buildings stood nearby and seem to have been used for storage but, again, only the basement rooms survive.

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Located at the eastern end of the Citadel, the Cistern was cut into the rock and it goes to about 20 meters deep. It was fed by a spring on a nearby hill by means of an underground channel and provided a secure and reliable source of water during a seige or drought. Today it is dry, but if you plan to climb down the 99 steps, make sure you bring along a flashlight.

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Sally port near the Cistern at the eastern end of the Citadel Wall. Difficult to locate from outside and easily defended from within, it would have allowed scouting parties to survey the surrounding area in the event of a seige.

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The North Gate of the Citadel of Mycenae.

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Tholos Tombs of Mycenae
The Mycenaean tholos tombs consist of a circular, subterranean burial chamber, sometimes referred to as the thalamos, roofed by a corbelled vault and approached by a dromos (entrance passage) that narrows abruptly at the stomion (doorway) actually opening into the tomb chamber. The chamber or thalamos is built of stone rather than simply being hewn out of bedrock. Tholoi of this kind are usually, though not invariably, set into slopes or hillsides. Burials were either laid out on the floor of the tomb chamber or were placed in pits, cists, or shafts cut into this floor.

The nine tholoi at Mycenae constitute by far the largest collection of monumental tholos tombs of Mycenaean type to have been found at a single site. The British archaeologist Alan Wace assigned these nine tombs to three distinct groups on the basis of their use of particular raw materials and of cut as opposed to undressed stone, as well as on the employment of certain decorative and engineering refinements. More information on tholoi can be found here: Mycenean Tholos Tombs & early Mycenean Settlements

The Treasury of Atreus
The Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae is the largest and best-preserved of the surviving tholoi. The long dromos is lined with ashlar blocks, reaching a height of 10 metres where it meets the facade. The facade is well-preserved (although its decoration has been removed). It was flanked by half-engaged columns (their bases survive) and has a relieving triangle above the door. Fragments of the relief decorations survive. The stomion is 5.5 metres high and 5.25 metres deep and was fitted with double doors in the middle (indicated by the paved threshold and nails in the side walls to secure the door frame). The tholos rose some 33 courses of masonry (13.7 metres high). Holes with bronze nails may have held rosettes and other decorative elements, fixed to the walls. A doorway in the north side of the chamber led to a small side chamber which was a feature of some of the later tombs. A mound of earth surrounded by a low retaining wall covered the dome (probably in the middle of the 13th century BC).

Related Links:
Mycenean Tholos Tombs & early Mycenean Settlements
Odyssey Adventures