The Gold Mask of Agamemnon is unique among Greek Bronze Age artifacts. Created c. 1600 BCE, not long before an Egyptian Pharoah decreed gold to be currency, the golden death mask is an object of ancient mysteries, power, legend, solar radiance and the destiny of kings.
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The authenticity of the Mask has been questioned as it seems the most elaborate of its kind. The origin of the Gold Mask of Agamemnon and other gold Mycenaean death masks might lie in the ruins of cultures who ruled the north.
A mythical King, Agamemnon with other early rulers are said to be descended from the god Jupiter. This makes it difficult to place him as Jupiter doesn't appear in mythology until the rise of the Romans in c. 800 BCE.
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The Pre-Roman Zeus shows up around 1300 BCE and is later equated with Jupiter. The legendary Agamemnon is said to rule at the time of the Trojan War (1194 - 1184 BC).
The Gold Mask of Agamemnon was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876, in a pre-Iron Age tomb in Mycenae, Greece. The Mycenaeans are conquerors who made their way west as part of the spread of early population migrations.
They settle the regions of the Aegean Sea and the east Mediterranean. Not far south, in Crete, the Minoan civilization is topping the charts. A volcanic eruption on the island of Thera in c. 1600 puts an end to that.
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The Mycenaeans establish a productive society of city building, trade and artistry, not without some trampling of the previous inhabitants. Those who live in Greece at the advent of the Mycenaean invasion are nomadic foragers and hunters.
Before they know it, they're assimilated into Greek society and paying taxes. Taxes of course are among the hallmarks of a civilization.
Mycenaean culture is a hierarchal one. The two groups of free men are the entourage of the King, and everyone else. The king's entourage were responsible for administrative duties at the palace.
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The commoners, da-mo, are supervised by agents of the King. Paying taxes to the King is mandatory, as is the duty to serve him. Slaves are not taxpayers unless freed, which occasionally happens. If slaves are freed, they automatically become citizens.
Overall, life is good. The country prospers, taking advantage of the vast resources of land and sea. Agriculture, fruit and olives love the balmy Mediterranean climate.
Trade introduces new cultures and new ideas, and the Mycenaeans enjoy the finest figs on the tree. When life is good in a society, art appreciation grows.
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The Gold Mask of Agamemnon is a creation of the metal tooling (repoussé) process. First a piece of gold is hammered into a flat sheet. Gold is a workable metal. Sheets can be hammered thin without breaking.
The artist uses blunt tools to model the features from both the back and front of the gold sheet. The technique is also used for copper.
Details such as mustache hairs and grooves are modeled with finer tools. A clay or plaster mold might be used for reference for a gold or copper mask; or, the mask is made before, or right after, the person dies. Most rulers and elite have their death masks made while they are still alive.
Plastered skulls are found in Jericho and Levant dating to 8000 - 6000 BCE. These were made after the person died.
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Is it Agamemnon? The face is that of a bearded man of noble status. It's certainly a death mask, with two holes near the ears where the mask would be tied over the face of the corpse. Agamemnon was thought to rule at time of the Trojan War, c. 1200 - 1300 BCE. According to a number of sources the Trojan War itself is just a rumor.
Similar masks appear in the North, among the Catacomb people who flourish on the Pontic-Caspian Steppe c. 2500 - 1950 BCE. They're named after their shaft-pit graves with burial niches. Like many other cultures the Catacombs welcome trade with southern partners.
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The Mycenaeans form and strengthen trade networks with the northern groups. A death ritual among the Catacomb culture includes filling the corpse's mouth, ears and nasal cavity with clay. Features are then modeled in clay over the face of the deceased. This treatment is reserved for the elite.
Did the Catacomb people influence the golden masks of Mycenae? Probably. Is this golden death mask the face of the mythical Agamemnon? Probably not. Agamemnon is a product of mythology, the time frame is all wrong and according to records no such king ever ruled Mycenae. It is a fine piece of art, though.
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