Art and Art History Collection (Saskia)
Files
Download image (4.5 MB)
Publisher
Saskia, Ltd., Cultural Documentation
Publication Date
January 1966
Time Period
circa 1400-1200 BCE
Abstract
View up the stairs from fortified entry of west bastion
Keywords
Bronze Age, Mycenaean, Citadels, Cyclopean masonry, Masonry construction (technique or process), Corbel arches, Corbel vaults, Bastions (fortification elements), Sally ports
Alt Text
A stone staircase ascending a rocky hillside, with sparse vegetation and a single purple flower visible among the rocks. The steps are uneven and worn, leading upwards towards larger boulders at the top.
Extent
1 color photograph
Geographic Location
Greece; Tiryns (Greece)
Rights
This material is licensed by USF Libraries for the research and teaching needs of USF students, staff, and faculty only. See: https://lib.usf.edu/collections-and-discovery/collection-management/user-terms/
Access Restrictions
Only thumbnail images and descriptive information are available to non-USF users. Full access to this collection is available only to authorized users on the USF network on campus or via VPN.
Media Type
Color photographs
Format
Digital Only
Note
This is the west postern gate's internal curving stone staircase from the ancient Mycenean Acropolis of Tiryns in Argolis, Greece. In order to create the vaulted hallway, rows of massive limestone blacks were layered horizontally, with each successive layer projecting slightly further inward until they meet at an apex. The boulders are fitted together with the use of Cyclopean masonry. Openings like this sally port served as hidden exit points within the thick fortification walls, allowing defenders to slip out or catch attackers by surprise. This would have forced invaders climbing into a narrow bottleneck where the defenders could strike them down more easily from the ramparts above. The stone steps leading up the rocky slope inside the frame demonstrate how the stronghold utilized the natural elevation of the hill to maximize defense.
Identifier
A01-JGA0090E
Recommended Citation
Unknown, "Mycenean Acropolis of Tiryns, West Postern Gate Stairs" (1966). Art and Art History Collection (Saskia). 189.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/saskia/189
