Lord of the Gold Rings: The Grave of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos

The University of Cincinnati archaeological excavations at the Palace of Nestor, Pylos, resumed on May 18, 2015 for the first time since 1969. During the course of that campaign, the so-called grave of the "Griffin Warrior" was discovered a few hundred meters from the palace. This presentation will describe the excavation of this remarkable grave and discuss in detail the four gold rings found therein. The discovery of four gold rings in association with the male individual was unexpected and unprecedented. The iconography of these rings is extraordinary and of great significance for the study of Minoan and Mycenaean ideology in the early Late Bronze Age. This unique, undisturbed burial affords an unparalleled opportunity to examine aspects of Early Mycenaean funerary ritual, gender association with grave goods, and burial structure that cannot be obtained through more standard multi-individual burial contexts.

 

Sharon Stocker received her doctorate in Greek prehistory from the University of Cincinnati, where she is currently employed as a Senior Research Associate. She manages the university's excavations at the Palace of Nestor in Pylos, Greece. Sharon is co-director of the current Cincinnati excavations, where in 2015, she spent more than six months in the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior. Her particular expertise lies in the analysis of ceramics of the Middle Bronze Age and Early Greek colonization in the Western Mediterranean. In addition to Pylos, she has directed archaeological projects in Albania. Along with archaeology, Sharon has a passion for sailing. She lives in Pylos with her cat Nestor.

 

The event is co-sponsored by The Hellenic Government-Karakas Foundation Professorship in Greek Studies at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis,The Departments of Classics and Art History and Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Classical Club of St. Louis.