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A team of American archaeologists has discovered two large ancient Greek royal tombs dating back some 3,500 years near the site of the ancient city of Pylos in southern Greece. The findings cast a new light on the role of the ancient city — mentioned in Homer's 

— in Mediterranean trade patterns of the Late Bronze Age.

Each of the two tombs — one about 39 feet in diameter and the other about 28 feet — was built in a dome-shape structure known as a tholos.

Among the findings inside the tombs were evidence of gold-lined floors, a golden seal ring and a gold pendant with the image of the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor. The amulet suggests that Pylos traded with Egypt during Greece's Mycenaean civilization, which lasted roughly between 1650 and 1100 B.C. Homer's epics are set in the latter stages of this period.

, an archaeological team from the University of Cincinnati. They had previously uncovered another burial site nearby in 2015 known as the 

. That site yielded significant findings including gold and silver treasure, jewelry and a long bronze sword believed to have possibly belonged to 

Science

History

Richard Gonzales

Author

Among the findings are a gold pendant with the image of an Egyptian goddess, suggesting wider interaction between ancient Greece and Egypt than previously known.

Archaeologists discover ancient Greek royal tombs dating back 3,500 years

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