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.