| ANCIENT PELLANAS, MYCENAEAN CAPITAL | | | | One large tomb, with a chamber of nearly 10 metres |
| The site of Ancient Pellanas is situated on the | | | | diameter, is flanked on either side by two smaller |
| tumbling slopes of the Taygetos Mountains, midway | | | | tombs. The walls of the greater tomb's dromos |
| between Sparta and Megalopolis. The steep, rugged | | | | converge gradually towards the roof, forming a false |
| and difficult terrain, surrounding the fertile Evrotas | | | | dome. This practice was not widely adopted until the |
| valley, gave Pellanas a unique strategic position. The | | | | 13th century BC, giving the first clue to the likely age |
| Ancient Spartans recognised its strong location, | | | | of the tombs. |
| defending one of the few passes, and constructed a | | | | The interior of the tholoi structures housed burial pits, |
| defensive tower, called Charakoma. The remains of | | | | containing a few interesting finds, but they were |
| this citadel are still visible to the south of the village. | | | | robbed at some point in antiquity. These finds, |
| Professor Th. Spiropoulos, the last person to | | | | consisting of pottery fragments, amber beads and |
| undertake major excavation work on the site in the | | | | scraps of gold foil, further date the tomb complex to |
| 1980's, was convinced that the site is of huge | | | | around 1500 BC |
| historical importance. He postulated the hypothesis | | | | The structure of the Ancient Pellanas tholos tombs is |
| that Pellanas was the ancient capital of Lakedamonia, | | | | interesting. Why were they carved out of the rock, |
| and possibly the entire Peloponnese. The main | | | | when their contemporaries were either stone-built |
| evidence to support his theory was excavation of | | | | tholoi or simple carved chamber tombs? These burial |
| the ancient tholos tombs outside the village. | | | | places are cut like chamber tombs but share the |
| THE THOLOS TOMBS OF ANCIENT PELLANAS | | | | shape and complexity of a tholos. It is obvious that |
| The Tholos tombs of Ancient Pellanas, are the | | | | the builders of these tombs understood the tholos |
| biggest clue to the nature and importance of the | | | | style, but chose to carve chambers. One possibility is |
| entire ancient site, due to their extremely unusual | | | | simplicity, although it is no easier to carve stone than |
| construction and size. To understand this uniqueness, | | | | to build with masonry. In addition, this type would be |
| it is necessary to study the construction style of | | | | more common, if it was merely a 'cheaper' option. |
| tholos type tombs in Greece, especially during the | | | | Similar tombs are very rare and have only been |
| Mycenaean period (1580 - 1100 BC). | | | | discovered in Thebes, Messinia and Arkadia. The |
| Tholos tombs (plural tholoi) were used, in late Bronze | | | | tholos tombs in Thebes and those around the palace |
| Age Greece, as burial places for royalty and | | | | of Nestor in Messinia are certainly royal tombs. This is |
| important dignitaries. The majority of tholoi, scattered | | | | the first proof in the process of proposing Ancient |
| across the Hellenic world, were constructed with | | | | Pellanas as an important ancient site. It is reasonable |
| masonry. This method of construction provided a | | | | to suggest that tombs, of this age and type, were |
| false dome and gave the tombs a characteristic | | | | reserved solely for royalty. |
| 'beehive' shape. | | | | THE PALAIOKASTRO |
| The sheer size and complexity of these tholoi, | | | | The ancient acropolis of Pellanas was probably |
| indicates that they were crafted for the richer | | | | situated on the hill of Palaiokastro, to the east of the |
| classes of society. Lesser citizens were interred in | | | | town. Excavations by Pr. Spiropoulos uncovered |
| one of the simpler 'chamber tombs', roughly hacked | | | | extensive Early and Middle Bronze age ruins, and a |
| from the bedrock. This basic structure is found in | | | | spacious building on the summit of the hill. It is not |
| large numbers across the entire eastern | | | | proved that this was a royal residence, but the size |
| Mediterranean. | | | | indicates that it was an important building. It is also |
| Tholoi, before and during the Mycenaean period, | | | | likely that there was a complete cemetery of tumuli, |
| were invariably built with a tripartite structure. An | | | | occupying a prime location on the hill. A monumental |
| increase in complexity and refinement continued | | | | road leads up the acropolis; this is very well |
| throughout the period, as the techniques were honed | | | | constructed and is unique for the area, again |
| and refined. The typical design plan consisted of a | | | | indicating significance. |
| beehive chamber (tholos), nearly always corbelled | | | | PELLANAS - PALACE OF MENELAOS? |
| with slabs of stone, the passageway (dromos) and | | | | The evidence, whilst scarce, points to Ancient |
| the entrance (stomion). | | | | Pellanas as a major historical site during the |
| Like modern tombs, the stomion allowed ostentious | | | | Mycenaean period. Historical anecdotes further |
| displays of grandeur and wealth. The Treasury of | | | | strengthen the case of Pellanas as the site of ancient |
| Atreus, in Mycenae, is a prime example of a tholos | | | | Lakedaimon, seat of Menelaos. The Homeric tradition |
| tomb, albeit on a massive scale. | | | | never alludes to Sparta as the seat of Menelaos; the |
| The Ancient Pellanas tholos tombs are situated one | | | | Odyssey merely states that the palace of the King |
| kilometre outside the modern village, and possess an | | | | was in Lakedaimon. The extensive ruins, road, tholos |
| unusual design and construction. These tombs were | | | | tombs and historical finds, as well as the strategic |
| painstakingly chiselled from the bedrock, instead of | | | | location, certainly make a strong case for Ancient |
| exhibiting the more typical masonry construction. | | | | Pellanas as the seat of Menelaos and Beautiful Helen. |