Editing Beehive tomb (section)

==Greece==
In [[Greece]], the vaulted  ''tholoi'' are a monumental Late [[Bronze Age]] development. Their origin is a matter of considerable debate: were they inspired by the tholoi of [[Crete]] which were first used in the [[Minoan pottery|Early Minoan]] period<ref>M. S. F. Hood, "Tholos Tombs of the Aegean," ''Antiquity'' 34(1960) 166–176.</ref> or were they a natural development of [[tumulus]] burials dating to the Middle Bronze Age.<ref>K.A. and Diana Wardle, ''Cities of Legend, The Mycenaean World'', London 2000, 27–28.{{ISBN?}}</ref>
In concept, they are similar to the much more numerous [[Mycenaean chamber tomb]]s which seem to have emerged at about the same time. Both have chamber, doorway [[stomion (archaeology)|stomion]] and entrance passage [[Glossary of architecture#D|d]]romos but tholoi are largely built while chamber tombs are rock-cut.<ref>Alan J B Wace, “A Companion to Homer” (1962): 351</ref>

A few early examples of tholoi have been found in [[Messenia (ancient region)|Messenia]] in the SW Peloponnese Greece (for example at [[Voidhokoilia]]),<ref>G. S. Korres, "Tymboi, tholoi, kai taphikoi kykloi tes Messenias," in ''Proceedings of the First International Conference of Peloponnesian Studies'' 2 (Athens 1976) 337–369.</ref> and recently near [[Troezen]] in the NE Peloponnese.<ref>E. Konsolaki-Yiannopoulou, “E Magoula ston Galata tes Troizenias: Ena neo ME-YE kentro ston Saroniko,” in E. Konsolaki-Yiannopoulou (ed.), ''Argosaronikos: Praktika 1ou Diethnous Synedriou Istorias kai Archaiologias tou Argosaronikou A'' (Athens 2003) 159–228.</ref> These tholoi are built on level ground and then enclosed by a mound of earth. A pair of tumuli at [[Marathon, Greece]] indicate how a built rectangular (but without a vault) central chamber was extended with an entrance passage.<ref>S. Marinatos, "Further News from Marathon," ''Archaeologika Analekta Athenon'' 3 (1970): 155–63.</ref>

After about [[1500 BCE]], beehive [[tomb]]s became more widespread and are found in every part of the Mycenaean heartland. In contrast, however, to the early examples these are almost always cut into the slope of a hillside so that only the upper third of the vaulted chamber was above ground level. This masonry was then concealed with a relatively small mound of earth.

The tombs usually contain more than one [[burial]], in various places in the tomb either on the floor, in pits and cists or on stone-built or rock-cut benches, and with various [[grave goods]]. After a burial, the entrance to the tomb was filled in with [[soil]], leaving a small mound with most of the tomb underground. 

The chamber is always built in [[masonry]], even in the earliest examples, as is the stomion or entrance-way. The dromos in early examples was usually just cut from the [[bedrock]], as in the Panagia Tomb at [[Mycenae]] itself. In later examples such as the [[Treasury of Atreus]] and [[Tomb of Clytemnestra]] (both at [[Mycenae]]), all three parts were constructed of fine [[ashlar]] masonry.<ref>[[Alan Wace|A.J.B. Wace]], “Excavations at Mycenae: IX. The Tholos Tombs”, ''Annual of the British School at Athens'' 25, 1923, 283–402.</ref>

The chambers were built as [[corbel]]led vaults, with layers of stone placed closer together as the vault tapers toward the top of the tomb. These stone layers were trimmed from inside the tomb, creating a smooth dome.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Adams|first1=Schneider|title=Art Across Time|publisher=McGraw Hill|page=123|edition=4th}}</ref><ref>W. G. Cavanagh and R. R. Laxton, "The Structural Mechanics of the Mycenaean Tholos Tomb," ''Annual of the British School at Athens'' 76(1981)109–140.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Greek art and archaeology : a new history, c. 2500–c. 150 BCE|last=T.|first=Neer, Richard|isbn=9780500288771|location=New York|oclc=745332893|year = 2012}}</ref> 

The entrances provided an opportunity for conspicuous demonstration of wealth. That of the Treasury of Atreus, for example, was decorated with columns of red and green “Lapis Lacedaimonius” brought from quarries over 100&nbsp;km away.

The abundance of such tombs, often with more than one being associated with a settlement during one specific time period, may indicate that their use was not confined to the ruling [[monarchy]] only, although the sheer size and therefore the outlay required for the larger tombs (ranging {{convert|10-15|m|abbr=on}} in diameter and height) would argue in favour of royal commissions. The larger tombs contained amongst the richest finds to have come from the Late Bronze Age of Mainland Greece, despite the tombs having been [[pillage]]d both in [[classical antiquity|antiquity]] and more recently. Although the [[Vapheio]] tholos, south of Sparta, had been robbed, two cists in the floor had escaped notice. These contained, among other valuable items, the two gold “Vapheio cups” decorated with scenes of bull taming which are among the best known of Mycenaean treasures.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Adams|first1=Schneider|title=Art Across Time|publisher=McGraw Hill|page=126|edition=4th}}</ref>