Editing Beehive tomb

{{Short description|Burial structure}}
{{Other uses|Tholos (disambiguation)}}

[[Image:Schatzhaus des Atreus, Querschnitt.jpg|right|thumb|Cross section of [[Treasury of Atreus]], a beehive tomb at [[Mycenae]]]]
[[Image:Treasure of Atreus.jpg|right|thumb|[[Glossary of architecture#D|D]]romos entrance to the Treasury of Atreus]]
[[Image:Lion-tholos-tomb-at-Mycenae.jpg|thumb|The Lion Tholos Tomb at [[Mycenae]]. Of note are the ashlar stomion (of conglomerate) and dromos while the chamber itself remains made of smaller stones, placing the tomb in Wace's second group]]
A '''beehive tomb''', also known as a '''tholos tomb'''  (plural '''tholoi'''; from {{Langx|el|θολωτός τάφος|italic=unset|translit=tholotós táphos}}, {{Lang|el|θολωτοί τάφοι|italic=unset}} ''tholotoi táphoi'', "domed tomb(s)"), is a burial structure characterized by its [[false dome]] created by [[corbelling]], the superposition of successively smaller rings of mudbricks or, more often, stones. The resulting structure resembles a [[beehive]], hence the traditional English name.

Tholoi were used for burial in several cultures in the [[Mediterranean basin|Mediterranean]] and [[West Asia]], but in some cases they were used for different purposes such as homes (Cyprus), rituals (Bulgaria, Syria), and even fortification (Spain, Sardinia). Although [[Max Mallowan]] used the same name for the circular houses belonging to the [[Neolithic]] culture of [[Tell Halaf]] ([[Iraq]], [[Syria]] and [[Turkey]]), there is no relationship between them.

==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>

==Levant and Cyprus==

Circular structures were commonly built in the Near East, including the examples known as ''tholoi'' found in the [[Neolithic]] [[Tell Halaf|Halaf culture]] of Iraq, Syria and Turkey. They were probably used as both houses and as storage structures, but ritual use may also have occurred. Other, later examples are found in [[Cyprus]] ([[Choirokoitia|Khirokitia]]), where they were used as homes. There is no clear connection between these domestic, circular buildings and later tholos tombs.

==Southern Europe and Sardinia==
[[Image:Sardinien Orroli Nuraghe Arrubio Scheinkuppel.jpg|right|thumb|''Tholos'' of the [[Nuraghe Arrubiu]]]]

In the [[Chalcolithic]] period of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], beehive tombs appear among other innovative "[[megalith]]ic" variants, from c. 3000 BCE. They are especially common in southern [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]], while in Central Portugal and southeastern France other styles (artificial [[cave]]s especially) are preferred instead. The civilization of [[Los Millares]] and its [[Bronze Age]] successor, [[El Argar]], are particularly related to this burial style.<ref>Cerdá, F.J., et al., ''Historia de España I. Prehistoria'', 1986. {{ISBN|842491015X}}</ref> 

The Bronze Age fortifications known as ''[[motillas]]'' in [[La Mancha]] (Spain) also use the ''tholos'' building technique.

The imposing stone structures known as ''[[nuraghi]]'', as well as the similar structures of southern [[Corsica]], dominated the Bronze Age landscape of [[Sardinia]] (Italy). Nuraghi are truncated conical towers of dry-laid stone, about 40 feet in diameter, sloping up to a circular roof some 50 feet above the ground. The vaulted ceiling is 20 to 35 feet above the floor.
Although the remains of some 7,000 nuraghi have been found, up to 30,000 may have been built.

There are also recorded [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] tombs at a necropolis at [[Banditaccia]] dating from the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, having an external appearance similar to a beehive. The interiors of these Etruscan tombs were furnished and decorated to resemble domestic dwellings, providing insight into the Etruscan practice of honoring the dead in a manner that reflected daily life.

==Bulgaria==
The beehive [[Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak]] is an example of the richly decorated tholoi tombs of [[Thracians|Thracian]] rulers, many of which are found in modern [[Bulgaria]] and date from the 4th–3rd century BCE. The walls of the Kazanlak tomb are covered with plaster and stucco, with ornate scenes from the life of the deceased.  Other [[Tumulus|tumuli]], known as ''mogili'' in Bulgarian, that feature underground chambers in the form of a beehive dome include, among others, the [[Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari]], [[Thracian tomb of Aleksandrovo]], [[Thracian tomb Golyama Arsenalka|Golyama Arsenalka]], [[Tomb of Seuthes III]], [[Thracian tomb Shushmanets]], [[Thracian tomb Griffins]], [[Thracian tomb Helvetia]], [[Thracian tomb Ostrusha]]. There have been several [[Thracian treasure|significant gold and silver treasures]] associated with Thracian tombs currently kept at Bulgaria's Archaeological and [[National Historical Museum, Bulgaria|National Historical Museum]] and other institutions.

==Eastern Arabia==
{{See also|Eastern Arabia|Oman|United Arab Emirates}}

The earliest stone-built tombs which can be called "beehive" are in [[Oman]] and the [[United Arab Emirates|U.A.E.]], built of stacked flat stones which occur in nearby geological formations. They date to the [[Hafit period]] of the early [[Bronze Age]], between 3,500 and 2,500 years BCE, a period when the [[Arabian Peninsula]] was subject to much more rainfall than now, and supported a flourishing civilization in what is now the [[Arabian Desert]], to the west of the [[Hajar Mountains]] along the [[Gulf of Oman]]. No burial remains have ever been retrieved from these "tombs", though there seems no other purpose for their construction. They are only superficially similar to the Aegean tombs (circular shape) as they are built entirely above ground level and do not share the same tripartite structure – the entrances are usually an undifferentiated part of the circular walling of the tomb. Currently there are three areas where these tombs can be found: Al-Hajar Region (particularly [[Jebel Hafeet]] near [[Al Ain]] in the U.A.E.,<ref name="Magee_2014">{{Cite book |title=The archaeology of prehistoric Arabia (1968–) |last=Magee |first=Peter |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-3160-0318-3 |location=New York |oclc=879421807 |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/879421807}}</ref> and the [[Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn]] in Oman),<ref name="UNESCO_BKA">{{cite web |publisher=[[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Convention]] |title=Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/434/ |access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref> Hat Region, and Hadbin area close to [[Barka, Oman|Barkaʾ]]. The Hajar tombs are very numerous and one or two have been restored, allowing one to crawl into the centre of a tall stone structure measuring {{convert|5|–|6|m|feet|abbr=on}}.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Jebel Hafeet tombs.jpg|Beehive tombs dating to the [[Hafit period]] (approximately 5000 years ago), near [[Jebel Hafeet]] in [[Al Ain]], the U.A.E.
File:Beehive Burial near border with Al Ain.jpg|The [[Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn]] in the [[Hajar Mountains]] of Oman
</gallery>

==Somalia==
NE of Qandala is a field of tombs of varying sizes.

==See also==
* [[Beehive house]]
* [[Mycenaean Greece]]
* [[Nuraghi]]
* [[Tholos of Delphi]]
* Minoan sites with tholos tombs: [[Armeni (archaeological site)|Armeni]], [[Phourni|Archanes-Phourni]], [[Hagia Photia]], [[Kamilari]], [[Kavousi Vronda]], [[Nea Roumata (archaeological site)|Nea Roumata]], [[Papoura]], [[Phylaki]], [[Stilos (archaeological site)|Stilos]], [[Yerokambos]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* Sturgis, Russell (1906). ''A History of Architecture'', Vol. I, pp.&nbsp;123–25. New York: Baker & Taylor.
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commonscatinline}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081222050748/http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/ancient/aegean_art.htm Mycenaean tholos tombs paintings]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beehive Tomb}}
[[Category:Beehive tombs| ]]
[[Category:Burial monuments and structures]]
[[Category:Minoan culture]]