The Treasury of Atreus: column
- Gallery: Room 6
- Culture: Mycenaean
- Date: 1350BC-1250BC (circa)
- Object type: column
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1905,1105.1-3
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
These are fragments of carved green marble columns from the Treasury of Atreus, an ancient Mycenaean tomb dating to around 1250 BC. The building is notable for its impressive architecture, and these columns once stood as imposing guardians at its entrance.
Each column shaft is carved with a repeating geometric pattern, including chevrons and spirals. These patterns show a high level of craftsmanship, with careful attention to symmetry and proportion.
The columns are made up of multiple parts, including the shaft and capital. Some original fragments are preserved, while others are represented by accurate casts to reconstruct how they once appeared. Notable details include dowel holes and swallow-tail cramp-holes, used to join and secure the stone sections.
The materials and techniques reflect the advanced artistry of Mycenaean civilization. These column parts were discovered in the late 19th century and entered the British Museum through a number of donations over time.
See it in person
The Treasury of Atreus: column is on display in Room 6 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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