The Treasury of Atreus: tomb
- Gallery: Room 6
- Culture: Mycenaean
- Date: 1350BC-1250BC
- Object type: tomb
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1816,0610.177
- 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.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a fragment from "The Treasury of Atreus," a tomb dating back to 1350-1250 BC. Created by Mycenaean artists, this green marble piece features two decorative tiers in relief, separated by a carved band. The top layer shows a swirling spiral pattern, while the bottom is made up of rounded, flattened disks. These disks are subtly sloped and may once marked the ends of wooden beams. You can also see two small cramp-holes used for attaching other parts.
This fragment comes from one of the grandest ancient tombs, known for its impressive architecture. It reveals the decorative style of Mycenaean builders, who used elegant patterns and precise carving techniques. Though only a part of a larger structure, it shows how intricate and meaningful Mycenaean design could be. The piece was purchased from Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, who collected a number of ancient Greek artifacts.
See it in person
The Treasury of Atreus: tomb 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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