Editing Mycenae (section)

===Schliemann's excavations (1874–1876)===

The archaeologist [[Heinrich Schliemann]] was particularly invested in the site of Mycenae. Schliemann was obsessed with the epic poetry of Homer and believed Homer's stories were based in historical truth. In the later part of his life, he dedicated himself to excavating historical sites relevant to the Homeric epics. Schliemann's first excavation was the site of [[Hisarlik]], believed to be the site of ancient Troy. Following his work at Hisarlik, Schliemann began excavations at Mycenae in 1876. His goal was to find the grave of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae and leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War as described in Homer's Iliad. Schliemann uncovered a royal cemetery containing six shaft graves, known as Grave Circle A. Among his findings at Grave Circle A was a gold [[death mask]] that he labeled as "The [[Mask of Agamemnon]]". Modern archeological evidence has proven his claims of discovering Agamemnon's remains were most likely false, as the mask is dated more than 300 years before the events of the Trojan War.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.worldhistory.org/Agamemnon_(Person)/ | title=Agamemnon (Person) }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|2513612526}} |last1=Gunderman |first1=Richard |title=Heinrich Schliemann. archeological pioneer |journal=[[Indianapolis Business Journal]] |volume=42 |issue=7 |date=9 April 2021 |page=13A }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://arthistoryresources.net/greek-art-archaeology-2016/schliemann-mycenae.html | title= Heinrich Schliemann and Mycenae}}</ref>

Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae have come under controversy. Schliemann's archaeological work in general is controversial, with some calling Schliemann "the father of scientific archaeology" and others criticizing Schliemann's destructive methods of excavation. The authenticity of Schliemann's excavation of Grave Circle A has come under question, with some critics claiming that Schliemann smuggled additional artifacts into Mycenae and then falsely claimed to have discovered them. Modern evidence suggests that Schliemann's findings at Grave Circle A were genuine, but significantly predate the Trojan War.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.psu.edu/heinrichschliemann/controversial-questions-arise/ |title=Schliemann's Controversy &#124; Unearthing the Bronze Age }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Harrington |first= Spencer|url= https://archive.archaeology.org/9907/etc/mask.html |title= Behind the Mask of Agamemnon}}</ref>