RELIEF OF THE LION GATE
The relief is one of the most significant sculptural monuments of Late Bronze Age Greek culture. It decorated the main entrance to the Mycenaean citadel (acropolis), which is named Lion Gate after this very relief. The gate of the walls, encircling the city, was framed by three monumental stone blocks; this relief was placed on the lintel. The limestone slab is decorated by two confronting lions, perhaps symbolising royal power. The heads of the animals were fashioned separately and are now missing. Their paws rest on an altar-like platform, the centre of which is surmounted by a column that supports the roof of a building (perhaps a sanctuary or a palace). The gate and the relief were never buried, they are mentioned in the descriptions of ancient authors and modern travellers alike.
