Graves A and B at Mycenae, with their new funerary architecture and their rich offerings to the deceased, offer scholars one of the most dramatic pieces of evidence for the rise of the Mycenaean culture. The information they preserve continues to be the focus of a considerable amount of scholarship, and many aspects of their interpretation are controversial and hotly debated. Their importance cannot be overestimated, and all studies of the rise of the high cultures of the Late Bronze Age Aegean must consider them carefully. This seminar will include lectures and discussions as well as student presentations by the members of the class. Many student presentations will be oriented toward specific problems, with students presenting alternate interpretations
by different scholars, setting the stage for class discussions. Grades are based on student presentations, class participation, and a research paper.