The tumuli
are dated exclusively to the Early and the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age.
They were discovered and excavated in the years 1908-1913 by the German achitect
and archaeologist W. Doerpfeld, who was actually in search of Homeric
Ithaca. He named the tumuli "Royal
Tombs R".
The tumuli had been gradually covered with earth after their excavation
and were cleared in 1976. The monuments to be seen at the site are the 33 tumuli of the
Early or Middle Bronze Age (3.000-1.900 B.C. or 1.900-1.600 B.C.). They all
have an external circular wall (diameter: 4.5-6.5 m.) made of rows of stone slabs.
Inside the circle were placed the graves, covered with small earth mounds. The
graves belong to four types: cist-graves, graves with built walls, simple pits
and pithos-burials.
Archaeological site
Art & culture
Ancient monuments
Tombs: Middle Helladic period, 2000-1600 BCEarly Helladic period, 3200-2000 BC