tholoi

Tholoi (singular tholos) is the term used in archaeology for a beehive-shaped tomb of the Bronze Age Aegean, especially in Mycenaean Greece. The name derives from the Greek tholos, meaning round or domed, and the plural form tholoi refers to multiple such structures.

Tholos tombs are typically circular in plan with a high domed roof formed by successive courses of stone in a corbelled arch. Access is gained via a short entrance passage or dromos that leads to an antechamber and then to the main burial chamber, which often contains multiple inhumations or chambered burial features and sometimes grave goods such as pottery and metalwork.

Dating and function: These tombs were built mainly during the late Bronze Age (roughly 1500–1200 BCE) in mainland Greece and the Aegean, with the best-known examples at Mycenae, Pylos, and nearby sites. They served as monumental tombs for elite families and were reused over time.

Notable examples: The Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae is the most famous tholos tomb, with a monumental entrance passage and a corbelled hemispherical dome. Other tholoi are found across the Argolid and Lakonia, reflecting a regional mortuary practice among Mycenaean communities.

Construction details: Tholoi were built with carefully cut limestone blocks; the vault is formed by corbelling, while the entrance dromos is often lined with stone and preceded by a short passage; many were originally covered by an earthen tumulus.

Legacy: Tholoi illustrate the prominence of monumental mortuary architecture in Bronze Age Greece and shed light on Mycenaean social structure, ritual, and networks.