The Silver Siege Rhyton is a silver vessel discovered in Shaft Grave IV of

Grave Circle A Grave Circle A is a 16th-century BC royal cemetery situated to the south of the Lion Gate, the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in southern Greece. This burial complex was initially constructed outside the walls of Mycenae ...

Mycenae Mycenae ( ; grc, Μυκῆναι or , ''Mykē̂nai'' or ''Mykḗnē'') is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about south-west of Athens; north of Argos; and south of Corinth. ...

and is dated to c. 1600–1500 BCE, or during the Late Helladic I period. The

rhyton A rhyton (plural rhytons or, following the Greek plural, rhyta) is a roughly conical container from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony such as libation, or merely at table. A rhyton is typically formed in t ...

was likely used for the transportation of libation for use in sacred ritual and is so named for its relief depicting an attack on a fortified town. The abundance of precious metalwork and weaponry both

votive A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

and practical discovered in Shaft Grave IV suggests that it was the burial place of a warrior chieftain or a member of his family.

References

{{reflist Mycenaean art Archaeological artifacts 16th-century BC works Mycenae Ancient Greek metalwork