Midea (Argolid)
Encyclopedia
Midea is the name given to the bronze age
citadel
standing above the village
of the same name in the Argolid
in Greece
. The citadel is one of the largest and best preserved Mycenaean
citadels. A tholos tomb and cemetery
of chamber tomb
s at nearby Dendra
is associated with the site.
Excavations were started by the Swedish
archaeologist Axel W Persson
and have been continued regularly by the Swedish School of Archaeology at Athens.
The site of Midea may be visited daily from 8:30am to 3pm. There is a fine new restroom facility at the site and the guard will provide a brochure about the site if asked. As of May 2009, there was no admission fee. The road to the citadel is narrow in places but paved. The walls are quite well preserved and there is adequate explanatory signage for all the ruins accessible to the public. As is common at Greek archaeological sites, the weeds can be several feet tall so wearing pants is recommended. The nearby Mycenaean cemetery at Dendra was closed without explanation in May 2009, although it is supposedly open from 8:30am - 3pm per the signs on the gate. Both ruins are signposted from the main road. The signs are brown.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
standing above the village
Midea, Greece
Midea is a village and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafplio, of which it is a municipal unit. with a population of 6,724...
of the same name in the Argolid
Argolis
Argolis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.-Geography:...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The citadel is one of the largest and best preserved Mycenaean
Helladic period
Helladic is a modern archaeological term meant to identify a sequence of periods characterizing the culture of mainland ancient Greece during the Bronze Age. The term is commonly used in archaeology and art history...
citadels. A tholos tomb and cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
of chamber tomb
Chamber tomb
A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interree than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could also serve as places for storage of the dead from one...
s at nearby Dendra
Dendra
Dendra is a prehistoric archaeological site situated outside the village with the same name belonging to the municipality of Midea in the Argolid, Greece....
is associated with the site.
Excavations were started by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
archaeologist Axel W Persson
Axel W Persson
Axel Waldemar Persson was a Swedish archaeologist, a professor of classical archaeology and ancient history at Uppsala University from 1925 to 1951...
and have been continued regularly by the Swedish School of Archaeology at Athens.
The site of Midea may be visited daily from 8:30am to 3pm. There is a fine new restroom facility at the site and the guard will provide a brochure about the site if asked. As of May 2009, there was no admission fee. The road to the citadel is narrow in places but paved. The walls are quite well preserved and there is adequate explanatory signage for all the ruins accessible to the public. As is common at Greek archaeological sites, the weeds can be several feet tall so wearing pants is recommended. The nearby Mycenaean cemetery at Dendra was closed without explanation in May 2009, although it is supposedly open from 8:30am - 3pm per the signs on the gate. Both ruins are signposted from the main road. The signs are brown.