Prehistoric Aegean

Funerary Mask, from Grave Circle A, Mycenae, creece, ca. 1600-1500 BCE. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

The Funerary Mask is one made of gold. It was one of many found in the royal burial complex. Not quite sure of who the particular person it is fashioned after. It is mentioned in text to possibly be nothing more than a mature man, as is indicated by the facial features (eyes being closed) along with the beard. The goldsmith who had rendered this work took great care in recording different physical types. I chose this art work because it is one that is supposedly often compared to boy-king Tutankhamen's gold mummy mask. Of course there is a great difference in style where the Mycenaean mask is more primitive then that of the Tutankhamen's, but similarly it is easy to note that both masks had something to do with death, and both were made from gold, adding a significant amount of value to the works.

Religiously I am interested in their beliefs of why it was important to take with them to the grave such extravigant things as golden masks. It leans into the idea that sense these particular matierals that had brought supposed happiness in this life it was hoped that they too would have such value in the next life. It then makes a difference in what some value to be more important that what others may. In the LDS religion it is believed that the materials we have in this life will have no value in the life to come. The only things that we can take with us, and that should be our greatest treasures, are our relationships as well as the knowledge we have gained in this life. To compare these things with that of the gold masks, and treasures of a more materialistic form, it would be interesting to see how they might have looked upon family or knowledge, and why was it they chose rather to emmerse themselves after death in things such as gold and jewels rather than by family, or the things that they had learned.