8 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Unique work of Minoan art, the Pylos Combat Agate must be the David of the Prehistoric era

Found in a Greek tomb dating back 3,500 years, the artifact is so well designed that it looks as lively and realistically muscular as a Renaissance piece.

In 2016, archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati were excavating a Mycenaean site in the Pylos region when they discovered an unexpected find: the entire tomb of a Bronze Age Warrior named “Griffon Warrior” dating from around 1500 B.C. The find was dubbed “one of the finest works of prehistoric Greek art ever discovered” by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports at the time.

At first glance, it didn’t appear to be much. A 3.6-centimetre-long (1.4-inch-long) chunk of stone encrusted in a layer of limestone.

After more than a year of cleaning, experts unearthed an exquisitely carved gem: an agate sealstone, used for stamping an image into clay or wax, dubbed “one of the best pieces of Mycenaean art ever discovered.”

Researchers believe it has the potential to change the history of ancient Greek art.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Pylos Combat Agate
Pylos Combat Agate didn’t look like much at first. A small piece of stone, just 3.6 centimeters (1.4 inches) in length, encrusted in a layer of limestone. Photo: The Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati

It shows a warrior, victoriously plunging his sword into a second foe, the first already defeated and crumpled on the ground at their feet. It’s been named the Pylos Combat Agate.

Researchers say the face of the seal stone bears a representation of combat that draws on the iconography of battle scenes known from the Shaft-Grave period mainland and Neopalatial Crete. The level of detail in the representation of weapons and clothing, like the attention given to the physiognomy of the human bodies, is without parallel.

The tomb itself, which was discovered in 2015, was a stunning find. Inside was an exceptionally well-preserved Mycenaean skeleton called as a Griffin Warrior after an ivory plaque engraved with the figure of a griffin that was buried alongside him.

The tomb was brimming with treasure. At least 3,000 pieces, including gold rings, silver cups, a sword with gold embroidery on the hilt, over 1,000 rare stone-carved beads, a suit of bronze armor, ivory combs, a gold necklace, and more than 50 seal stones.

Photo: T. Ross/The Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati

These artifacts indicated a diverse and profound civilization. Many of the burial items were Minoan in origin, demonstrating that the cultural contact between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans was greater and wider than previously assumed.

The Pylos Combat Agate, on the other hand, is a rare and sublime object, according to the experts.

“What is fascinating is that the representation of the human body is at a level of detail and musculature that one doesn’t find again until the classical period of Greek art 1,000 years later,” said researcher Jack Davis of the University of Cincinnati.

“It shows that their ability and interest in representational art, particularly movement and human anatomy, is beyond what it was imagined to be. Combined with the stylised features, that itself is just extraordinary.”

The skill and sophistication required to make such an intricate carving is unequaled by anything from the era – so detailed that photomicroscopy is needed to view them properly. Photo: The Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati

Experts believe it was carved with a magnifying glass, despite the fact that archaeologists have yet to discover any magnifying instruments from that era.

The ability and complexity necessary to create such an exquisite carving are unparalleled in the age – so detailed that photomicroscopy is required to adequately observe them.

It’s also unclear what the stone portrays, but it’s likely a popular legend of the period, according to University of Cincinnati researcher Shari Stocker.

The Griffin Warrior’s identity is still unknown, but he’ll be recognized for his contribution to anthropology, archaeology, and art history if nothing else. Work on the artifacts discovered in his tomb is still ongoing.

Related Articles

Lost Voices of Teotihuacan: Scientists May Have Deciphered the Ancient City’s Language

7 October 2025

7 October 2025

More than 1,500 years after its decline, the ancient metropolis of Teotihuacan is yielding what may be one of Mesoamerica’s...

Researchers have unveiled text concealed beneath an intricate decorative layer of gold leaf on a page of the famous Blue Qur’an

19 November 2024

19 November 2024

Using multispectral imaging techniques, researchers from the Zayed National Museum have uncovered text hidden beneath an intricate layer of gold...

Mystery of Knaresborough Roman hoard revealed by Newcastle experts

13 January 2024

13 January 2024

Archaeologists at Newcastle University have investigated one of the most unusual late-Roman metalware ever discovered in the British Isles. Although...

With the withdrawal of Lake Van, the Urartian road to Çarpanak Island emerged

18 May 2022

18 May 2022

In Lake Van in eastern Turkey, the water level fell due to global warming, and a one-kilometer Urartian road connecting...

Tomb of a Roman doctor buried with unique surgical tools unearthed in Hungary

28 April 2023

28 April 2023

Hungarian archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Roman doctor 1st-century man buried with high-quality surgical tools near the city of...

2-Meter-Long Stone Block Found at 12,000-Year-Old Boncuklu Tarla Site in Southeastern Türkiye

18 December 2024

18 December 2024

A remarkable 2-meter by 20-centimeter processed stone block was discovered during the archaeological excavations at Boncuklu Tarla (Beaded Field), which...

The 20-million-year-old fossil of a sea creature in the ancient city of Tyana may have been used as a means of payment

22 October 2021

22 October 2021

During the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Tyana in the Kemerhisar district of Niğde, a 20-million-year-old fossil thought...

Archaeologists discovered 130 dwellings around the Ringheiligtum Pömmelte monument “German Stonehenge”

15 June 2021

15 June 2021

Archaeologists have unearthed 130 dwellings at an Early Bronze Age monument in Germany, indicating that the ‘Stonehenge’ was once home...

Bronze belt of Urartian warrior found in the ancient city Satala

29 May 2022

29 May 2022

During the excavations in the ancient city of Satala, located in the Kelkit district of Gümüşhane province in Turkey, a...

The New Study Says the Iranian Plateau in the Pleistocene is a Bridge Between East and West

19 May 2021

19 May 2021

Iranian researchers say the Iranian plateau served as a migration route between East and West during the Pleistocene period, which...

Ancient Babylon Excavation Uncovers 478 Artifacts Including Cuneiform Tablets, and Cylindrical Seals

16 October 2024

16 October 2024

The Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) announced that 478 artifacts were uncovered during an excavation expedition in...

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

26 June 2023

26 June 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a...

Europe’s earliest cities had a predominantly vegetarian diet

27 December 2023

27 December 2023

The population of the Copper Age mega-sites in what is now Ukraine and Moldova had a predominantly vegetarian diet. In...

Rare 6th-Century BCE Wash Basin ‘Louterion’ Discovered in Malta

11 September 2024

11 September 2024

Archaeological investigations, initiated by a proposal to build a 130-meter-long boulder revetment along the shore of Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk to...

Archaeologists Discover Unique Hieroglyphic Version of Ptolemy III’s Canopus Decree

10 September 2025

10 September 2025

Archaeologists in Egypt uncover a rare and complete hieroglyphic version of the Canopus Decree of King Ptolemy III at Tell...