Schliemann’s obsession from first to last was in finding the “true locations” of Homeric legend. He was to excavate sites in the Peloponnese, where his search for Mycenaean treasures certainly resulted in some spectacular finds. In 1876, a gold funerary mask of stunning beauty and workmanship was unearthed and instantly designated by Schliemann (on no compelling evidentiary grounds) “The Mask of Agamemnon.” We now know that this artifact predated the Trojan War, and therefore the life of Agamemnon, by a good four hundred years.
