beehive tomb

Cross section of Treasury of Atreus, a beehive tomb at Mycenae Dromos entrance to the Treasury of Atreus The Lion Tholos Tomb at Mycenae. Of note are the ashlar stomion (of conglomerate) and dromos while the chamber itself remains made of smaller stones, placing the tomb in Wace's second group A beehive tomb, also known as a tholos tomb (plural tholoi; from Greek: θολωτός τάφος, romanized: tholotós táphos, θολωτοί τάφοι tholotoi táphoi, "domed tomb(s)"), is a burial structure characterized by its false dome created by corbelling, the superposition of successively smaller rings of mudbricks or, more often, stones. The resulting structure resembles a beehive, hence the traditional English name.

Tholoi were used for burial in several cultures in the Mediterranean and West Asia, but in some cases they were used for different purposes such as homes (Cyprus), rituals (Bulgaria, Syria), and even fortification (Spain, Sardinia). Although Max Mallowan used the same name for the circular houses belonging to the Neolithic culture of Tell Halaf (Iraq, Syria and Turkey), there is no relationship between them.