I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon!

The Mask of Agamemnon is considered by many historians as the Mona Lisa of prehistoric artifacts. 

The golden funerary mask was discovered by amateur German archaeologist Heinrich Schilieman in 1876 in Mycenae, Greece.

He was so captivated by the discovery that he is said to have ecstatically sent a telegram to King George of Greece saying "I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon!" 

But who exactly was Agamemnon and what makes this one artifact particularly special?

Well...

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaean forces (the Greeks) during the Trojan War.

He is mentioned in various ancient Greek works, most prominently in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, which recount the events of the Trojan War. 

Schilieman was obsessed with the stories of Homer and he dedicated part of his life to unveiling the actual physical remains of the cities mentioned in Homer's epic tales. 

He took the discovery of “Agamemnon’s Mask” as confirmation that the Trojan War was in fact a real historical event.

But Schilieman's notorious reputation for falsely placing artifacts in famous historical sites led to significant controversy surrounding the authenticity of the golden funerary mask.

Was this one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time? Or was it a cunning hoax?

Later research would confirm the mask as being genuine. It really does date back to the 16th century BC. So it is in fact real. 

Schilieman did really discover one of the greatest ancient artifacts of our time.

But it also didn't belong to Agamemnon. 

You see, if Agamemnon existed at all, he would have lived centuries later. The mask pre-dates the period of the Trojan War by some 400 years.

So who did this mysterious mask belong to?