Gla

Gla (Γλα), also called Glas (Γλας), was an important fortified site of the Mycenaean civilization, located in Boeotia, mainland Greece. Despite its impressive size, more than ten times larger than contemporary Athens or Tiryns, Gla is not mentioned in the Iliad. The ancient name of the site is unknown. Despite much speculation, it has not been identified with any of the placenames in the Iliad's Catalogue of Ships. The modern local population calls the site Palaiokastro (Παλαιόκαστρο "ancient fortress"). The name Gla comes from the Arvanitic goulas (γουλάς‎), ultimately borrowed from Turkish kulle 'tower'. There is also a settlement on the south side of the former Lake Copais named Goulas (Γουλάς‎). The site is located on a limestone outcrop or hill that jutted into Lake Kopais (now drained) or formed an island within it. The flat-topped outcrop rises up to 38m above the surrounding area. It measures circa 900 x 575m (at the widest point). Excavation revealed much detail about the fortification walls (which were always visible) and, on the interior, remains of buildings from the Mycenaean period. The fortification encloses an area of nearly 20 hectares, about 10 times as much as the Mycenaean citadels of Athens or Tiryns. The walls surrounding Gla were about 3 m thick, and 2.8 km long, enclosing about 235,000 square meters of land. These massive walls were made from Cyclopean masonry. In many locations they are built directly on the cliffs that form the limit of the outcrop. It had four gates, an unusually high number for a Mycenaean fortification, in the north, west, south and southeast. Elaborate built ramps led to the gates. The fortification can be dated to early Late Helladic III B, that is, circa 1300 BC. Within the walls, there was thought to be a palatial complex, but recent evidence has pointed in the direction of a military establishment with much storage space. Of all the space that is enclosed within the walls of Gla, there are very few permanent structures, and they take up less than a quarter of the space inside the walls.