Grave Circle A is a 16th century BC royal cemetery situated to the south of the Lion Gate, the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in southern Greece. This burial complex was initially constructed outside the walls of Mycenae and ultimately enclosed in the acropolis when the fortification was extended during the 13th century BC. Grave Circle A and Grave Circle B, the latter found outside the walls of Mycenae, represents one of the significant characteristics of the early phase of the Mycenaean civilization. The site circle has a diameter of 27.5 m and contains six shaft graves. The site was excavated by the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1876, following the descriptions of Homer and Pausanias. One of the five gold death masks he unearthed became known as 'The Death Mask of Aggamemnon', ruler of Mycenae, of Greek mythology, since proved to post-date the burials.