Our knowledge of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece is based primarily upon what archaeologists have been able to discover. Fortunately, they have located and studied the ruins of a number of important Mycenaean sites both in Greece and in Troy, the site of Homer’s “Ilium” in Turkey. The material available to archaeologists is very limited, due to the ravages of time, weather, fire, and theft. The materials that have survived include objects such as jewelry, pottery, metal utensils, and various kinds of weapons. In addition, archaeologists have found a large number of clay tablets, inscribed with a language called “Linear B,” which they can read. It now becomes clear that the Mycenaean civilization in full bloom far surpassed in complexity and wealth many of the Greek civilizations that followed it. The Mycenaeans were an aggressive people who loved fighting, hunting, and athletic contests. Their land was mountainous and their soil rocky and dry. Therefore, they took to the sea and became fearsome raiders of other communities. In this way they acquired extraordinary wealth.