The Griffin Warrior from Pylos ruled his homeland

Using new scientific tools, University of Cincinnati archaeologists discovered that an ancient Greek leader known today as the Griffin Warrior likely grew up around the seaside city he would one day rule.

The findings are part of three new studies published in the journal Science that examined the ancient DNA of the Griffin Warrior and 726 other people who lived before and during the Bronze Age to learn more about their origins and movements across three continents surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

1) A forensic reconstruction by Lynne Schepartz and Tobias Houlton imagines what the Griffin Warrior might have looked like. Credits: Lynne Schepartz and Tobias Houlton/HVRU/University of Witwatersrand; 2) University of Cincinnati Classics professor Jack Davis, top, and senior research associate Sharon Stocker discovered the tomb of the Griffin Warrior in 2015. The tomb contained weapons, armor and precious jewelry that is helping to shape our understanding of ancient Greece. Credits: Robert McCabe; 3) University of Cincinnati professor Carl Blegen led UC Classics' excavations of the Palace of Nestor in Pylos, Greece in 1939. Pictured, workers excavate the site. Credits: UC Classics; 4) UC senior research associate Sharon Stocker supervises the excavation of the tomb of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos, Greece. A new ancient DNA analysis revealed the warrior was from the area that he would one day rule. Credits: Jack Davis/UC Classics.