A BEAUTIFUL and elaborate carving on a tiny rock found in an ancient Greek warrior's grave has dumbfounded history experts.

When the 3,500-year-old tomb of the "Griffin Warrior" was discovered at Pylos in Greece, an agate with an intricate scene of warriors in combat was discovered - and it could rewrite our understanding of the ancient world.

5 The agate stone has an astonishingly detailed battle scene on it Credit: WIKIMEDIA

5 A reproduction of the engraving shows the amazing talent of the sculptor Credit: University of Cincinnati

The stone-lined chamber was discovered in 2015 and held one man in a wooden coffin with precious objects around his body.

There were more than 50 stones and one of these was the "Pylos Combat Agate", an agate almond-shaped bead 3.6cm long, with a hole for string so it could be worn on the neck or wrist.

The carving is so tiny that a microscope is required to see all the details - some of which are just half a millimetre in size.

Incredibly, there was no known such magnifying tool in the ancient Greek world.

5 This close-up reveals the incredible detail in the carving

5 Dr Sharon Stocker, who led the excavation that unearthed the amazing trinket Credit: University of Cincinnati

It has been called "the finest work of glyptic art produced in the Aegean Bronze Age" by the University of Cincinnati's Dr Sharon Stocker, who led the excavation with her husband Jack Davis.

She said: "One side is engraved with a scene of combat that draws on the rich iconography of battle scenes known from Minoan Crete, the early Mycenaean period on the Greek mainland, and the Aegean islands.

"Two warriors appear to contest the body of a third.

"Although formulaic in composition, the level of detail in the weapons and clothing is without parallel, as is the attention given to the physiognomy of the human bodies."

5 It was found in the 3,500-year-old tomb of the 'Griffin Warrior' Credit: Polaris

The muscular torso and arms of the principal figure, perhaps the Griffin Warrior himself, are particularly impressive.

Dr Stocker added: "The artist shows a complete comprehension of male anatomy and is able to render this on an object that is less than 4cm long.

"Looking at the image for the first time was a very moving experience for us and it still is. It has brought some people to tears."

The seal was encrusted with lime, so that the design only emerged when the seal was cleaned.

"We came to realise that we had unearthed a masterpiece  one that had the potential to shed light on myth and legend in the Late Bronze Age," the professors said.

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