The palatial complex on the naturally protected hill of Ano Englianos was the administrative centre of the kingdom of Pylos, which extended throughout Messenia in the 13th century BC. It has been associated with the Homer’s king Nestor, who took part in the Trojan war. It was excavated by American scientific expeditions under the direction of Carl Blegen. It is the best preserved Mycenaean palatial complex in mainland Greece and one of the largest Mycenaean centers of the Late Bronze Age (1680-1200 B.C.) in the Aegean. In contrast with the other Mycenaean palaces of mainland Greece, the acropolis at Englianos was not fortified with strong Cyclopean walls during the height of its power (1300-1200 B.C.).

The complex consists of four principal buildings: the Main Building (or the Palace of Nestor), the Southwestern Building (or the Palace of Neleus) and two other smaller buildings, the Wine Magazine and the Northeastern Building (a workshop and/or an armory). The palatial buildings had upper floors, official and residential rooms, workshops, storerooms, spacious courtyards, a drainage system, light wells, and baths; the most important rooms were adorned with wall paintings such as this one depicting a lyre-player. Most noteworthy are the “Throne Room” with a large circular hearth, a bath with its clay tub, the archives and the storage rooms, complete with pithoi for the storage of olive oil and wine. A detailed, well organised archive was kept as part of the palatial administration of the kingdom. It was written on clay tablets using the Linear B script, the first Greek script, with symbols corresponding to syllables. The palace was destroyed by a large-scale fire in the late 13th or early 12th cent. BC. The town spread down the slopes and terraces below the acropolis and along the Englianos Ridge. Royal tholos tombs and the so-called Griffin Warrior grave have been found in a short distance to the north and south of the acropolis, while a cemetery of chamber tombs was extended on a ridge descending to the west.