Scholars have argued that Mycenaean elites (16^th-12^th c. BCE) in Greece drew power from their ancestors and were reliant on that source of power for their continued success.

Based on a detailed examination of the dates of the tombs’ use, the wealth of the artifacts in them, and location of the tombs at Pylos, Dr. Joanne Murphy argues that the metaphysical components and significance of the mortuary arena and ancestors at Pylos fluctuated and, instead of having a constant static function, the manipulation of the ancestors cycled in relation to the changing political economy at the palace.