dromos

architecture

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June 25, 2026

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A dromos is an architectural term referring to a passage leading to an ancient Egyptian or Mycenaean subterranean tomb. It can also describe a long and narrow ground plan in architecture.12

In Mycenaean Greece, the dromos was a key feature of tholos tombs, which were monumental beehive-shaped structures. These tombs typically had a narrow entranceway, the dromos, often lined with stones, leading to a doorway and then the circular burial chamber. This architectural element was also found in rock-cut family tombs, which became common in Mycenaean civilization. The term "dromic" itself relates to a racecourse or having a long, narrow shape.32

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Aegean civilizations
The Shaft Grave Period on the mainland (c. 1600–1450)
…parts: a narrow entranceway, or dromos, often lined with fieldstones and later with cut stones; a deep doorway, or stomion, covered over with one to three lintel blocks; and a circular chamber with a high vaulted or corbeled roof, the thalamos. When the facades are finely dressed with cut stones…
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…parts: a narrow entranceway, or dromos, often lined with fieldstones and later with cut stones; a deep doorway, or stomion, covered over with one to three lintel blocks; and a circular chamber with a high vaulted or corbeled roof, the thalamos. When the facades are finely dressed with cut stones…
Read More