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Ellen Adams

Representing the anthropomorphic form in the Minoan world

Although the legendary figure of King Minos has cast a long shadow over Cre-

tan studies, the concept ofMinoan personal identity has received surprisingly lit-

tle attention. I propose to redress this situation by reviewing questions of iden-

tity and difference through a variety of evidence, ranging from frescoes to bur-

ial practices and from seals to figurines. In recent years, wider social theory has

been tackling the slippery notions of personhood and the body; building upon

this, I aim to re-analyze how people are represented through art and burial and

also in association with artefacts in Late Bronze Age Knossos, capital of Crete.

Particular facets ofMinoan identity, notably gender, have previously been ex-

plored, and scholars have sought the missing ruler the dominant male sover-

eign with limited success. I shall investigate how relationships between people

are depicted in different media, such as the formation and representation of in-

dividual versus group identities. Phenomenological studies have permeated land-

scape archaeology, but they have been criticized for their inability to integrate the

individual into his/her surroundings. An examination of the represented one

and the many will explicitly address this problem. For example, both key indi-

viduals and crowd scenes are depicted in the frescoes, representing idealized sin-

gle persons/elite few and the social body.

I shall focus onKnossian figured iconography (frescoes and sealings), figurines

and burials, charting the changes between the Neopalatial and Final Palatial pe-

riods. Some of this material is fragmentary both fragments of originals, and re-

constructed fragments of archaeologists imaginations but there remains an ap-

propriate range. I will analyze the two-way, dynamic relationships between au-

dience and media, viewer and viewed, or agent and experienced, incorporating

these various immobile and mobile, two- and three-dimensional sources. My

methodology will highlight the correlations and tensions between these patterns

of data, which will best reveal the myriad facets of identity.

Points of comparison in the database include: date, context, material/medi-

um, absolute size (miniature or life-sized), relative size (scale), overlapping or free-

standing figures, patterns in compositions of figures, background, dress, gesture,

pose and attributes. In addition, how do representations of anthropomorphic fig-

ures accord with mortuary practices? Is the treatment of the body in death a rep-

resentation for the living? Regarding change through time, there is a shift from

relatively invisible Neopalatial burial practices to major investment in this

sphere, while fewer figured seals date to the Final Palatial period. Does this in-

dicate changes in personal identity and, if so, what?

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Maria Emanuela Alberti

Vessels in cooking fabric from Petras House I (LM IA)

The focus of the present work are the vessels in cooking fabrics from Petras House

I, dating to LM IA. At themoment, a general and systematic study ofMinoan cook-

ing ware is still missing. However, sincemany contributions on the evidence from

various sites are available, the main technical, typological and functional char-

acteristics of the class have been investigated, as well as major chronological and

geographical distribution patterns. As for Petras in particular, the study of the ves-

sels in cooking fabric from another Neopalatial structure, House II (LM IB), al-

ready completed, allowed a development of the established typology and some

observations on chronological and regional factors. The analysis is now extend-

ed to the assemblage fromHouse I (LM IA) where the percentage of various types

of cooking pot is different and where various kinds of trays and trapezes (prob-

ably to be identified as pithos lids and/or drain-heads) are particularly abundant.

Lucia Alberti

Continuit e discontinuit nellarchitettura funeraria di Cnosso fra Medio e

Tardo Minoico

Unodei temi pi controversi dellarcheologia egea certamente la supposta presenza

micenea a Cnosso nella fase successiva alle distruzioni del TM IB. La presunta di-

scontinuit nellambito dei costumi funerari di Cnosso e dellarea immediatamente

circostante nel TM II-IIIA1 una delle argomentazioni spesso citate a favore di tale

presenza continentale. In questa fase, infatti, nuovi tipi di tombe monocamera, a

fossa e a pozzo con nuovi corredi caratterizzati da armi e vasi in bronzo sembra-

no apparire allimprovviso. Tali tipologie funerarie sono state positivamente messe

a confronto con tombe continentali cronologicamente precedenti o contemporanee,

ma la loro interpretazione come tombe di personaggi provenienti dal continente ri-

sulta ancora oggimolto controversa e uno dei punti sensibili dellarcheologia egea.

Unodegli aspetti non ancora del tutto approfondito e sul quale permangonouna

serie di incertezze la presunta continuit o discontinuit delle tipologie architet-

toniche in discussione. In queste sede verranno analizzate in particolare la tipolo-

gia della tomba a tholos e quella della tomba a camera.

possibile parlare di continuit, anche solo ideale, fra le tholoiMMequelle che

compaiono a partire dal TMII? E per ci che concerne la tomba a camera, quali sono

gli elementi comuni e le differenze fra le tombe a cameraMM-TMI e quelle che com-

paiono dal TM II in poi nellarea di Cnosso? In chemisura tali tipologie architetto-

niche possono essere considerate delle vere novit al momento della loro diffusio-

ne nellarea intorno al Palazzo?

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Eva Alram-Stern

The network of the Kampos Group: Crete in context

The Kampos Group is an Aegean cultural phenomenon dating to the end of Ear-

ly Cycladic I. In its distribution and homogeneity it is a forerunner to the Early

Bronze II cultural groups of the Aegean koine. However, its character differs con-

siderably from this of the succeeding period by the emergence of culturally ho-

mogenous coastal settlements around the Aegean Sea. This paper intends to high-

light their similarities and local traits and to compare them with the well known

sites at the Cretan north coast.

Tomas Alusik

Rural aspects of Minoan Crete

This paper will focus on the research of rural aspects ofMinoan Crete, which were

considered to be marginal since the beginning of last century. Since the first sys-

tematic excavations in Crete, Minoan civilization has been interpreted mostly as

a palatial civilization whose basic centres were large architectonic complexes with

inner courtyard labeled palaces and similar, and smaller buildings labeled vil-

las. These edifices had administrative, economic and religious functions. The re-

search of such structures is still in progress and, especially on the basis of its re-

sults, Minoan Crete is presented as a well-developed palatial civilization with a

dense network of palaces and villas. Much less attention has been paid to other,

less attractive or minor features of Minoan civilization, and the possible con-

tribution of small rural sites to the better knowledge of Minoan Crete was rather

underestimated.

Therefore, my attention will be centred on small rural or rustic sites, which

formed the important economic hinterland of large settlements or palatial/villa

centres. Since theWorldWar II, up to several thousands of all kinds of prehistoric

sites including the numerous group of small rural sites characterized mostly by

remains of one or several buildings and terrace walls were discovered during sur-

face survey projects. However, only a few of the sites in question weremore close-

ly described or surveyed. Only recently similar sites have been investigated in three

regions. [SENSE? Moreover, in most cases [the] sites with a single building have

been examined and only several/a few? of them have been excavated] What do

you mean?.

In this paper I will present several examples of such sites and, especially, try

to understand their particular functions and place within the settlement hierar-

chy and pattern. Chronology, architectural typology (including topography) and

social aspects belong, also, to the key points of this paper. Finally, the overall con-

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text of the sites in question and their relations to large settlements and palatial cen-

tres should be cleared up.

Several appropriatemodelmicro-regions will be designatedwithin Crete (based

on topography, number of sites and publications) andwill be processed by detailed

multistage analysis including GIS studies and 3D-software reconstructions in

several different ways. A general picture and the contexts of Minoan rural sites

in larger geographical units, even on the whole island, can be deduced eventual-

ly, based on the results of these analyses.

Maria Anastasiadou

Seals with centred-circles in the Aegean Bronze Age

The paper presents a group of seals which, on account of their very similar shape,

material, cutting technique and iconography, are seen as the product of one work-

shop. Characteristic of these seals are round seal faces, the use of soft stones, en-

graving by hand tools, chaffing which creates soft, at times plastic intaglios, and

a preference for the depiction of human and animal heads.

On the basis of contextual evidence, the group is dated toMM Il/MM III (Mid-

dleMinoan). Themajority of its representatives have been recovered at Knossos,

which suggests that the workshop producing themwas located in this area. A com-

parison of the iconography of these seals with otherMM soft and hard stone seals

shows that they fit well within the MM glyptic of Central Crete. Thus, not only

do the ornamental themes on these seals find parallels to thosemet onMM II soft

stone seals produced in the Mesara, but also some of the themes of the human

and animal heads are easily comparable to those on impressions of hard stone seals

from Knossos and Phaistos.

As regards the development ofMinoan glyptic, the group is of interest because

its representatives combine ornamental themes, which are typical of theMMII glyp-

tic, with naturalistic depictions of figuralmotifs, which can be seen as the first reg-

ular representatives of the naturalistic tendency on Minoan soft stone seals.

Eva Andersson Strand, Joanne Cutler

Textile production at three Middle Minoan centres

A large number of loomweights of different types have been found inMiddleMi-

noan contexts at Knossos, Phaistos andMalia, QuartierMu. The presence of loom

weights indicates the use of the warp-weighted loom, in these contexts associat-

ed with other than household production. In the past, variations in loom weight

shape have generally been explained in terms of cultural, geographical and chrono-

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logical factors. In contrast, recent research has considered some aspects of shape

as a direct indication of loomweight function. This new approach, which is based

on extensive experimental archaeology, has made it possible to render textile craft

visible, even if the textiles themselves are not preserved.

In this presentationwewill consider the evidence fromKnossos, Phaistos andMalia,

Quartier Mu, and discuss what light it can shed on the nature of textile produc-

tion at these palatial sites during the Middle Minoan period.

Sabine Beckmann

Middle Bronze Age mountain-farms in the area of Agios Nikolaos, Crete

The slopes of Mount Katharo Tsivi, Agios Nikolaos, have provided evidence that

the area was populated from the beginning of the Minoan Protopalatial period,

in parts until LM III: Over 3Minoan buildings occupied an area of ca. 3 square

kilometers, at an altitude between and 1 m. These buildings are isolated,

but not farther apart than ca. 4 m. Most of the structures were at least partly

built with large blocks, occasionally employing stones of over tons in weight.

The marginal agricultural region, today used for herding and, until recently, for

small-scale mixed agriculture, has fortunately keptmany of theMinoan structures

well preserved (over 5 ruins still stand in parts up to 1,5 m).

Identifiable remains include not only buildings, but also round structures (sim-

ilar structures are called kouloures at the Minoan palaces) and long (7-1

m, occasionally longer) enclosure walls that surround nearly all of the structures.

These periboloswalls, often constructedwith large stones aswell, associate the build-

ings with plots of land of various sizes (average ca. 3.4 hectares), suggesting that

the installations were used as farmsteads. A. Evans and other archaeologists who

saw several of the ruins near the ancientmain road believed them to have been forts

or watch towers. The sites and enclosures are interconnected by an unexpectedly

well-planned network of paths and roads and are situated nevermore than ca. 5

m from some source of water, showing that this marginal area was systematical-

ly settled and structured from the Middle Bronze Age.

John Bennet, Amy Bogaard, Eleni Hatzaki

First view: The cityscape of Bronze Age nossos on Lower Gypsades

After over a century of fieldwork at Knossos, our knowledge of the layout and or-

ganization of the Bronze Age city still relies heavily on the excavation of isolat-

ed plots, the result of systematic and rescue excavations, leaving the cityscape of

the largest settlement in the Aegean largely unknown.

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This paper presents the results of a geophysical survey (magnetometry and

resistivity) conducted on Lower Gypsades. The area, located south of the palace,

beyond the Vlychia stream and along the northern half of the Gypsades hill, was

chosen as the only part of the Bronze Age city which is not buried under exten-

sive Greek and Roman occupation levels. The aim of the project is to provide an

overview of the nature and density of the urban outer sett1ement in order to of-

fer new information about the extent, nature, and organization of a major part

of Knossoss southern suburbs. In addition, the results of the geophysical survey

are analyzed in the context of previous archaeological discoveries in the Knos-

sos area, and are also compared to the picture of the urban layout of other ma-

jor centres in Bronze Age Crete.

Katrin Bernhardt

Mycenaean imports to Crete: Some thoughts on the interrelations between the

Greek mainland and Crete

This paper investigates the interrelations between theMycenaean mainland and

Crete during LH/LM IIIA1 to LH/LM IIIB.My particular focus lies on imported

Mycenaean pottery; however, the starting point for such a study, which needs clear

assignments of vases to production centres, is problematic. Scientific researchmeth-

ods, such as petrographic and chemical analyses, have only been applied to a lim-

ited number of assemblages. In contrast, a much larger amount of pottery has been

labeled as imports and assigned to production centres on stylistic reasons only.

These assignments have to be discussed.

On the basis of preliminary statistics, I will bring forward a detailed analy-

sis of vessel shapes imported to Crete, which shows that in comparison to other

regions of theMediterranean, for example the Levant, different vessel shapes seem

to have been preferred for import.

This fact suggests close relations to the mainland which are on the one hand

linked to the import of various goods. On the other hand this may also be an in-

dicator for the social behaviour of the Minoans during this period.

Philip P. Betancourt, Susan C. Ferrence

Excavation of the LM I to LM III Farmstead at Chrysokamino-Chomatas

The excavation of an isolatedmegalithic farmstead near Kavousi in East Crete un-

covered an interesting building with two chronological phases. The architectural

complex is near the earlier smelting site of Chrysokamino, and pottery from the

same period as the smelting site there suggests thismay be the settlement that sup-

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ported the copper smelting workshop at that location, but all of the architecture

was later. The earlier of the two excavated building phases dated to LM IB, and it

consisted of several rooms constructed on bedrock. The building went out of use

in LM IB-Final, contemporary with the destruction at nearby Mochlos. The lat-

er phase, whichwas substantially larger, was fromLM IIIA to LM IIIB. It had amas-

sive external wall and an interior courtyard with several rooms opening off of the

court. One room was a kitchen with a stone hearth. Many animal bones suggest

that in LM III the buildingwas a farmstead engaged in raising animals and in farm-

ing. The building yielded bronzes, sealstones, and substantial amounts of pottery.

Fritz Blakolmer

Iconography versus reality: Goddesses and gods in Minoan Crete

By studying the iconography of deities in the Aegean Bronze Age, we come across

a multitude of fundamental difficulties of definition as well as across contradic-

tions between the evidence of images and of written sources. Some of these prob-

lems are due to the history of research (e. g. theMinoan Snake goddess) or based

on highly improbable conceptions of a Minoanmonotheism. Since it seems rea-

sonable to assign a highly pluralistic character to the Cretan divine kosmos at least

from theNeopalatial period onwards, some basicmethodological questions of how

to define distinct gods and goddesses in the iconography of the Bronze Age Aegean

are raised. Although scholars have defined a multitude of distinct male and fe-

male deities in the figurative art ofMinoan Crete, the evidence appears rather am-

biguous and seems to suggest a Pantheon without attributes.

A possible key for a better understanding of the inconsistencies between iconog-

raphy and reality in Minoan religion could be delivered by applying a diachron-

ic perspective and by perceiving the functions of religion during the Neopalatial

period as a dynamic process. Therefore, a model of a sociopolitical strategy will

be proposed,which points to the creation of a standardized, uniform religious iconog-

raphy coined by the Knossian elite in order to remove regional diversities and

to realize political as well as social integration on the island of Crete and beyond.

Elisabetta Borgna

Metallurgical production and long-distance interaction: new evidence from

LM III Phaistos

Among the unpublished materials coming from the stratified deposits of the so-

called Casa a ovest del Piazzale I at LM III Phaistos some objects point to met-

allurgical activities. Such evidence is useful both for exploring the industrial func-

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tion of some lowland major LM IIIC settlements in the context of the Mediter-

ranean interaction at the close of the Late Bronze Age and for stressing in more

detail the close relationships between Crete and central Mediterranean.

The role of Crete within theMediterraneanmetallurgical koin of 13th-1th

c. B.C. will be discussed together with some chronological implications. Eventually

the settlement pattern of Late Bronze Age Crete will be re-evaluated taking into

particular consideration the interaction dynamics involving the lowland coastal

sites on the one hand and the highland inner settlements on the other hand.

Maria Bttcher, Gerhard Plath

The beginnings of bridge construction. The example of theMinoan road net-

work

After a short presentation of the Minoan road network and aspects in Trassen-

planung (planning road courses) we will point to the crossing of Cretan rivers

and rivulets.

Natural fords:Wewill show evidence of natural ford-passages. The recognizing

and the using up of natural facts are the essential pointers to talk about engineer-

technical planning. The state of ground, the resistance of abrasion, all clefts, faults

and gaps were to proof and the site was to recognize as suitable for a permanent

crossing. Such ford-passages were also evidence of key-points of the road-course.

The building of guardhouses was reflected to such sites, which were the essen-

tial points of the road layout. (f.e. Choiromandres)

Artificial fords: Examples of first artificial ford-passages will be presented. They

are stated at the same observance as for. But the lack of natural resources was now

artificial repaired. Small abysses were filled by big blocks, all gaps, clefts and cav-

ities were closed by stones until the sub-construction of the road. A dam-like con-

struction was arising. The down-under hollows were kept free for water flowing

through. (f.e. Lithoriako, Skafi)

Sideropetra: Tests in compressive strength and experimental quarrying have

given some characteristic facts of the broad spread of this stone in Crete. In con-

sidering this Cretan hard limestone, all aspects of static functions in walling will

be analyzed. Examples of MM II buildings show techniques in spanning spaces.

(f.e. Phourni, Platanos-Pobia, Choiromandres)

The Vlychia viaduct: The graphic reconstruction of the Vlychia viaduct (un-

der Sir A. Evanss direction) will be explained by examinig aspects of bridge-con-

structions in corbel technique. The static function of tholos-graves with their cir-

cular corbel construction will be analyzed. The development to linear corbel con-

structions will be shown. This change from circular to linear corbel techniques

could be considered as a technological jump in bridge building construction. One

can say that this was the beginning of constructive engineer planning.

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Gerald Cadogan

Are there any patterns? The destructions, disasters, abandonments, estab-

lishments and resettlements of Bronze Age Crete

This paper will attempt a summary view of the settlement history of Bronze Age

Crete, through the destructions, disasters, abandonments, establishments and re-

settlements that appear to have punctuated this history. In particular, I shall look

for any possible patterns, or recurrences of phenomena that may indicate simi-

lar causation, over the two millennia I shall examine. These factors will include:

the impact of earthquakes; the identification of enemy action, whether from in-

side Crete or from overseas; changing environmental conditions; changing po-

litical conditions; defence as a reason for choosing sites to settle; and the impli-

cations of resettlements and/or entirely new settlements in the same district, whether

including synoecisms (nucleations) or not.

This will of necessity be a cursory survey, but it is essential to include a brief

look at the island in both Neolithic times and in the Early Iron Age and later.

Ilaria Caloi

Funerary rituals in the Protopalatial period (MM IB-MM IIB): he evidence

from Kamilari and from the other Mesara tholos tombs

The aim of this paper is to present the funerary rituals attested in those tholos tombs

of the Mesara plain, in southern Crete, which were founded or re-used in MM

IB-MM IIB.

This paper aims at a deeper understanding of the funerary contexts of the

Mesara plain in the Protopalatial period, focusing first on the chronology of the

tholos tombs in use in the Protopalatial period, and then on their functions. In

particular, this work will try to answer a series of important questions, such as:

which tombs were founded in the Protopalatial period? In which phase of the Pro-

topalatial period the Prepalatial tombs were re-used?Which tombs were used (or

re-used) in the Protopalatial period for burials and which ones only for non-fu-

nerary rituals? Why this differentiation?

The new definition ofMM IB-MM IIB ceramic sequences that I have proposed

for Phaistos have persuaded me to reassess the chronology of the Mesara tholos

tombs in the Protopalatial period. In fact, new results from the study of the MM

IB-MM IIB ceramic material at Phaistos, together with the investigations I car-

ried out during the last years on theMM IB-MM IIB Kamilari material, have pro-

vided crucial support to understand the chronology of the ceramicmaterial com-

ing from those tholos tombs, which have revealed MM ceramic.

Since previous studies have clearly demonstrated that centres like Phaistos,

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Kommos andAyia Triada, as well asmost of the tholos tombs of theWesternMesara

shared the same ceramic tradition, I have used the ceramic sequence proposed

for Phaistos to re-study the Protopalatial material from Kamilari. This study has

allowedme to define the funerary rituals attested at Kamilari in the discrete phas-

es of the Protopalatial period, that is MM IB, MM IIA and MM IIB. Indeed, at

Kamilari it is possible to recognize a differentiation in the funerary rituals from

the beginning to the end of the Protopalatial times. The same work can be done

for the otherMesara tholos tombs used in the Protopalatial period. For example,

the funerary rituals attested in MM IB at Kamilari, that are mostly based on li-

bation rites rather than on food and drink consumption, can also be observed in

the cemetery of Ayia Triada A as well as in the cemetery of Koumasa. On the con-

trary, fromMM IIA until MM IIB, the funerary rituals are mostly based on drink

consumption as the high quantity of drinking vessels has demonstrated not only

for the cemetery of Kamilari, but also for those of Port and Platanos.

Tim Campbell-Green, Antonis Vasilakis

The Prepalatial settlement of Trypiti: The view from the pottery

The Prepalatial settlement of Trypiti is situated on a hill on the south coast in south-

central part of the island. Although a relatively small-scale settlement, its importance

is derived in part from the fact that it represents a domestic counterpoint in an

area that is, archaeologically, almost exclusively dominated bymortuary data, and

has, then, the potential to tell us much about how the people occupying the As-

terousia in the Early Bronze Age lived. Moreover, as the state of preservation was

particularly good, the process of occupation and abandonment can be observed,

andmodes of use and reuse noted. This paper examines the domestic realm through

the use and function of the pottery recovered from the site.

At least two distinct phases of occupation are visible in the ceramic record.

The first, dating to the later EM I period, is visible by the small, but significant,

numbers of sherds from this period spread over the crown of the hill, and is pre-

sumed to mark the foundation date of the settlement. Furthermore, it is almost

certainly the contributing settlement for the tholos tomb of Trypiti located some

5m to the south east of the settlement hill, and which seems to have been found-

ed at the period.

The later period, corresponding to the EM IIB/MM IA, makes up by far the

greater part of the excavated material and witnesses the construction of at least

four distinct housing units. Cooking pots and storage vessels are represented,

as one would expect from domestic habitation, as are cups and bowls for eating

and drinking, and spouted and larger vessels for pouring and serving. Further-

more, from the rubbish dumped in areas/rooms that went out use and were aban-

doned we can see not only patterns of pottery consumption, but also patterns of

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reuse in the pottery, providing a fascinating insight into the day-to-day existence

of an Early Bronze Age settlement.

Angeliki Chrysanthi

Walking inMinoan sites: a human centric approach to contemporarymovement

Planning interpretive walks constitutes an important aspect of archaeological her-

itage management and a critical part of the preventive conservation and en-

hancement of archaeological sites. In combination with other interpretative tools

it constitutes the main vehicle through which an archaeological site is presented

to the public. The introduction of specific paths is essential particularly in the cas-

es of prehistoric sites where limited applicable interventions for the improvement

of the sites readability are possible.

The emergence of new technologies in the field of public archaeology is an-

other key factor that needs to be considered towards this direction. The use ofmo-

bile andGPS technology, the virtual reconstructions, the applications of augmented

reality and a wide range of computational research cannot be ignored from the

planning process.

This paper is part of an on-going research which attempts to introduce a hy-

bridmodel for investigating contemporarymovement around archaeological sites.

Drawing upon the case ofMinoan sites, some key issues related to the current prac-

tices employedwill be addressedwhile considering a human centricmethodological

approach in investigating visitors movement. Finally, the input of novel Information

and Communication Technologies will be discussed in the context of interpre-

tive walks.

Nicola Cucuzza

La villa minoica di Kanni presso Mitropolis

Si espongono i risultati della revisione dei dati di scavo e dei materiali rinvenuti

nel corso dellindagine archeologica che, sotto la direzione di Doro Levi, nel 15

port alla luce la Villa di Kanni pressoMitropolis. Lo stato di pubblicazione solo

parziale dellimportante complesso (sostanzialmente limitato ad un solo artico-

lo preliminare di Levi) ha spinto ad intraprendere dal un esame comples-

sivo della documentazione disponibile e dei materiali rinvenuti in vista della edi-

zione dei dati noti, con la sola esclusione dei materiali neolitici.

Lo studio condotto consente di affermare che ledificio venne costruito sul sito

di un vasto insediamento neolitico; i resti di alcuni muri indicano lesistenza di

una fase architettonica pi antica della struttura neopalaziale; la presenza di ma-

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teriali del TM III anche nei vani occidentali indica che la frequentazione di quel

periodo non si limit ai soli ambienti orientali, dove furono trovati i noti esem-

plari di statuette delle dee dalle braccia alzate. Il rinvenimento di un kernos fit-

tile e quello di unurna-capanna indicano come larea fu oggetto di una frequen-

tazione cultuale anche durante le fasi finali dellEt del Bronzo; qualche statuet-

ta ed alcuni vasi fittili miniaturistici di epoca arcaica ed ellenistica testimoniano

qualche saltuaria deposizione votiva anche in epoca storica, con la probabile co-

struzione di una piccola edicola.

Massimo Cultraro

The LateNeolithic period at Prinias (north central Crete): Ceramic change and

technological innovation

This paper explores the unpublished pottery assemblage of the Late Neolithic/EM

I period found in the area of the Geometric and Archaic Cemetery at Siderospilia,

Prinias. The pottery complex was discovered during the archaeological explorations

carried out by the University of Catania (prof. G. Rizza), in the years 1-175.

The archaeological material comes from relatively well-stratified deposits, some

of which were excavated beneath the floor of the Geometric burials. A pit dug in

the soft calcareous rock gives us an additional assemblage of this phase impor-

tant in order to classify the ware according to fabrics and forms. In this fill oc-

cur numerousmudbricks, somewith plaster still adhering to their face, which could

represent the debris of a demolished building with plastered walls.

The pottery assemblage includes mostly themain fabric wares of the Late Ne-

olithic II found in Central Crete, as Pattern-Burnished Decoration and a Coarse

Red Fabric with large calcite inclusions, which has strong affinities with a com-

parable pottery group found in the Final Neolithic III at Knossos.

The Late Neolithic pottery at Prinias is characterised by two interlinked ce-

ramic traditions: one clearly rooted in a long history of ceramic development on

Crete (e.g. Phaistos, Knossos), and the othermarked by features such as the cheese-

pots, which shows strong links with the Late Chalcolithic of North Aegean and

South-East Anatolia.

Anna Lucia DAgata, Marie-Claude Boileau, Sara De Angelis

Do Italians do it better?Handmade burnishedware fromThronosKephala (an-

cient Sybrita)

Handmade Burnished Ware (HBW) is one of the most debated ceramic classes

of Late Palatial and Post Palatial Greece, whose chart of distribution includes the

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Mainland, Crete, Cyprus and the Levant. Recent studies have made clear that the

main parallels for HBWmay be found in the handmade production of Southern

Italy and, to a lesser extent, Northern Greece. In the last study seasons carried out

on the material from Thronos Kephala (ancient Sybrita) a group of sherds which

may be referred toHBWwas identified. Although a fragment of HBWwas already

known from the site, the circulation in the settlement of a few vases realized fol-

lowing a foreign tradition of pottery manufacture in the course of the 1th cen-

tury BC deserves a deeper enquiry. It is the aim of this paper to present some pre-

liminary results on this new archaeological evidence trying to assess its impor-

tance within the local context and in the wider world.

Sylviane Dderix

Towards a Reassesment of the mortuary diversity in Bronze Age Crete

The few Neolithic graves so far recongnized in Crete are simple inhumations in

rock shelters and caves, or intramural sepultures (mostly of children). In contrast

to the scarcity and low visibility of Neolithic funerary data, the Prepalatial evi-

dence displays a strong increase in conspicuous forms of burial: as early as the be-

ginning of the EarlyMinoan I period, formal cemeteries intending to host a large

number of individuals were established and funerary architecture was developed.

Early Minoan tombs are not only numerous; they also display an important in-

vestment of time and energy, as well as a great typological diversity. The various

burial practices of the Prepalatial period are generally described as highly re-

gionalized, stressing the cultural diversity of Early Minoan inhabitants. Indeed,

while funerary caves are known to exist almost all over Crete, tholos tombs are

prevalent in and around theMesara plain, house tombs are most common to the

Northeast and the East of the island, and Cycladic-type tombs occur sporadical-

ly along the northeast coast. Still, this pattern is not absolutely strict, some anom-

alies have to be explained, and chronological variations must be considered as

well. Moreover, even if tholoi and house tombs were not abandoned by the end

of the Prepalatial period, the dead became less visible as emphasized by the emer-

gence of underground type of burials (pithoi, larnakes, chamber tombs) from the

EM III phase and old cemeteries were gradually deserted. On the basis of an up-

dated catalogue ofMinoan tombs, this paper aims at a detailed reappraisal of the

spatial and chronological distribution of burial types. Calling on GIS services, we

will try to model the evolution of the Minoan funerary landscape from the be-

ginning of the Prepalatial period until the fall of the Second Palaces. As further

acknowledged by recent discoveries, such a reassessed overview is the needed pre-

liminary step towards a better understanding of the funerary diversity in Bronze

Age Crete.

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Maurizio Del Freo, Julien Zurbach

La prparation du Supplment au Recueil des Inscriptions en Linaire A

Cette communication a pour but de prsenter le travail entrepris, linvitation de

Louis Godart et Jean-Pierre Olivier, pour constituer un volume de supplment au

Recueil des Inscriptions en Linaire A dont le dernier volume (tudes Crtoises

XXI/5, cole franaise dAthnes) est paru en 15. Il sagit, selon les principes ta-

blis par les auteurs du Recueil, de prsenter une nouvelle dition de chaque texte

publi, selon des critres et une mthode uniformes. Cela pose un certain nom-

bre de questions, qui seront abordes ici, sur la nature et lampleur des index et

des outils de travail qui seront prsents dans ce volume de supplment. Il ne sagit

cependant pas seulement dun travail dditionmais aussi dune entreprise de re-

censement qui, grce laide prcieuse des autres pigraphistes et surtout des fouil-

leurs, amne complter notre connaissance du linaire A. Ce volume changera

videmment notre apprciation de la rpartition gographique, sinon chronolo-

gique, de lusage de cette criture, et comprendra des inscriptions de tous types

qui enrichissent considrablement certaines catgories. Ltablissement des textes,

enfin, amne quelques nouveauts intressantes.

Serena Di Tonto

The formation of identity and the organisation of aNeolithic community: Some

evidence from Phaistos (Crete)

A new cycle of stratigraphical excavations conducted at Phaistos (Crete - Greece)

and a systematic re-evaluation of the known data have clarified the nature and ex-

tension of human occupation and activities on the hill during the Final Neolith-

ic period. In particular they led to the identification of deposits and associated fea-

tures that testify to a ceremonial and ritual frequentation of some parts of the site.

These ceremonies, characterised by the consumption of food and drinks, involved

the phaistian neolithic community and maybe members of the surrounding ter-

ritory. The communal consumption is a way in which the society structured itself

and it can be evidence for social integration or competition. These episodes of in-

tra- and intercommunity commensality may have served to strengthen relation-

ship between the competing local households and also to create obligations of hos-

pitality with households from further afield in order to obtainmutual help or food

and raw materials. Furthermore the memory of the ritual activity that occurred

at Phaistos may have endowed the hill with a special status that contributed to its

selection as the site of the successive occupations through the FirstMinoan Palace.

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Eleni Drakaki

The Master with Lion motif of Bronze Age Cretan iconography: A com-

prehensive study

Themotif of amale figure accompanied by a lion, here conventionally termed Mas-

ter with Lion, was conceived in the Neopalatial era, the most flourishing period

of the Bronze Age civilization of Crete, and has thus far been witnessed exclusively

on (a very small number of) works of glyptic (seals and sealings). Although it has

attracted (some) scholarly attention, especially in respect to the identity and/or sta-

tus of the Master and its/their (possible) implications for Cretan religion and the

nature of rulership on the island, a comprehensive study of this motif is long over-

due. To this purpose, the scope of this paper includes the following: 1) a careful

examination of the availablematerial that leads to the discovery of variations even

if minor of this motif, which seem to warrant different identifications; ) a sys-

tematic analysis of themorphological characteristics and/or contextual associations

of the seals and sealings in question, in an effort to shed some light on the iden-

tity of the selected fewwho owned them; and 3) a thorough investigation beyond

the Aegean borders, in search of themotif s parallels in the iconographic traditions

of the other great Bronze Age cultures of Egypt, Anatolia, the Near East and

Mesopotamia. Considering the nature and extreme rarity of the Cretan artifacts

which carry the Master with Lion motif as well as the fact that it was conceived

at a time of intense interaction and contacts betweenCrete and the easternMediter-

ranean, this undertaking is crucial for ascertaining the degree of independence and/or

(possible) external influence involved in its formulation.

Jan Driessen

The Bronze Age settlement on the Kephali at Sissi

Since 7, a team of the Belgian School at Athens has been excavating the coastal

site of Sissi (koinotita Vrachasiou), a hill settlement naturally defended by steep

slopes and river valleys, located about 4 km east of the palace site ofMalia. Strate-

gically located near the sea but also close to important land routes, the hill seems

to have been continuously occupied from at least the Early Minoan IIA period

(if not earlier) and stayed in use till LateMinoan IIIB when it was suddenly aban-

doned, perhaps in favour of the refuge settlement located nearby on the Anavlo-

chos. The cemetery, in use from EM IIA to MM IIB, illustrates a variety of bur-

ial practices (house tombs, ossuaries, pithos burials) and detailed anthropolog-

ical examination allows to reconstruct certain social features. The settlement ev-

idence dates primarily to Late Minoan I-II-III with a series of Neopalatial work-

shops, perhapsmainly concerned with textile production. During this same phase,

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the hill may have been protected by a Cyclopean wall. During LM III, only the

summit of the hill seems to have been occupied by a large, almost monumental

building with concerns for defence. This comprised a series of storage areas and

workshops but also larger halls with central hearths and at least one shrine. Many

floor deposits were preserved in situ. The importance of the site is discussed, es-

pecially by comparing it with contemporary Malia.

Yves Duhoux

LaRoom of the Chariot Tablets du palais de Cnossos: cole scribale ou archives

oublies ?

La Room of the Chariot Tablets (= RCT) du palais de Cnossos fait lobjet de deux

interprtations trs diffrentes. Chadwick y a vu une cole scribale. Par contre,

dautres auteurs, dont le plus important est Driessen ont exclu cette analyse : aux

yeux de Driessen, there is no evidence to support an interpretation of the RCT

material as training documents. Pour lui, la RCT serait un dpt ordinaire dar-

chives plus archaque que le reste des tablettes en linaire B.

Je voudrais montrer que plusieurs particularits importantes des tablettes de

la RCT sont typiques dune ambiance scolaire

1) Il est admis par tous que les textes de la RCTmanifestent une uniformit

dcriture remarquable, bien quils aient t crits par des auteurs diffrents. Ceci

est sans parallle linaire B connu et suggre que la RCT fonctionnait autrement

que les autres bureaux mycniens

2)Or, une srie dobservations faites par Driessen lui-mme suggrent que la

RCT tait une cole scribale. Driessen parle de the inexperience of the writers;

du fait que the RCT scribes felt uneasy with the writing material et du semi-

literate environment in which the documents [of the RCT]were produced. Il ajoute

que the scribes of the RCTacquired their writing-qualities together et quils

did indeed acquire their abilities in school-like environments.

3) La tablette KNV(1) 114 est un document capital pour comprendre la fonc-

tion de la RCT. Ce texte contient les mmes quatre mots crits sur son recto et

son verso (pa-ze a-mi-ni-so pe-da wa-tu). Or, ces deux faces ont t crites par deux

mains diffrentes, dont lune est manifestement plus doue que lautre. Ceci a des

parallles dans le monde proche-oriental, o lon trouve galement des tablettes

dont lune des deux faces est crite par le matre et lautre par llve. La tablette

KNV(1) 114 ne peut donc bien se comprendre que si lon y reconnat un authentique

exercice scribal, avec la partie de llve et celle du matre.

Conclusion : cet ensemble dlments invite penser que la RCT tait un lieu

dapprentissage scribal. Ceci est valable quelle que soit la datation de laRCT, puisque

ladministration palatiale devait rgulirement former de nouveaux scribes.

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Melissa Eaby

Unit A.2 at Chalasmenos

Excavations at the site of Chalasmenos (Monastiraki) were begun in 1 as a joint

Greek-American project under the direction of Dr. Metaxia Tsipopoulou and the

late Prof.WilliamCoulson. The site is located on a relatively steep, rocky hill (4

m. above sea level) just south of the Ha Gorge on the eastern side of the Ierape-

tra Isthmus. Chalasmenos was a relatively large settlement, covering perhaps 7-

acres, and was apparently founded in themiddle phase of the LateMinoan IIIC

period (approximately mid 1th c. BC). Although limited phasing, in the form

of blocked doorways, multiple floor levels, and building repairs or additions, is

visible in some structures, it is essentially a single period site, abandoned before

the end of LM IIIC; very limited Protogeometric and Late Geometric activity has

also been recorded.

The Chalasmenos settlement shows a degree of urban planning: at least four

distinct neighborhoods, separated by paved and unpaved pathways, have been iden-

tified on the site. While many buildings at Chalasmenos are of an agglomerative

nature, consisting of a large room with one or two smaller rooms extending off

of it (often creating a -shaped plan), at least six buildings of megaron type, in-

cluding the shrine, have also been identified (as previously presented by Dr

Tsipopoulou). Buildings of megaron type consist of two axially aligned rectangular

rooms (typically a larger roomwith central hearth leading into a smaller one) with

the entrance on the short side.

This paper serves as a preliminary presentation of Unit A., a two-room build-

ing located on the southwestern edge of the site, immediately west of a series of

rooms known as Coulsons House (House A.1). Unit A. appears to have been the

first megaron type construction at Chalasmenos; it began as a single square room

to which a long rectangular roomwith central clay hearth was added. In this pa-

per, the architecture, pottery, and small finds from these two rooms will be ex-

amined: the finds from the building include vessels for storage, food preparation,

drinking and food consumption, as well as stone tools and burned and unburned

animal bones. The possible significance of the buildingwill also be discussed; specif-

ically, does this structure represent a typical house at Chalasmenos, or did it have

a special function? It is hoped that the evidence fromUnit A. will contribute to

our knowledge of LM IIIC settlements in east Crete and also aid in better un-

derstanding the relationship between Chalasmenos and other nearby sites, such

as Kastro, Vronda, Vasilike Kephala, and Vrokastro.

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Jason W. Earle

DiminishedCretan influence in the Cyclades during LateMinoan IBLateMi-

noan II? Evidence from a ceramic perspective

It is well established that Cycladic ceramics of the lateMiddle Bronze Age and ear-

ly Late Bronze Age were deeply influenced by contemporary Cretan wares. Many

Minoan shapes and styles were adopted and adapted by Cycladic potters, and there

is even a possibility that itinerant Cretan potters were working in the Cyclades.

To date, discussions of Cretan-Cycladic interactions have focused mainly on the

lateMiddle Cycladic and Late Cycladic I periods (MiddleMinoan III and LateMi-

noan IA in Cretan terms), and particularly on pottery from the sites of Akrotiri

on Thera, Phylakopi onMelos, and Ayia Irini on Kea. Studies examining Cycladic

responses to the Cretan LateMinoan IB and II styles, however, are lacking. Con-

sequently, our understanding of Cycladic stylistic and cultural dynamics during

these historically crucial periods, which witnessed the shift fromMinoan toMyce-

naean cultural hegemony in the Aegean, is dim. Did the strongMinoan influence

seen in Late Cycladic I ceramics continue into Late Cycladic II (LM IBII)? Or

did Cretan influence in the Cyclades diminish following the Theran eruption, as

Mountjoy has suggested on the basis of imports?

To address these questions, I present the findings of my examination of ce-

ramic material from relevant Cycladic deposits, both published (House A at Ayia

Irini on Kea, Grotta on Naxos, and unpublished Trenches A, C, S, K, PLa

and KKd at Phylakopi onMelos). Tomy knowledge, no study has dealt exclusively

with Late Cycladic II ceramics, let aloneMinoan influence on Late Cycladic II ce-

ramics. Limited (and often tangential) discussions of Late Cycladic II ceramics

have appeared in excavation reports and studies of Late Cycladic I pottery, but in-

terest has tended to focus instead onMinoan andMycenaean imports to the Cy-

clades.While an understanding of the changing proportions ofMinoan andMyce-

naean imports is important, the relationship of these imports to local ceramic de-

velopments in Late Cycladic II has not been explored. Therefore, I pay particu-

lar attention to stylistic developments in local ceramics, discuss the relationships

between Cycladic products and imports from the GreekMainland and Crete, and

highlight the similarities and differences in Cycladic responses toMinoan andMyce-

naean pottery. In turn, this study enables us to understand better from a ceramic

perspective the transitional period (LateMinoan IBII/Late Cycladic II/Late Hel-

ladic II) betweenMinoan andMycenaean ascendancy in the Cyclades, and in the

broader Aegean.

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Florence Gaignerot-Driessen

From communal incorporated shrines to public independent sanctuaries in

LM III Crete

Characteristic of discovery of Cretan Postpalatial bench sanctuaries are large wheel

made terracotta figures with upraised arms together with typical cultic equipment.

Past and recent excavations on Crete illustrate a series of contexts that contain el-

ements from this cultic equipment, particularly snake tubes, but lack such a God-

dess with Upraised Arms. Most of these contexts date to LateMinoan (LM) IIIA-

B and form part of larger buildings with potential communal functions, this in

contrast to contexts in which figures occur which are freestanding public build-

ings and date to LM IIIB-C. This evolution suggests the changing dynamics of the

use of cult spaces. It is argued here that the LM IIIC figures with upraised arms

are a later addition in what we could call LM IIIA-B Snake Tube Shrines and

that they were not cult images, but symbolically represented votaries in context

of elite competition.

Ioanna Galanaki, Evi Goroyanni

Crete and the Cyclades reconsidered: Communication networks and process-

es during theMiddle Bronze and the beginning of the Late Bronze Ages in the

light of new evidence from Lefkandi and Keos

At the apex of Minoanisation, Cretan influence seems to have been strongest on

those nodes of the exchange network that are arranged along the western Cyclades

(western string) and the Dodecanese and the western coast of Asia Minor (east-

ern string). The northernmost extent of this influence is where the Aegean sea

is constricted at its narrowest, i.e., approximately at the latitude of Ayia Irini and

Miletus. The reasons for this very specific geographic distribution have as yet not

been addressed in the literature. The present paper attempts to fill this lacuna and

address the reasons for this geographical discrepancy by comparing unpublished

material from two sites, Ayia Irini on Keos and Xeropolis- Lefkandi on Euboea.

These two sites, although in close proximity to each other and with established

contact between them, participated in the exchange network connecting the Aegean

with Crete in considerably different degrees, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

At Ayia Irini, one can find the entire Minoan package complete with import-

ed andminoanising pottery, Linear A,Minoanweights,measures, and artistic tropes,

as well as the upright loom. However, at Lefkandi, not far from Keos along the

Euboean coast, the amount of Minoan or minoanising pottery remains small

throughout the Middle and early Late Bronze Age, even though the site was far

from isolated from the rest of the Aegean, as the abundance of Cycladic andAegine-

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tan fabricsmakes evident. Thus, if interaction along certain routes existed and sites

such as Lefkandi were part of these contact networks from the beginning of the

Middle Bronze Age and on, what forces or choices in the communication patterns

excluded Lefkandi from the sphere of Minoanisation? This paper proposes an-

swers to this question through a diachronic and comparative study of the patterns

of interaction between these two sites and Crete.

Geraldine Gesell

The goddesses with up-raised hands at Kavousi: The relationship between pot-

ters, fabrics, technology, and appearance of the figure

Although the goddess with up-raised hands is a standard type of goddess figure,

most of which is thrown the same way on the wheel in the LM IIIB and C peri-

ods, the details of its construction and modeling vary from site to site and also

on the same site. At Kavousi these variations appear to be connectedwith the choice

of the fabric used in the individual figures. The goddesses from this site weremade

from five different types of coarse fabric and one of fine. The five coarse fabrics

were studied by Peter Day, Louise Joyner, and Vassilis Kilikoglou and published

inHesperia 75 () 137-175. Very briefly, Group 1 is characterized by frequent

low-grade metamorphic rocks set in a ground mass rich in silver mica laths and

quartz grains. The firing temperature was relatively low, about 75 degrees C. Group

has a redmatrix which contains frequent inclusions of acid igneous rocks, most-

ly granite. The firing temperature was relatively low, 75 degrees C. or below. Group

3 is characterized by large well-rounded aplastic inclusions of low-grade meta-

morphic rocks (phyllite and slate), sedimentary rocks (sandstones and siltstones),

and fine grain igneous rocks (basic volcanics?), set in a very fine-grained base clay.

Its firing temperature was -5 degrees C. Group 4 consists of granodiorite

inclusions in a calcarious matrix. It is easily recognized by its gold mica. Its fir-

ing temperature is 75- degrees C. Group 5 is characterized as the phyllite group.

Its firing temperature was less than 75 degrees C. Groups 1,, and 5 are considered

to be cooking vessel types and Groups 3 and 4 are common jar fabrics. The arti-

cle claims that many workshops of potters, probably in the area of the Isthmus

of Ierapetra along the south coast of the Bay ofMirabello and in the Kavousi and

Mochlos areas, made the goddesses and themajor ritual equipment, the snake tubes

and plaques.

The discussion in this paper builds on the article to discuss the differences

in the figures of the goddesses made from these different types of fabric, partic-

ularly in the details of the construction of the figure, modeling the surface, and

the final decorations. Most of the numbered goddesses ( out of ) were made

from Group 3 material. The details of these will be considered the standard for

Kavousi. The fabrics of Groups 1, , 4, and 5 were used in only one numbered god-

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dess apiece (two goddesses are of fine ware). These will show the variations based

on fabric. There is the same relationship between the fabric and the snake tubes

and plaques. The majority of the snake tubes (5 out of 34) and plaques ( out

of 3) are also of Group 3 fabric. These, although theymay be referred to, will not

be discussed in detail in this paper.

Luca Girella

The Kamilari tholos tombs project: New light on an old excavation

The two largest tholos tombs, both about 1.5 km north of the village of Kamilari,

were excavated by the Italian scholar Doro Levi in 15. A quite exhaustive pre-

liminary report drew attention to the key-role of this pair of tombs. The larger

of the two tombs, built in MM IB, was most intensely used during MM III, but

there are also some deposits datable from LM I to LM IIIA. The smaller tombwas

exploited almost uninterruptedly fromMM IB to LM I. Thanks to the generous

permission of the Italian Archaeological School, Prof. V. La Rosa, the Greek au-

thorities, and the financial support of INSTAP, a project is currently focusing on

the complete study and publication of the Kamilari material.

The emerging picture is admittedly rather fragmentary, but the reading of ex-

cavations notebook and a study of a large body of the so far unpublished mate-

rial allow us to present new information on the nature and amount of grave of-

ferings.

This paper seeks to understand formal and functional changes in the tombs

through their periods of use. Firstly, by relating vessels shapes to specific areas of

the tholos (the main chamber, annexes -, the external courtyard) it is possible

to draw a clearer picture of vessel distribution. Such a distribution sheds new light

on the ritual offerings and activities carried out within the tomb and in the ex-

ternal courtyard nearby.

Secondly, by exploring diachronic changes in the tombs the paper aims to set

properly the Kamilari cemetery in their region and to interpret differences in the

use of the tombs as elements of themortuary behaviour of the communities which

used the cemetery through the centuries.

Thibaut Gomre, Maia Pomadre

ThePiArea atMalia: An exploration of a Prepalatial, Protopalatial andNeopala-

tial period Minoan town quarter

The Pi Area, which is located between the House Delta alpha and the Hypostyle

Crypt, is being excavated since 5. ANeopalatial building, the btiment Pi, has

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been discovered, and the excavations have revealed that the area had been inhabited

over different periods. The building had been constructed upon Protopalatial and

Prepalatial levels. The LM I material which has been collected suggests a main-

ly residential and domestic function of the building. In addition, various activi-

ties (such as textile production or obsidianmanufacture) were taking place in the

course of every-day life in the area of btiment Pi. Moreover, some artifacts of par-

ticular importance, such as seals, figurines and a cupule stone found in situ, in-

dicate administrative as well as religious activities in the building. The house was

finally abandoned during the late LM IA after having been destroyed and/or re-

arranged several times.

This paper will present the spatial organization of this new building, btiment

Pi, as well as the rich history of the area, which seems to have been inhabited, at

least in part, without interruption as early as EM II. This Prepalatial level is of par-

ticular interest because the remains of that period, which have been discovered

sporadically throughout the site, have provided us with little information about

Malia during this period.

The excavations on area Pi have provided new data concerning Neopalatial

urbanism, as well as a valuable enrichment of our knowledge of the first occupation

period in the site of Malia.

Lucy Goodison

At deaths door: New evidence and newnarratives from theMesara-type tombs

Anew catalogue of theMesara-type tombs compiled recently is based on field trips

to all previously listed sites, including some not seen by any archaeologist for up

to years and never published in visual form. This fieldwork raised new ques-

tions about the identity, location, architecture and ritual use of the tombs.

In particular it drew attention to the significance both literal and symbol-

ic of the tomb doors throughwhich the living interfaced with the unknownworld

of death. The view and passage in and out of the tombs suggest a relationshipme-

diated through physical and experiential elements including not only toasting

but also: movement; handling of bones; intervisibility; situation in landscape; ac-

tivities at special times of day and year; and engagement with the cardinal points.

Archaeologists investigating the tombs also stand at the door of an unknown

world of death, about which they have constructed a number of narratives. These

have included generalized models of the funerary process based on: universaliz-

ing anthropological theories; analyses of mortuary rites as primarily a vehicle for

social representation indicating wealth and status; and narratives of abstract an-

thropomorphic divinity.

This paper suggests how such narratives have reflected a presentist privileg-

ing of the flight from corporeality to abstraction, and have pre-empted a thorough

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interrogation of thematerial. It highlights the need for the articulation of new nar-

ratives consistent with the physical evidence of the tomb users engagement with

death and the body.

Lucy Goodison, Christine Morris

The archaeology of the lived body in the Cretan Bronze Age

Within archaeology and anthropology academic study of the body as a system of

signs or as a passive surface to be inscribed has given way to an interest in the body

as a product of lived experience. Bronze Age Crete offers an exceptional range

of prehistoric representations of the human body, worked in a rich variety of ma-

terials/genres (such as seals and rings, figurines, stone vases and frescoes). This

imagery shows the body in a variety of situations, postures andmodes including

social situations; nudity; interaction and fusion with animals; hieratic poses; and

ecstatic dance. Beyond the field of imagery, treatment of the physical body is of

course preserved through funerary practices. A further important dimension to

the lived body is bodily engagement with and movement through different en-

vironments and landscapes. Rarely has this wide range of material been consid-

ered as a whole as a means of exploring how the body was represented and ex-

perienced by the inhabitants of Bronze Age Crete.

The Round Table would welcome papers that engage with the theme of em-

bodiment and lived experience in Bronze Age Crete from a wide range of per-

spectives including, but not restricted to, gender, costume, posture, performance

and display, sensory experience, bodymodification, ritual practice and treatment

of the dead body.

Elpida Hadjidaki

The first Minoan shipwreck: Eight years of study

During an underwater survey conducted in the summer of 3 through theGreek

Department ofMaritimeAntiquities and funded by INSTAP, a collection ofMinoan

transport vessels was found at a depth of 4-5meters near the coast of Pseira, East

Crete. An additional underwater survey in the summer of 4 provided evidence

that the vessels might constitute the cargo of an ancient shipwreck. Thus excavation

began in the summer of 5 and ended in the summer of . Around arti-

facts were recovered from the site, including around oneswhich are nearly whole

and easily identifiable as types of amphorae and other large jars thatwould have car-

ried liquids, probably wine or olive oil. All date to the same period, which is 1-

17 BC, or Middle Minoan IIB. However, they are larger than corresponding ves-

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sels of the same period found so far on land. The large concentration of vessels in a

single location, their similarity, and their size, all confirm the initial supposition that

wehave found the firstMinoan shipwreck.Althoughnowood from the ship survived,

we can conclude that transport ships of around 1-15 meters in length serving the

local inhabitants were sailing the coasts of Crete by theMiddleMinoan period.

Robin Hgg

On spatial relationships in Minoan religious architecture

After my paper on The bent axis approach in Minoan ritual presented at the

th International Cretological Congress, I am continuingmy investigation of var-

ious aspects of spatial relationships in Minoan buildings of religious or ceremo-

nial function. Here, I will explore the relationship between dark indoor cult rooms

and adiacent outdoor gathering places, between pillar crypts and columnar shrines,

between lustral basins and their hypothetical superstructures, and between peak

sanctuaries and palace shrines.

Brigitta P. Hallager

A pictorial scene on a pyxis at Khania

Pictorial scenes onMinoan larnakes are not uncommon, but they are not very oen

depicted on vases. Birds and horns of consecration, oen with double axes or

branches, appear on shapes like cups, bowls, pyxides, stirrup jars, kraters, amphoroid

kraters and incense burners, but pictorial scenes involving human beings are in-

deed rare.ree pictorial scenes fromKhania have so far been published: a char-

iot scene on an LM IIIA: alabastron, another chariot scene on an LM IIIB: krater

and a unique cult scene on an LM IIIA: 1 broad-legged stand.e rst was found

in a tomb, the other two in the Greek-Swedish Excavations at the Agia Aikateri-

ni Square. Here another pictorial scene from these excavations will be present-

ed. It adorns a small side-handled pyxis which was found in an LM IIIA: 1 well

and depicts a somewhat chaotic scene involving human beings.

Erik Hallager

Seven new seal stones from the Greek-Swedish-Danish Excavations 2010

During the Greek-Swedish-Danish Excavations 1 in Ag. Aikaterini Square,

Kastelli Khania, were found seven new seal stones all discovered in LM IIIB:1

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deposits. Five of the seal stones were found stacked together and found on a floor.

They were all lentoids in soft stone and with figural motifs. One small seal stone,

a lentoid in soft stone with a stylish design, came from a pit of LM IIB:1/ date,

while th last seal, an amygdaloid in rock crystal with a talismanicmotif was found

between two floors of the LM IIIB:1 period. The seven seals shall be sortly pre-

sented and their chronological significance and importance shall be discussed.

Kostas alikias, Stavroula Apostolakou

Settlement patterns in the Ierapetra region: A case study of the island of Chryssi

The landscape of the south Ierapetra Isthmus has changed dramatically over the

past few decades affecting the way we interpret settlement patterns and past hu-

man activity in the area. The island of Chryssi is one of the few exceptions, and

recent archaeological investigations there by the 4th Ephoreia have provided sig-

nificant evidence for the exploitation of this small island through the centuries

and, in turn, the broader changes in settlement patterns that occurred along the

south coast of Crete.

Islands are ideal case studies because of their isolated environment which suf-

fersminimal human impact. The colonization of small islands aroundCrete since

theNeolithic period constitutes a pattern that is well documented for Gavdos, Kou-

phonisi and Pseira. So far, the archaeological fieldwork on Chryssi has focused

mainly on recording past human activity and understanding human choices on

settlement location and land use. Research there has recorded a number of sites

that date from the Final Neolithic to theVenetian period. The occupation onChrys-

si demonstrates the particular importance of this small island community dur-

ing the Neopalatial, Hellenistic and Roman times and suggests the existence of

a thriving and complex network of settlements in the opposite coast of Crete, some

of which have not even been discovered (i.e., Neopalatial).

Haralampos V. Harissis, Anastasios V. Harissis

Apiculture in the prehistoricAegean:Minoan andMycenaean symbols revisited

The scenes onMinoan andMycenaean rings, seals and clay sealings have been of-

ten conceived as the key for an understanding of prehistoric Aegean religion. The

views of Evans, Nilsson, and many others over the past century have dominated

the various theories about the nature of this religion. The aim of this article is to

suggest an alternative view for some of the most important gold rings that have

led to these theories. By applying a naturalistic context of interpretation instead

of a religious one, it is possible to recognize in these rings some apiculture para-

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phernalia and practices instead of the established religious symbols. It is further

suggested that these rings and seals were used by overseers of beekeeping, a high-

status and highly valued industry of prehistoric Aegean as it can be deduced by the

finds of hives, smoking pots, honey extractors and so on that indicate systematic

Minoan apiculture.

Eleni Hatzaki

Urban transformations: The Little Palace North Project and the urban land-

scapes of Late Bronze Age Knossos

This paper presents the results of the Little Palace North Project (LPN), a two-

season excavation aimed to provide a diachronic picture of urban activities in the

core elite sector of urban Late Bronze Age Knossos.

The emerging picture from combining new and old excavation data suggests

that the urban landscape of Knossos underwent drastic changes in the Neopala-

tial, Final Palatial and Postpalatial periods. This analysis, therefore, challenges Arthur

Evanss vision of an unaltered urban layout for Late Bronze Age Knossos (regu-

larly used as a pan-Cretan model) and prompts the re-examination of urban de-

velopment in other Cretan settlements with long and complex occupation sequences.

Gran Henriksson, Mary Blomberg

The results of the Uppsala project on Minoan astronomy

The project has had as its main objectives the definition of Minoan astronomy,

the uses of that astronomy by the Minoans, and its possible influence on Myce-

naean and Greek astronomy.

As far aswe are aware, this subject has not been studied systematically before.An

obvious impediment is the lack ofwritten sources surviving from theMinoans.How-

ever, the development of archaeoastronomicalmethods to determine the orientations

of ancient structures and the profiles of the landscape opposite them, as well as our

computer programs that exactly recreate the positions of the celestial bodies as they

were in the far distant past havemade the study feasible. In addition, statistical analy-

sis, iconographical studies ofMinoan artifacts, and the studyofMycenaean andGreek

documents for possibleMinoan influence were also part of our method.

The project is a pilot study of representative examples of Minoan peak sanc-

tuaries, palaces, manor houses and shrines. In the case of large monuments, we

measured the most likely places for astronomical activity, for example generally

accepted religious or ceremonial areas. Of the peak sanctuaries we chose:

Chamaizi, Juktas, Modi, Petsophas, Philioremos (Gonies), Pyrgos and Traosta-

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los; the palaces at Knossos, Malia, Phaistos and Zakros; the manor houses at Agia

Triada, the SoutheastHouse at Knossos, Tylissos A andC andVathypetro: the bench

shrine, portico and west shrine at Gournia, the tripartite shrine at Vathypetro and

the oblique shrine at Malia buildings in all. We measured the orientation of

foundations, walls, and the horizon profiles opposite themwith a digital theodo-

lite. In the case of foundations, we measured each stone on both sides and com-

puted the orientation by least squares fit.

Although we have not yet completed our analysis of three of the buildings,

the manors at Agia Triada and Tylissos A and C, the results of the remaining 1

give a clear picture of Minoan focus on motions of the celestial bodies and some

of their achievements in astronomical knowledge. Seventeen buildings were ori-

ented to major celestial events: sunrise and sunset at the equinoxes and solstices,

major standstill of the moon, heliacal rising and setting of bright stars. Most of

these had deliberately arranged artificial or natural foresights. Eleven buildings

had one such orientation, four had two orientations, one had three, and one had

four. The other two, as well as one of the seventeen, had orientations to sunrise

at the times of year that would make it possible to identify the beginning of the

months not signified by the other orientations.

The analysis of the orientations of these buildings has helped to define theMi-

noan calendar and has also indicated that three of the shrines were probablymade

by or for theMycenaeans, thus sharing light on a thorny problem in LateMinoan

history.

A brief presentation of the results will be presented.

Carol R. Hershenson

The expression of social differentiation across time: A diachronic study ofMi-

noan halls

Minoan halls have been extensively discussed in scholarship on Minoan archi-

tecture, examining their plans, circulatory connections, distribution amongMi-

noan houses, and diachronic changes in fashion. This study compares the expression

of social hierarchy through different forms of Minoan halls in Neopalatial and

Prepalatial houses, with brief consideration of Protopalatial examples, and spec-

ulates on the architectural technology whose introduction into Minoan domes-

tic architecture may have enabled the invention of the familiar Neopalatial forms

of halls from their Prepalatial counterparts.

Three types of halls have been recognized in Neopalatial Minoan houses, with

different arrangements of columns and other supporting structures: polythyra,

rooms with a column, and Palaikastro-style halls. The plans of these rooms are

sharply differentiated, as are thematerials, buildingmethods, and decorative tech-

niques of the first two; these three types of rooms are similar largely in their re-

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lationships to other rooms and their positions within the circulatory systems of

their houses.

Two types of halls have been documented in Prepalatial Minoan houses: high

style and vernacular. In contrast to the strong distinctions amongNeopalatial halls,

Prepalatial high style and vernacular halls are differentiated at the ground-storey lev-

el only by their synchronic sizes, exterior shape, and details of construction andplan;

they are similar not only in the same elements shared by all types ofNeopalatial halls

(relationships with other rooms and circulatory position) but also in most aspects

of plan, buildingmaterials, andmost techniques of construction. Indeed, the degree

of socioeconomic distinction expressed inMinoan halls during the Prepalatial and

Neopalatial periods is a microcosm of the differences among their houses.

Similarities, especially those common synchronically to all Prepalatial halls,

are also shared diachronically by Pre- and Neopalatial Minoan halls, without re-

gard to socioeconomic or typological differentiations in either period. There are

further detailed similarities of Neopalatial rooms with a column and polythyra

to Prepalatial halls -especially but not exclusively to vernacular and high style ones,

respectively in their plans and functions, in structural supports for the former

rooms, and in associated spaces and possibly control of exposure to outside weath-

er conditions for the latter. Prepalatial halls thus present architectural structures

and arrangements that might have inspired the characteristic halls of both ver-

nacular and high style Neopalatial Minoan houses.

Introduction of a single additional technology toMinoan domestic architecture

during the later Prepalatial period the reduction of supports for ceiling and roof-

beams at the ground-storey level from two-dimensional walls to one-dimensional

points such as columns or piers enables many of the differences in plans visible

between Pre- and Neopalatial halls. From the rather similar forms of Prepalatial

vernacular and high style halls, differential application of columns and piers can

create all three quite diverse plans of Neopalatial halls. This study thus suggests

both the inspiration and mechanism for the invention on Crete of these distinc-

tively Minoan rooms, and traces the sharpening of the socio-economic distinc-

tions expressed in Minoan domestic architecture.

Louise Hitchcock

All the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites: A current as-

sessment of the evidence for the Minoan connection with the Philistines

The co-occurrence of the ethnic designations Cherethite and Pelethite and the as-

sociation of the Philistines with Caphtor in the Old Testament point to a specif-

ically Cretan origin or affiliation for at least some of the Philistines in literary tra-

dition. This identification, although bolstered by the discovery that the Philistines

produced their own version of Mycenaean IIIC pottery, has rightly come under

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criticism from those reluctant to simplistically associate pots with peoples. How-

ever, additional categories of archaeological evidence indicating an Aegean ori-

gin for the Philistines are well-rehearsed and include the reel-style of loomweights,

drinking habits, consumption of pork, Aegean-style cooking pots, use of hearths

and bathtubs, temple architecture, andmegaron-style buildings. Yet, in contrast

to the strong identification of the Philistines with Crete in the literary tradition,

these Aegean characteristics of Philistine culture point to Mycenaean Greece.

This paper examines the current state of our understanding of the specific con-

nections between Crete and Philistia with regard to recent discoveries and in-

terpretations of Philistine culture, with particular reference to the authors exca-

vations at Tell es-Safi/Gath and study of other Philistinematerial in Israel. Among

the categories of evidence examined in this paper are architectural features, par-

ticularly hearths, but also spatial syntax, plaster, and tool use; the spatial manip-

ulation of artifacts such as the practice of curating animal head cups and seal use,

ritual action, and recently discovered inscriptional evidence. It is argued that key

features of Minoan culture survived in Philistine culture, embedded among oth-

er cultural practices that can be associated with the Mycenaeans, Cypriots, and

Canaanites, and that they form an important record of the Cretan and Minoan

contribution to human civilization.

Martin Hoffmeister

EarlyMinoan II construction technology: Vasiliki andMyrtos PhournouKo-

ryphi

A detailed analysis of the walling components such as the thickness and height,

mortar, chinking, stone surface finishing, stone size and distribution and stone

origin, bonding, outside and inside treatment, uniformity and variety, finishes,

treatment of openings and of foundations, ceilings, floorings, stairs, pillars and

pillars bases[,] provides comparative data, [does not make sense!!!: not only on

the refinement level of pottery typology, but has also a disclosure value in diachronic

geographic, cultural and phasing/chronological? assessments].

In the transition from EM I (e.g. Mochlos, Ellenes Amarion, Myrtos Pyrgos,

Phaistos) to EM II (e.g. Vasiliki, Palaikastro, PhournouKoryphi), the building tech-

nology reflects an increase in awareness of the properties of materials and so-

phistication in the use of available resources, as a result of the process of nucle-

ation and increased availability of food resources.

From the roughly worked stones of EM I Phaistos with small cobbles embedded

in their core, uncoursed anon clay foundations.

The EM I structures at PhournouKoryphi show an increase in structural aware-

ness in the composition of the antae, jambs and corners. The use of chinking em-

phasises the lessened reliance onmud fillers, and the placement of heavier stones

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on top shows the use of anchoring properties of weight. The use of available flat

stones permits very rough coursing and increases vertical bonding.While the stones

remain unworked, a selection of suitable units permits flat faces of the walls. The

almost total lack of running joints may be accidental, due to the flat shape of avail-

able materials. Free standing walls are consciously composed to sustain the lack

of lateral support. The inlined shape of the hill and the presence of exposed out-

growth of the bedrock are used to increase the stability of the all-rock walls. The

presence of second floors remains unknown, but, if they existed, it is safe to as-

sume that they weremade of light materials, likemud or wattle-and-daub, because

of the relative thinness of the rock walls. The variety of shape and composition

of the stones suggests their casual collection from the nearby fields. The use of

grinding stones is a proof of phasing or gradual growth of the settlement and of

architectural additions. The chinking, again, shows the care for solidity of the walls

when contrasted to boulder/clay assemblages. While the appearance of the walls

is extremely rustic, their technology has a long history, which is apparent in the

selection and construction of the materials and the structural integrity of differ-

ent components of the walls. Indeed, the duration of the walls is a proof of the

long tradition of building trials and errors.

On the hamlet of Vasiliki House on theHilltop, a conflation of houses of dif-

ferent dates includes the Red-House, roughly contemporarywithMyrtos. This build-

ing introduces us to urban sophistication, with its paving, its two stories, its red

painted walls and floors, its mudbrick and pise superstructure, and its storerooms

and its well. It is worth noting that other Minoan settlements of the same period

are architecturally less advanced thanVasiliki. Rough stones are used for the walls,

but abundantmudmortar compensates for their uneven shapes. The availablema-

terial has dictated such an arrangement, in contrast to Myrtos where the flatness

of local stones allowed for tighter joints. The doorjambs and thresholds use flat el-

ements enhancing thus stability. The thick plaster played a crucial role in consol-

idating the cobble/mudwalls. Themonumentality of later ashlar walls is here con-

trasted to the almost concrete-like appearance of the heterogeneous mass used

to fill