Minoan civilization

[Gwen Parker]

Shelves of Early Minoan pottery, mainly Vasiliki Ware, Heracleion Archaeological Museum at Iraklio.

[Gwen Parker]

Early Minoan

A brief introduction to the topic of Early Minoan pottery is stated below. It concentrates on some better-known styles but should not be regarded as comprehensive. A variety of forms are known. In general the period is characterized by a large number of local wares with frequent Cycladic parallels or imports, suggesting a population of checkerboard ethnicity deriving from various locations in the eastern Aegean or even wider. The evidence is certainly open to interpretation and none is decisive.

[Gwen Parker]

FN, EM I

Early Minoan pottery to some extent continued, and possibly evolved from, the Final Neolithic (FN) without a severe break. Many suggest that Minoan civilization evolved in situ and was not imported from the East. Its other main feature is its variety from site to site, which is suggestive of localism of Early Minoan social traditions.

Studies of the relationship between EM I and FN have been conducted mainly in East Crete. There the Final Neolithic has affinities to the Cyclades, while both FN and EM I settlements are contemporaneous, with EM I gradually replacing FN. Of the three possibilities, no immigration, total replacement of natives by immigrants, immigrants settling among natives, Hutchinson takes a compromise view:

"The Neolithic Period in Crete did not end in a catastophe; its culture developed into that of the Bronze Age under pressure from infiltration of relatively small bands of immigrants from the south and east, where copper and bronze had long been in use."

[Gwen Parker]

Pyrgos Ware

EM I types include Pyrgos Ware, also called Pattern Burnished Ware. The major form was the "chalice", or Arkalochori Chalice, in which a cup combined with a funnel-shaped stand could be set on a hard surface without spilling. (Example). As the Pyrgos site was a rock shelter used as an ossuary some hypothesize ceremonial usage. This type of pottery was black, grey or brown, burnished, with some sort of incised linear pattern. It may have imitated wood.

[Gwen Parker]

Incised Ware

Another EM I type, Incised Ware, also called Scored Ware, were hand-shaped, round-bottomed, dark-burnished jugs (Example) and bulbous cups and jars ("pyxes"). Favored decor was incised line patterns, vertical, horizontal or herring-bone. (Example, pyxis). These pots are from the north and northeast of Crete and appear to be modelled after the Kampos Phase of the Grotta-Pelos Early Cycladic I culture. Some have suggested imports or immigrations. See also Hagia Photia.

[Gwen Parker]

Ayios Onouphrios, Lebena

Painted parallel-line decors of Ayios Onouphrios I Ware were drawn with an iron-red clay slip that would fire red under oxidizing conditions in a clean kiln but under the reducing conditions of a smoky fire would turn darker, without much control over color, which could range from red to brown. A dark-on-light painted pattern was then applied. (Examples 1, Examples 2.) From this beginning, Minoan potters already concentrated on the linear forms of designs, perfecting coherent designs and voids that would ideally suit the shape of the ware. Shapes were jugs, two-handled cups and bowls. The ware came from north and south central Crete, as did Lebena Ware of the same general types but decorated by painting white patterns over a solid red painted background (Example). The latter came from EM I tombs.

[Gwen Parker]

Terracotta vase in form of a bull's head, Minoan, Late Minoan II, ca. 1450-1400 B.C.

[Gwen Parker]

Palazzo di Cnosso

[Gwen Parker]

Fragment of an oil jug, Aigina, 15th century BC. Minoan “marine style”: octopus' tentacles above a sea ground (corals and anemones).

[Gwen Parker]

Fragment of a pithos (large storing jar) with abstract vegetative decoration. Terracotta, Palace Style, Late Minoan II (ca. 1450-1400 BC). From Cnossos.

[Gwen Parker]

Fragment of a pithos (large storing jar) with abstract vegetative decoration, found in Cnossos. Terracotta, Palace Style, Late Minoan II (ca. 1450-1400 BC).

[Gwen Parker]

[Gwen Parker]

Knossos, poterie.

[Mark of Australia]

Hi Gwen , 

Great pics ,

Hope you dont mind me interupting the thread ,, That very nice piece with the octopus and other sea life ,, thats the 'Ocean Ware' if my memory serves me ,, I used to think that it would be found on Atlantis one day , I really think that our view of Minoan history is way to simplistic but that can't be helped due to our poor data.

[Gwen Parker]

Thanks, Mark! 

Looking through the pics, I was just thinking how unlike Atlantis some of the pottery was.  Then, I suppose I have always had a more idealized version of Atlantis.  I imagine, if it is ever found, it is bound to disappoint somebody!

Gwen