Stone Vases Research Articles

Orszak Dionizosa: Waza Townleya i jej poznańskie kopie

At the main entrance to the Adam Mickiewicz Park in Poznań, there are two identical stone vases with ancient motives. The author indicates that they are not merely neoclassical works from the beginning of the 20th century, but copies of the famous Townley Vase dating back to the Roman times. Then, he focuses on the retinue of Dionysus on the main frieze of the vase and discusses all ten figures occurring in it.

Urban Squares in Late Bronze Age Ugarit: a Street View on Ancient Near Eastern Governance

Urban Squares in Late Bronze Age Ugarit: a Street View on Ancient Near Eastern Governance

MENDING FRAGMENTS: STONE VESSELS FROM FRANCHTHI AND OTHER GREEK NEOLITHIC SITES

Stone vessels represent one of the rarest artifactual categories of Neolithic Greece. Only several dozen specimens (mostly fragmentary) have been recovered from 65 sites. These objects are also some of the least studied; with few exceptions, they are known only through superficial reports. Thus, their potential to shed light on social and economic aspects of Neolithic life remains unexploited. In this article, I address this problem in two ways. First, I focus on a specific stone vase assemblage: that from the well-known site of Franchthi in the north-eastern Peloponnese. This is one of the largest assemblages and is presented here in detail. Secondly, I use the Franchthi assemblage as a point of departure to attempt a synthesis of the available information on Greek Neolithic stone vases.

New evidence about the use of serpentinite in the Minoan architecture. A μ-Raman based study of the “House of the High Priest” drain in Knossos

Serpentinites have been widely used as a raw material in a huge repertoire of shapes during the Minoan period, for the construction of artifacts both for domestic use as well as for religious purposes. However, the utilization of serpentinites is extremely limited in the Minoan palatial architecture. In all the cases where the use of serpentinite is documented, it has been for the construction of column bases. The aim of this study is the investigation of the material used for the construction of the drain located under the stair leading to the adyton (sanctuary) of the “House of the High Priest” one of the peripheral monuments of the Palace of Knossos.Despite the fact that Sir A. Evans documented the stone drain and described the raw material as stone, no further comments were made regarding the exact type of stone used by the Minoans. Furthermore, the fact that a rather unusual material was used for the construction of a drain instead of a more typical material such as limestone or sandstone, enhances the ill-defined and controversial character of the “House of the High Priest”.The initial mineralogical characterization of the drain material was carried out by means of X-ray powder Diffraction leading to the identification of several minerals and polymorphs. Further examination of the sample in terms of microstructural and chemical analysis of the different inclusions was implemented by means of confocal μ-Raman spectroscopy. Within the concept of this study emphasis is given to the application of this nondestructive and noninvasive technique that can be applied in situ for the analysis and characterization of objects of archaeological significance made out of serpentinite minerals, where often sample acquisition is not possible.The choice of Raman spectroscopy as the main non-destructive analytical tool consists a strategic decision for two main reasons: (a) There are several other architectural elements implemented in the Minoan palatial architecture allegedly made out of serpentinite that macroscopically bear different characteristics and have to be examined, and (b) the majority of the Minoan stone vases corpus is consisted of artifacts made out of serpentinite but in both cases sampling is not possible. Lastly, the correlation of the data acquired from the analysis of the serpentinite outcrops on the island of Crete, with those from the archaeological objects might augment the development of knowledge regarding the cultural networks among the agricultural areas, where the serpentinite sources are located towards the centers of the Minoan civilization.

MYCENAEAN LAPIDARY CRAFTSMANSHIP: THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF STONE VASES

The first substantial corpus of developed and complex stone vases emerged on the Greek mainland in the shaft graves of Mycenae (Middle Helladic III – Late Helladic I) and was certainly, in large part, of Minoan origin. However, a Mycenaean industry appeared in the Late Helladic III period, which suggests a link with Minoan technology. Indeed, there is an extremely strong possibility that expatriate craftsmen had gradually transmitted their knowledge to local Mycenaean apprentices. A technological study of a corpus of 24 stone vases from Mycenae, dated to the Late Helladic I/II–III, enables the identification and reconstruction of the manufacturing processes and techniques involved in mainland production. It appears to be the case that a great part of the Mycenaean know-how derives from contact with Minoan craftsmanship. However, if a large number of technical elements (use of tubular drilling for the hollowing process, production of the vessels in several parts) may come from a Minoan heritage, the Mycenaeans seem to have quickly developed their own approach – with their own technological emphases, serving purely Mycenaean forms. The vase, based on separately made elements, was a Minoan approach but became properly a mainland concept, which appeared far less commonly in other regions of the eastern Mediterranean. Similarly, the single-tool approach developed for the drilling process (for hollowing the interior of the vessels and for cutting the inlay decoration of the exterior), entirely based on the use of the tubular drill, is purely a native one and is uncommon among eastern Mediterranean vessel traditions. A technological study indicates also the possible coexistence of different types of organisation in the Mycenaean workshops. Thus, the manufacturing processes used, as well as the organisation of the production, are distinct from those of other eastern Mediterranean centres, including Crete.

REPRESENTING, OBJECTIFYING, AND FRAMING THE BODY AT LATE BRONZE AGE KNOSSOS

Abstract This paper explores how the human form is depicted, objectified and contextualized, in order to clarify the complex relationship between ‘representation’ and ‘reality’, and to investigate the various ways the body is bounded. Part one argues that objectification is not always a passive process, but that the body is deliberately presented to the world to be observed and evaluated. Part two focuses on the configuration of bodily boundaries, and how the body is framed, for example, by clothing, architecture and the mortuary context. The wealth and range of evidence (wall paintings, seals and sealings, figurines, stone vases and burials) render Knossos an excellent case study for this approach. This paper asks not who the Knossians were, in terms of identity and ethnicity, but rather how they wanted to be presented to the world and each other.

La metáfora como principio estético en el arte prehispánico del noroeste argentino

En el presente trabajo se plantean una serie de hipótesis respecto a la metáfora como principio estético que rige el funcionamiento simbólico de un tipo específico de piezas que corresponden al Período Medio del noroeste argentino (400-900 d.C.). Consideramos que el funcionamiento metafórico no se restringe a la configuración icónica sino a la experiencia que se tiene de los objetos en determinados contextos. Se analiza el caso de procesos metafóricos que involucran la relación hombre-felinos en objetos poco trabajados hasta el presente y de los que se conservan pocos ejemplares: se trata de vasos de piedra y de un mango de hacha de madera, que por sus características suponemos que eran utilizados en rituales en los que los hombres se sacralizaban en función del poder político religioso.

Effects of abrasion during stone vase drilling in Bronze Age Crete

During the Bronze Age (3000–1000 B.C.) in Crete, period of development of luxury craft productions, new shapes of stone vases, complex and original occurred in the workshops, implying an evolution of drilling techniques. The surface of archaeological stone vases and of conical bore cores contain the signature of the mechanisms of abrasion. But which type of abrasive, bit material and lubricant has been used by prehistoric craftsmen? In order to identify abrading techniques employed we have developed a drilling tribometer. The experimental reproduction of wear traces and their comparison with archaeological ones, permitted to reveal the use of an abrasive paste inside the tubular drill.

Patrons of Athenian Votive Monuments of the Archaic and Classical Periods: Three Studies

In three studies of votive offerings, the author explores the role played by private patrons in the production of art and inscriptions in Athens in the Archaic and Classical periods. The studies concern additive sculptural groups produced by the contributions of multiple dedicators, a form of display explained within the context of votive religion; epigraphical evidence for collaboration between East Greek sculptors and Athenian patrons on 6th- and 5th-century votive monuments; and dedications that have either been misidentified as belonging to Athenian potters and vase painters or erroneously reconstructed as metal or stone vases.

Patrons of Athenian Votive Monuments of the Archaic and Classical Periods: Three Studies

In three studies of votive offerings, the author explores the role played by private patrons in the production of art and inscriptions in Athens in the Archaic and Classical periods. The studies concern additive sculptural groups produced by the contributions of multiple dedicators, a form of display explained within the context of votive religion; epigraphical evidence for collaboration between East Greek sculptors and Athenian patrons on 6th- and 5th-century votive monuments; and dedications that have either been misidentified as belonging to Athenian potters and vase painters or erroneously reconstructed as metal or stone vases.

Set in stone: the role of relief-carved stone vessels in Neopalatial Minoan elite propaganda

Two major works have been published that consider in detail Minoan relief-carved stone vessels, Peter Warren'sMinoan Stone Vases(1969) and Bernd Kaiser'sUntersuchungen zum minoischen Relief(1976). However, while both these texts provide useful catalogues of the vessels that had been discovered up to the time of their writing, neither provides an analysis of these vessels that considers the body of artefacts as a whole, rather than as a series of individual pieces. This trend has continued until the present day, with numerous articles appearing on the more famous pieces, such as the Harvester Vase and the Boxer Rhyton, but nothing examining the entire corpus of material. In this paper it is argued that when these vessels are considered together they produce an important indication of the sources of power that were used by the elite of Minoan society, specifically the male members of the elite, to justify and reinforce their elevated position in society, and furthermore, that the message of these vessels was aimed at other members of elite society as well as the non-elite.

Imhotep ..... First, Last, and Always

Continued on page 4 Fellow medical practitioners who recoil at jokes about doctors who think they are gods, take comfort .... there was one who made it. He was called Imhotep, Egyptian for ‘he who comes in peace’. (fig. 1) Breasted1, the noted Egyptologist, recalling the first 3,000 years of civilization, stated, “....the history of the world had largely been the irresistable drift of tradition. The outstanding exception was the great architect-physician, Imhotep. Otherwise men had been but drops of water in the great tide.” Imhotep lived in the Third Dynasty of Egypt (2780-2720 B.C.)* during the rule of King Zoser. Born the son of the architect, Kanofer, it was as an architect that Imhotep left his most visable foot print on history. He designed and built the first pyramid. (fig. 2) The step pyramid of Sakkara, near Memphis was to serve as the tomb for King Zoser, and become the inspiration for all monumental stone structures which followed. When the step pyramid was unearthed in the 1920’s, the base of a statue of Imhotep was found. (fig. 3) The inscription attests to his talents. “The Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, The First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Place, Hereditary Lord, High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep, the Builder, the Sculptor, the Maker of Stone Vases.”3 The last and most innocuous title of ‘maker of stone vases’ was perhaps the most prophetic legacy. The craftsmen of his time were molders of mud and straw bricks, makers of wattle houses, and potters of clay. The product was like its maker.....perishable. Until Imhotep envisioned the pyramid, Kings were buried in a deep ditch covered by a dirt mound

The ‘imported’ stone vases at Akrotiri, Thera: a new approach to the material

In the Late Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri on Thera stone vessels were imported, mainly from Crete, in parallel with local production which was in full swing at this time, as testified by the number and variety of products, especially those of everyday domestic use, that covered fully the needs of a large settlement. One group of stone vessels, which is characterised by the innovative character either of the shape or the combination of type and raw material used, includes products that cannot be attributed to known centres of stone vessel manufacture, such as those of Crete, Egypt and the Syro-Palestinian region. The particular interest of this group lies in the fact that parameters such as the choice of the material, the typology and the flourishing stone industry, lead to a clear correlation of specific vessels with related local activity.

Habitat stability and the larval mosquito community in treeholes and other containers on a temperate Island

AbstractThe temporal fluctuation of water levels and the presence of mosquito larvae were investigated for four types of small container habitats (treeholes, bamboo stumps, cemetery stone vases, and cemetery stone vessels) on Kabeshima Island in Kyushu, southwestern Japan. The probability that containers held water was positively correlated with the quantity of the preceding rainfall and with the depth and volume of the containers. It was estimated that dehydration occurred more regularly in autumn and winter than in summer. The probability that mosquito larvae were present in each type of container was positively correlated with habitat stability in terms of the probability of the existence of standing water and the coefficient of variation of the water level. Twelve species of mosquito larvae, including two rare predators, were found. Species composition differed between the different types of container. Although 4 to 10 species used each type of container, the median number of species per container was two for treeholes and bamboo stumps, and one for the others. The dominant species was Tripteroides bambusa in treeholes and bamboo stumps, Aedes albopictus in stone vases, and A. japonicus in stone vessels. The larval mosquito community, which lacked major predators, possessed the following features that may facilitate the coexistence of many species: (1) niche segregation amongst species in terms of their selection of container types; (2) an aggregated distribution of the individual species among containers of the same type; (3) high intraspecific mean crowding (and hence probably intense intraspecific competition) in the dominant species in each type of container; (4) independent species associations within the same type of container; and (5) low interspecific mean crowding (and hence probably not intense interspecific competition) between species in the same type of container.

Seasonal distribution and habitat selection by Aedes albopictus and Ae. riversi (Diptera: Culicidae) in northern Kyushu, Japan.

Temporal and spatial distribution of adult and larval Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes riversi Bohart & Ingram were studied on a small island and coastal area of northern Kyushu, Japan. Adults of Ae. albopictus attracted to human bait were distributed uniformly in an evergreen forest, a citrus orchard surrounded by forest, and an area disturbed by humans, whereas Ae. riversi was confined to evergreen forest and its adjacent area. Adults of both species occurred from May through October. Although Ae. riversi outnumbered Ae. albopictus early in the season, Ae. albopictus were much more abundant than Ae. riversi later in the season, with maximum abundance in July-September. Larval Ae. riversi occurred primarily in tree holes but also were found in bamboo stumps and artificial containers in forests. Despite the abundance of adult Ae. albopictus in the forest, larvae occurred in tree holes less frequently than Ae. riversi; it more frequently exploited bamboo stumps, stone vases, and discarded tires outside the forest.

The Arts in Prehistoric Greece. By Sinclair Hood.

Part 1 Historical summary: Neolithic early Bronze Age (c. 3000-2000 B.C.) middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1450 B.C.) - the shaft grave period on the mainland (c. 1575-1475 B.C.), the eruption of Thera, and the conquest of Crete c. 1450 B.C. later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards). Part 2 Pottery: Neolithic - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland early Bronze Age (c. 3000-2000 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1450 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) coffins and bathtubs. Part 3 Painting: Crete and the Cyclades - miniature frescoes, relief frescoes the mainland technique. Part 4 Sculpture: Neolithic earlier Bonze Age (c. 3000-1700 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland later Bronze Age (c. 1700-1100 B.C.) - Crete, the mainland, clay statues and figurines, bronze figurines. Part 5 Wood, shell, bone and ivory - faience - glass: wood, shell, bone, and ivory - early and middle Bronze Age (until c. 1450 B.C.) - Crete, the mainland, later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) faience - early middle and Bronze Age (until c. 1450 B.C.) - the temple repositories, the Mycenae shaft graves, later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) glass. Part 6 Stone vases: materials, methods of manufacture, lamps. Part 7 Metal vases: early Middle Bonze Age (until c. 1450 B.C.) later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) copper and bronze vessels technique. Part 8 Arms: early and middle Bronze Age (until c. 1450 B.C.) - Crete, the mainland, the Mycenae shaft graves later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards). Part 9 Jewellery: Neolithic early Bronze Age (c. 3000-2000 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland middle Bonze Age (c. 2000-1450 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland, the Mycenae shaft graves later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) technique. Part 10 Seals and gems: early Bronze Age (c. 3000-2000 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1450 B.C.) - Crete, the Cyclades, the mainland later Bronze Age (c. 1450 B.C. onwards) materials and techniques. Part 11 Conclusion: the early Bronze Age koine in the Aegean the Minoan art of Crete Mycenaean art end of the Bronze Age (from c. 1200 B.C. onwards).

Stone Vases and Minyan Ware: A Facet of Minoan Influence on Middle Helladic Laconia

Previous articleNext article No AccessArchaeological NotesStone Vases and Minyan Ware: A Facet of Minoan Influence on Middle Helladic LaconiaJeremy B. RutterJeremy B. Rutter Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 83, Number 4October 1979 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Views: 3Total views on this site Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/504147 Views: 3Total views on this site Copyright © 1979 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

An Ivory Box and a Stone Mould from Acemhöyük

The excavations at Acemhöyük, started in 1962 under the auspices of the Turkish Historical Society, Ankara University and the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, have been continuing annually. The results of the campaigns of 1962 - 1965 have appeared. More recent exploration has focused on the monumental buildings at the site; some work also took place in other parts of the mound and in the lower city. We now have gained a basic understanding of Acemhöyüks' status and importance in the context of Anatolian archaeology. A general volume, now in preparation, will present the finds from the palaces as well as those from other buildings on the mound or in the lower city; objects of metal, ivories, terracottas, stone vases, and notably the rich collection of bullae with cylinder and stamp seal impressions will be published in this volume. The present article selects two samples from the wealth of material: an ivory box and stone mould for a lead figürine.

Minoan Stone Vases.

A descriptive inventory of over 3,500 Minoan stone vases arranged by types of stone, methods of manufacture, probable usage and relations to metal and clay vessels Famous vases carrying scenes in relief Summary of the history and stylistic development, discussion of type, dating and distribution that were exported.

Minoan Stone Vases as Evidence for Minoan Foreign Connexions in the Aegean Late Bronze Age

This article presents the evidence for the distribution of Late Minoan stone vases outside Crete. This class of evidence has not been discussed previously and as the amount of material involved is substantial, over a hundred vases, it is here set out as a contribution to the discussion of Minoan foreign connexions in the earlier part of the Late Bronze Age in the Aegean.The vases were made in Crete in Middle Minoan III/Late Minoan I—Late Minoan III A 1, c. 1600–1400 B.C., as is shown by the contexts of parallel vases from sites in the island (see the Catalogue). Most of the exports occur in Aegean contexts of this period; for those from contexts later than c. 1400 B.C. it is most reasonable to believe that they too were exported from Crete at the time of their floruit, containing in use for a time afterwards. In any case most of them are fragments, which indicates that their time of arrival and period of use were earlier than the late date of their contexts. Moreover after c. 1400 B.C. Cretan influence abroad ceased (Desborough 1964, 166–7; cf. Furumark 1950, 263–4 for the end of Minoan contacts with Trianda and Phylakopi), nor is there evidence that stone vases were then made in the island.