Em ii b ware groups at knossos: The 1907–1908 south front tests

The Annual of the British School at Athens

Volumn 94, Issue , 1999, Pages 1-62

  Wilson, David E ^a   Day, Peter M ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO   (Canada)

^b UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 85009628915     PISSN: 00682454     EISSN: 20452403     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0068245400000502     Document Type: Article

References (77)

1. We should like to thank the Managing Committee of the British School at Athens and Gerald Cadogan for permission to study and publish the pottery presented in this article. Additionally, for permission to sample the pottery for analysis, we are most grateful to the Greek Archaeological Service, especially to the 23rd Ephorate in Herakleion and to Sinclair Hood. We are indebted to Gerald Cadogan, Nicoletta Momigliano, Evangelia Kiriatzi, and Vassilis Kilikoglou for the many helpful discussions we have had at Knossos regarding this material. Our thanks also to Stephania Chlouveraki for the pottery drawings, and Carrie Galsworthy and Mark Johnston for help in preparing the final figure and plate illustrations. Major funding for the expenses of field-study for this project in 1992 and 1993 and the preparation of illustrations were provided by a grant from the Institute for Aegean Prehistory in New York with additional support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Analysis of these ceramics was funded by a postdoctoral research fellowship awarded to P. M. Day by the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK (1991 3), while the analytical work has benefitted from comparative material studied by the Production and Exchange of Pottery in Early Minoan East Crete Project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK (T. M. Whitelaw and P. M. Day, co-directors).
2. For a summary history of ceramic phasing for Prepalatial Knossos and an overview of the Early Minoan pottery phases see Wilson 1994. This article forms part of our larger ongoing study of ceramic development at Prepalatial Knossos.
3. The petrographic analyses presented here form part of a diachronic (Neolithic-Middle Minoan II), analytical study of Knossian pottery by neutron activation analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and thin section petrography by the authors in collaboration with V. Kilikoglou of the Laboratory of Archaeometry, NCSR Demokritos. One aspect of this work has been presented in Wilson and Day 1994.
4. Momigliano and Wilson 1996; Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming; and n. 7.
5. Wilson 1985; Wilson and Day 1994.
6. Wilson and Day 1994: T. M. Whitelaw, P. M. Day, E. Kiriatzi, Y. Kilikoglou, and D. E. Wilson, 1997. ‘Ceramic traditions at EM II B Myrtos. Fournou Korifi’. in R. Laffineur and P. P. Betancourt (eds). TEXNH. Craftsmen. Craftswomen and Craftsmanship in the Aegean Bronze Age (Aegaeum 16; Liège, 1997, pp. 265-75.
7. fifty-two samples are presented here: 29 from the 1907-8 excavations by Evans and Mackenzie (see below n. 131 and 23 from the 1960 excavations of M. S. E Hood and G. Cadogan (Hood and Cadogan. forthcoming). See Hood and Taylor, palace plan for E-W lino of retaining wall marked by escarpment. Initial tests behind this wall were made by Platon in 1957, when he found EM II B material (AR 1957, 21, the South House mistakenlv called the ‘House of the High Priest’). More extensive excavation of the EM II B fills in this same area was carried out by the Greek Archaeological Service in 1993 under the direction of Dr Alexandra Karetsou.
8. Publication of this work includes: Wilson and Day 1994: P M. Day, E. Kiriatzi, A. Tsolakidou, and V. Kilikoglou, ‘Group therapy: a comparison between analyses by NAA and thin section petrography of Early Bronze Age pottery from Central and East Crete’, Journal of Archaeological Science 26 (1999), 1025-3610.1006/jasc.1999.0424. Research also in progress by P. Tomkms, P. M. Day, and V. Kilikoglou on Early Neolithic pottery from Knossos.
9. Scanning electron microscopy and neutron activation analysis have been carried out at the Laboratory of Archaeometry. Institute of Materials Science. NCSR Demokritos, Greece, under the supen ision of Dr V. Kilikoglou.
10. Wilson 1994, fig. 3; Momigliano and Wilson 1996.
11. This section of the EM II B fills was excavated in 1993 by the Greek Archaeological Service under the direction of Dr Alexandra Karetsou as part of the South House conservation programme.
12. The South Front House is referred to in earlier plans and publications as the ‘Early Houses’: Hood and Taylor, no. 2, 13; G. Cadogan, P. M. Day, C. F. Macdonald, J. A. MacGillivray, N. Momigliano, T. M. Whitelaw, and D. E. Wilson, ‘Early Minoan and Middle Minoan pottery groups at Knossos’, BSA 88 (1993), 24 : ‘Early Houses, Lower Deposit’.
13. For results of the 1993 excavations and a summary of earlier investigations in this area see Momigliano and Wilson 1996; for the 1960 excavations see Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.
14. For the finds in this pit from the 1993 excavations see Momigliano and Wilson 1996.
15. Scanning electron microscopy and neutron activation analysis have been carried out at the Laboratory of Archaeometry.
16. The retained sherd material from these excavations is now stored in the Stratigraphical Museum at Knossos in boxes H.I.2: 788-803, the concentration of EM II B pottery is in boxes 788 and 791-93. For whole or mended pots from this same deposit see Evans, PM i, 71, 73-3, 108. fig. 40 and Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.
17. See Wilson 1994, 32-3. 37-8 and fig. 2 for plan of findspots.
18. For approximate location see Wilson 1994, fig. 2 and report of finds in A. Pariente, 1994, ‘Chronique des fouilles en 1993’. BCH 118 (1994), 819. Our thanks to Colin Macdonald for permission to make mention of this find here.
19. Test Pit 3: KSM box B.I.6: 193, Strat. Guide plan 4.B: Test Pit 14: KSM box B.I.17: 307a, Strat. Guide plan 4.B: Wilson 1994, fig. 2.
20. Strat. Guide plan 15.K: Wilson 1984, 39 40: id. 1994. fig. 2.
21. Bay 2: KSM boxes K.I.4: 883-885: Bay 3: KSM boxes K.I.5: 887, K.I.6: 897-906.
22. Strat. Guide plan 17: Hood and Taylor plan no. 80; KSM box M.III.3: 1199.
23. M. S. F. Hood, ‘Stratigraphic excavations at Knossos, 1957-61’. Kr: Chron. 15-16 (1961-1962), 92 8: M. S. F. Hood and D. Smyth, Archaeological Survey of the Knossos Area (London, 1981). plan no. 215: Wilson 1984, 205-6: for final publication of the Royal Road North sequence see Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.
24. Evans, PM i. fig. 40. top. second and bottom rows.
25. ‘Stratigraphic excavations at Knossos, 1957-61’., top and bottom rows.
26. Wilson 1985, P 42-46. P107-15, P141.
27. This shape, also referred to as the ‘egg-cup’, has a long history at Knossos continuing into MM II A: M. S. F. Hood, The Minoans (London, 1971), fig. 14.
28. Rare examples of the same general shape do occur in dark grey burnished ware in the West Court House (e.g. Wilson 1985, P3), but the internally-thickened rim is normally a feature of deeper sewing bowls (e.g. ‘Stratigraphic excavations at Knossos, 1957-61’., top and bottom rows. P1). The shallow bowl P247 (‘Stratigraphic excavations at Knossos, 1957-61’., top and bottom rows. fig. 27) is from a mixed EM II A-MM I deposit and probably EM II B.
29. For the phenomenon of the shallow bowl in the West Aegean as a possible indicator of social change at the end of EH II/EC II see D. E. Wilson, KEOS IX: Ayia Irini: Periods I-III. The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlements, Part 1: The Pottery and Small Finds (Mainz, 1999).
30. Wilson 1985. P 179-244.
31. Hood (n. 27). 37 for ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’.
32. Evans, P.M i. fig. 40. third and bottom rows.
33. ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’., top row middle.
34. Wilson 1985, 312-17 for ‘red or black washed ware’.
35. ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’., top row middle., P 145 50, P152.
36. Evans, PM i. fig. 40, second row, second from left.
37. ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’., top row middle., top and third rows.
38. ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’., top row middle., top and third rows., third row on left.
39. For a detailed analysis of this ware see P. P. Betancourt, T. K. Gaisser, E. Koss, R. F. Lyon, F. R. Matson, S. Montgomery, G. H. Meyer, and C. P. Swann, Vasilike Ware. An Early Bronze Age Pottery Style in Crete (Göteborg, 1979).
40. For distribution in East Crete see Betancourt et al. (n. 39). For Vasilike Ware at Myrtos Fournou Korifi. see Whitelaw et al. (n. 6)
41. This work combines neutron activation analysis, scanning electron microscopy and thin section petrography in collaboration with V. Kilikoglou of the Laboratory of Archaeometry, NCSR Demokntos.
42. Wilson 1994: work in progress by the authors in collaboration with Nota Dimopoulou and Vassilis Kihkoglou.
43. Whitelaw et al. (n. 6): Day et al. (n. 8)
44. G. H. Myer and P. P. Betancourt. ‘The fabrics at Kommos’. in P. P. Betancourt, Kommos II: The Final Neolithic through Middle Minoan III Pottery (Princeton, 1990), I 13. The transport jars comprise part of a collaborative project between J. B. Rutter, P. M. Day, and V. Kilikoglon.
45. Prepalatial sites sampled include: Phaistos, Agia Triadha, Moni Odigitrias, Trypiti, Agia Kyriaki.
46. Whitelaw et al. (n. 6).
47. These observations are being investigated further by chemical analyis and micromorphological study by scanning electron microscope (A. Tsolakidou and V. Kilikoglou, work in process).
48. But similar base clays with characteristic non-plastics are commonly attributable to a source area. see Day et al. (n. 8).
49. Betancourt et al. (n. 39).
50. Similar distinctive fabrics have been found in two examples of Vasilike Ware sampled from the MM I A rubbish levels at Knossos.
51. Day et al. (n. 8). figs 5 and 6. An integrated analytical study of the technology and provenance of Vasilike Ware has been carried out by the authors in collaboration with T.M. Whitelaw, E. Kiriatzi, V. Kilikoglou, A. Tsolakidou, and E. Faber.
52. Wilson 1994, 32-5; for a more detailed treatment of this subject see Hood and Cadogan. forthcoming and the ongoing study by Day and Wilson (n. 2).
53. Wilson 1985: id. 1994, 30-2.
54. For 1905 test in North-West Portico see KSM E.II.7: Wilson 1985: Wilson 1994. 32 and n. 61. This deposit is now under study by the authors.
55. Momigliano and Wilson 1996.
56. This deposit is now under study by the authors.
57. Cf. P84 and P91 with e.g. Wilson 1985, P218 and P221.
58. Momigliano 1991, 245-8.
59. Wilson 1985, 319-30.
60. Momigliano 1991, 253-6.
61. This deposit is now under study by the authors. 258-60.
62. e.g. N. David, J. Sterner, and K. Gavua, ‘Why pots are decorated’, Current Anthropology, 29 (1988), 365-79.
63. e.g. D. Miller, Artefacts as Categories (Cambridge, 1985).
64. Day and Wilson, work in progress (n. 2).
65. Wilson and Day 1994; P. M. Day, D. E. Wilson, and E. Kiriatzi, 1997: ‘Reassessing specialization in Prepalatial Cretan ceramic production’ in Laffineur and Betancourt (eds). (n. 6). 275-89.
66. Whitelaw et al. (n. 6).
67. Pottery with fabries similar to the dolerite fabric have been analysed from Tylissos and the Mesara, whilst the metamorphic fabric has been found in several locations within Central Crete.
68. Y. Hamilakis, ‘Wine, oil and the dialecties of power in Bronze Age Crete: a review of the evidence’. OJA 15 (1996), 1-31.
69. For the most detailed discussion of this thesis for Minoan Crete see Y. Hamilakis, Strategies for Survival and Strategies for Domination: Wine, Oil, and ‘Social Complexity’ in Bronze Age Crete (University of Sheffield, Ph.D. dissertation, 1995). See also Hamilakis 1996 (n.71); J. C. Wright, ‘Empty cups and empty jugs: the social role of wine in Minoan and Mycenaean societies’, in P. McGovern (eds), The Origins and Ancient History of Wine (Luxemburg, 1995), 287-309 : R. Palmer. ‘Wine and viticulture in the Linear A and B texts of the Bronze Age Aegean’, in McGovern et al., 269-85. For suggested ritualized drinking at EBA Ayia Irini on Kea see Wilson (n. 29).
70. Hamilakis (n. 71), 25; for the Mycenaean mainland see Wright (n. 72), 224-5.
71. Hamilakis (n. 72), 249; J. C. Wright, ‘The archaeological correlates of religion: case studies in the Aegean’, in R. Laffineur and W.-D. Niemeier (eds). Politeia: Society and State in the Aegean Bronze Age. (Aegaeum 12: Liège, 1995), 346.
72. P. M. Day and D. E. Wilson, ‘Consuming power: Kamares Ware in Protopalatial Knossos’, Antiquity, 72 (1998), 350-8.
73. Abbreviations used in these descriptions are as follows
74. Wilson 1985.
75. Analysis in progress of pottery from the Sanondakis Plot, Poros-Katsambas. Excavations of 23rd Ephorate under the direction of Nota Dimopoulou.
76. Wilson 1985: for Poros see n. 45.
77. For dark grey burnished ware, see Wilson 1985 and Wilson and Day 1994. This fabric has been analysed chemically and used in comparative compositional work, see Day (n. 8).