Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 1): The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London, 1921)

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THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.

Deducting accidental scratches and the guiding lines, the inscription seems to
have been much as shown in Fig. 459. As might be expected, it presents
anomalous features, thus the third sign of the upper row which otherwise
resembles a common linear character of Class A, is here differentiated
by horns. The hand sign appears to recur twice in ligature.1

Fig. 458. Trial Piece of Gypsum with Inscribed Characters
from kasella of thirteenth magazine.

Lapidary
Inscrip-
tions of
Religious
Cha-
racter.

Fig. 459. Transcription of Signs on Fig. 458.

Such lapidary inscriptions had a special vogue in connexion with vessels
of a ritual and votive character. Good illustrations of this are supplied
by a particular class associated with the High Places of Knossos. Already
in the course of preliminary explorations of the rugged steep within the
temenos and the actual precincts of what has proved to be the Peak
Sanctuary of Minoan Knossos, carried out in 1896, I had found fragments of

1 In the lower line it may be compounded with |— reversed. Compare the terminal sign of
Fig. 455, a.