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 2,2): Town houses in Knossos of the new era and restored West Palace Section (London, 1928)

AFRICAN AND ASIATIC ELEPHANTS

743

in North
Syria.

Egypt, as we know, drew its ivory supplies from the Asiatic side as well Herds of

A c] n t"ir1

as from Ethiopia and the Soudan. Great herds of the Asiatic breed elephants

were hunted by Thothmes III in Northern Syria. Thanks to the growing

intercourse between Crete and Syria in the 'Age of Palaces' it is likely

enough that, in later days, a large part of the

ivory supply was of the Asiatic variety. Loads

of tusks may have also found their way into

Egypt from the Syrian ports in Minoan

bottoms, and it is quite possible, therefore, that

the Minoan envoys here depicted had obtained

them from that source.

Many of the figures bear traces of the
insertion of the sheath envelopes of the earlier
costume depicted in the Senmut Tomb. In two
cases the kilt consists of a spotted skin of a pard
(cf. Fig. 473,/), but with this exception all
show the same short loin-cloth. At times
there is a band hanging down from the middle
of the belt (Fig. 479), the fringed end of which
suggests a comparison with the beaded ends

of the network pendant seen in the same position in the case of the Cup-
bearer and his fellows.1 The fringe of pendent beads in this case extends

((tkiHiiU)))))))%

Fig. 476.

Cup :

Relief on Steatite
Hagia Triada.

Fig. 477.
Hind-quarters
of Young Afri-
can Elephant.

Fig. 478. Young Prince attacking Sphinx, showing Tasselled
Robe : Thisbe Treasure.

along the whole border of the kilt, and tasselled strings hang down from Minoan
the back of the girdle. These tassels and pendants recall a fashion Rekh-

1 From Professor P. E. Newberry's reproduction.