DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12762#0078
CHAPTER III
HAGIA EIRENE
Tombs of Hagia Eirene.
In the plain of Mesara at a place called Hagia Eirene, half an hour to the tholos e
north-east of the Koumasa tombs, ancient structures and ruins could be seen,
and in particular the upper part of a round building which had caused the
people of the place to give the name of Minaret (Mti/ape?) to this particular
spot. I dug here and found two domed tombs like those of Koumasa, a large
one, E, and a small, e. The construction of both was of the familiar type,
and here again the entrances faced the east.
In E the complete circuit of the wall was preserved. The height outside
varied from 1-20 m. to 1-50 m., and inside from -80 m. to 1-20 m. Inside the
circle is not true, the diameter from east to west being 8 m., but from north
to south only 7-50 m. The thickness of the wall varies ; in places it is 2 m.,
elsewhere 1*85 m., and elsewhere again 1-65 m. As is usual with this kind of
tomb, the wall is built of large and small unworked stones bonded with much
clay. In the southern section there are fifteen projecting slabs in a row (see
p. 5). The entrance is about 1 m. wide, and was blocked by a slab of sand-
stone which we found in the entrance-way between the two monoliths that
framed it on either side. In front of the entrance the rectangular walled
ante-room still existed, with an outside measurement of 2*20 m. by 2 m. In
the earth in front of the entrance were found a triangular dagger of the normal
type, a few plain cups, and some Early Minoan sherds.
Inside the tholos were the shattered fragments of about fifteen clay cists
or ' larnakes ' and some bits of clay pithos. Both the known types of larnax,
the chest type and the bath type, were represented. None of them had any
ornament. Quantities of human bones were found scattered inside and outside
them, and out of the mass two almost perfect skulls were obtained (see p. 126).
Both larnakes and pithoi are Late Minoan, which makes me think it fairly
certain that in the Late Minoan period, when they buried in larnakes and
pithoi, the tholos had been plundered and emptied of its Early Minoan burials
and then used again. And this would be the reason why hardly any object
of note was found in it.
No trace of fire was observed either on the floor or on the bones.
In the covering earth were found two ' milk stones ' of steatite {ya\6ire.Tpai)
of Late Minoan date, one large, 067, much worn, on which a lion can be made
out walking to the right, with a flowered column capital over his back behind;
HAGIA EIRENE
Tombs of Hagia Eirene.
In the plain of Mesara at a place called Hagia Eirene, half an hour to the tholos e
north-east of the Koumasa tombs, ancient structures and ruins could be seen,
and in particular the upper part of a round building which had caused the
people of the place to give the name of Minaret (Mti/ape?) to this particular
spot. I dug here and found two domed tombs like those of Koumasa, a large
one, E, and a small, e. The construction of both was of the familiar type,
and here again the entrances faced the east.
In E the complete circuit of the wall was preserved. The height outside
varied from 1-20 m. to 1-50 m., and inside from -80 m. to 1-20 m. Inside the
circle is not true, the diameter from east to west being 8 m., but from north
to south only 7-50 m. The thickness of the wall varies ; in places it is 2 m.,
elsewhere 1*85 m., and elsewhere again 1-65 m. As is usual with this kind of
tomb, the wall is built of large and small unworked stones bonded with much
clay. In the southern section there are fifteen projecting slabs in a row (see
p. 5). The entrance is about 1 m. wide, and was blocked by a slab of sand-
stone which we found in the entrance-way between the two monoliths that
framed it on either side. In front of the entrance the rectangular walled
ante-room still existed, with an outside measurement of 2*20 m. by 2 m. In
the earth in front of the entrance were found a triangular dagger of the normal
type, a few plain cups, and some Early Minoan sherds.
Inside the tholos were the shattered fragments of about fifteen clay cists
or ' larnakes ' and some bits of clay pithos. Both the known types of larnax,
the chest type and the bath type, were represented. None of them had any
ornament. Quantities of human bones were found scattered inside and outside
them, and out of the mass two almost perfect skulls were obtained (see p. 126).
Both larnakes and pithoi are Late Minoan, which makes me think it fairly
certain that in the Late Minoan period, when they buried in larnakes and
pithoi, the tholos had been plundered and emptied of its Early Minoan burials
and then used again. And this would be the reason why hardly any object
of note was found in it.
No trace of fire was observed either on the floor or on the bones.
In the covering earth were found two ' milk stones ' of steatite {ya\6ire.Tpai)
of Late Minoan date, one large, 067, much worn, on which a lion can be made
out walking to the right, with a flowered column capital over his back behind;