DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3044#0230
GROUPS 215
IIB, yielded Knossos P52. An additional clue for the dating is that the seal shapes characteristic
of this subgroup (3b Bottles and 4a Buttons) date predominantly to MM IB-II. Finally, owing to
the stylistic homogeneity of the motifs, a period of production extending over more than two
ceramic phases seems unlikely.
10: The Hieroglyphic Deposit Group MM II (-?)
AGD II 6-9; Bonn Akad. Kunstmus. B 178; CM 106-109, 111, 112, 138, 151, 160, 161, 163, 166, 167, 181,
182; CMS I 425, 428-430; III 122; 112 3, 227, 249, 256, 282-284, 286, 296, 316, 321; 115 204, 299, 300,
311; IV 132, 135-137, 141, 156, 27D, 29D, 31D; VII 33, 34, 40, 41, 255; VIII 34, 102, 103; IX 29-31, 46;
X 52, 53, 280, 312; XII 89, 91, 100-103, 105-107, 109-115, 117, 10D; XIII 37, 81; CS 112, 117-122, 129,
131-133, 135, 138-142, 148, 150, 151, 165-174, 201; HM 1052, 1075, 1079, 2184, 2595, 4815; Knossos HI,
H3, P50a, P51a, P54al,P54a2, P55, P56a, P58a, P59a2, P60a, P61a, P63al, P63a2, P66a, P68a, P69al, P69a2,
P71al, P74a3, P74al, P74a2, P75al, P75a2; Priv Coll., England; SM I 187 fig. 98a
near: AGD II 10, 11; CMS 112 248; 115 25; IV 28D; X 54; XII 95
total: 154
The Hieroglyphic Deposit Group derives its name from a hoard of scattered bars, labels and
sealings from the West Wing at Knossos in which a large number of impressions from hieroglyph-
ic Prism-seals came to light. At the beginning of the century Evans preliminarily identified this
3 2
group and associated it with his Hieroglyphic B script. The seals which bear these same Hiero-
glyphic B inscriptions, in fact, comprise a large style-group with a homogeneous carving technique,
iconography, as well as a limited number of seal shapes and materials. The characteristics of this
group may be treated singly here.
First, a limited number of shapes consistently show the motifs of the Hieroglyphic Deposit
Group which include Petschafte, Three- and Four-sided Prisms, the Foreparts of Animals and Fol-
iate Backs. Each of these shape classes morphologically is relatively homogeneous. Three-fifths
of the Foliate Backs and Petschafte are fashioned with seal faces which at first glance appear flat,
but which actually are slightly convex, a characteristic not convincingly explicable on purely prac-
tical or technical grounds. This convexity appears to be simply a stylistic refinement and one
which is unknown outside of this style-group.
Second, ninety-eight percent of the seals of this group are fashioned in hard stones, the
most common of which are jasper, banded and spotted agate and translucent or opaque chalcedon-
y. Third, the motifs are generally formed by deeply carved lines and cuts from rotary tools. In
section, the cuts appear semicircular. The transitions, where two or more cuts intersect, are gener-
ally carefully finished. A limited repertoire of tool marks results in a uniform, even canonical con-
sistency of form.
The geometricizing quality of the engraving is primarily a reflection of the taste of the time
and not one of the limitations of the tools. Several arguments can be brought in support of this
point: First, essentially the same tools which produced the "geometricizing" motifs under discus-
sion were also used to cut Late Minoan, Greek, Roman and even modern seals. In the various
periods they simply were used differendy. Second, in order to have come to a point that the ar-
tists could carve seals of the quality of the Hieroglyphic Deposit seals, much experimentation
must have taken place and the subtle and varied techniques used in MM II are anything but ex-
IIB, yielded Knossos P52. An additional clue for the dating is that the seal shapes characteristic
of this subgroup (3b Bottles and 4a Buttons) date predominantly to MM IB-II. Finally, owing to
the stylistic homogeneity of the motifs, a period of production extending over more than two
ceramic phases seems unlikely.
10: The Hieroglyphic Deposit Group MM II (-?)
AGD II 6-9; Bonn Akad. Kunstmus. B 178; CM 106-109, 111, 112, 138, 151, 160, 161, 163, 166, 167, 181,
182; CMS I 425, 428-430; III 122; 112 3, 227, 249, 256, 282-284, 286, 296, 316, 321; 115 204, 299, 300,
311; IV 132, 135-137, 141, 156, 27D, 29D, 31D; VII 33, 34, 40, 41, 255; VIII 34, 102, 103; IX 29-31, 46;
X 52, 53, 280, 312; XII 89, 91, 100-103, 105-107, 109-115, 117, 10D; XIII 37, 81; CS 112, 117-122, 129,
131-133, 135, 138-142, 148, 150, 151, 165-174, 201; HM 1052, 1075, 1079, 2184, 2595, 4815; Knossos HI,
H3, P50a, P51a, P54al,P54a2, P55, P56a, P58a, P59a2, P60a, P61a, P63al, P63a2, P66a, P68a, P69al, P69a2,
P71al, P74a3, P74al, P74a2, P75al, P75a2; Priv Coll., England; SM I 187 fig. 98a
near: AGD II 10, 11; CMS 112 248; 115 25; IV 28D; X 54; XII 95
total: 154
The Hieroglyphic Deposit Group derives its name from a hoard of scattered bars, labels and
sealings from the West Wing at Knossos in which a large number of impressions from hieroglyph-
ic Prism-seals came to light. At the beginning of the century Evans preliminarily identified this
3 2
group and associated it with his Hieroglyphic B script. The seals which bear these same Hiero-
glyphic B inscriptions, in fact, comprise a large style-group with a homogeneous carving technique,
iconography, as well as a limited number of seal shapes and materials. The characteristics of this
group may be treated singly here.
First, a limited number of shapes consistently show the motifs of the Hieroglyphic Deposit
Group which include Petschafte, Three- and Four-sided Prisms, the Foreparts of Animals and Fol-
iate Backs. Each of these shape classes morphologically is relatively homogeneous. Three-fifths
of the Foliate Backs and Petschafte are fashioned with seal faces which at first glance appear flat,
but which actually are slightly convex, a characteristic not convincingly explicable on purely prac-
tical or technical grounds. This convexity appears to be simply a stylistic refinement and one
which is unknown outside of this style-group.
Second, ninety-eight percent of the seals of this group are fashioned in hard stones, the
most common of which are jasper, banded and spotted agate and translucent or opaque chalcedon-
y. Third, the motifs are generally formed by deeply carved lines and cuts from rotary tools. In
section, the cuts appear semicircular. The transitions, where two or more cuts intersect, are gener-
ally carefully finished. A limited repertoire of tool marks results in a uniform, even canonical con-
sistency of form.
The geometricizing quality of the engraving is primarily a reflection of the taste of the time
and not one of the limitations of the tools. Several arguments can be brought in support of this
point: First, essentially the same tools which produced the "geometricizing" motifs under discus-
sion were also used to cut Late Minoan, Greek, Roman and even modern seals. In the various
periods they simply were used differendy. Second, in order to have come to a point that the ar-
tists could carve seals of the quality of the Hieroglyphic Deposit seals, much experimentation
must have taken place and the subtle and varied techniques used in MM II are anything but ex-