DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.806#0051
LINEAR SCRIPT OF CLASS A 37
libation vessels, in the same dark steatite, found in the Temple Repositories at Knossos
together with inscribed clay documents of the present class, and belonging, as we
have seen, to the close of the Third Minoan Period.
A parallel to the inscribed Dictaean Table has now been supplied by the more
fragmentary remains of a similar steatite object showing part of a cup with a raised rim
found by Mr. Currelly at Palaikastro1 near the mouth of a small cave or rock shelter
afterwards used for interments. This example bears some fourteen incised characters
wholly or partially preserved, and the signs themselves exhibit types which are peculiar
to the linear Class A.
It is interesting to notice that with the appearance of this early variety of the Change
developed linear script of Crete a significant change takes place in the character of the ^jj.hra"
seals. The practice of using signets and bead-seals with incised inscriptions, so general usage:
in the age when the hieroglyphic form of script was predominant, is now given up.a p^°^1.y"
The flat-faced seals so convenient for the engraving of sign-groups at this time disappear, scriptions
Both the small signets and the elongated bead-seals in the form of three- or four-sided &^^c y
prisms, accommodating whole lines of inscription, fall into disuse. The highly developed designs,
artistic spirit that marks the close of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Minoan
Age seemed to crave for a deeper and bolder style of engraving best secured by a
slightly bossed surface, while it substituted essentially pictorial types for the mere calli-
graphy of the preceding epoch. The round or oval field of the lentoid and amygdaloid
bead-seals or of the besils of the signet rings was now preferred, and became the vehicle
for bold and beautiful designs. This new and fine style of gem engraving for a time
subsisted side by side with the usage of the hieroglyphic script in its most developed
form, as is seen from several of the clay seal-impressions from the Hieroglyphic Deposit.
But the craving for artistic satisfaction seems to have led the owners of signets to prefer Inscrip-
the purely pictorial form, and, where it was necessary more particularly to empha- ^jjf °r"_
size the personal name or attributes, this was effected by means of a graffito inscription placed by
graffiti on
sealings.
on the reverse of the clay sealing already impressed by the g^"13 :,. :■:.. 1
1 See B. S. A. xii. p. 2. The Pirector of the British cotta figures analogous to those of the votive station of
School (Mr. R. M. Dawkins) has kindly supplied me with Petsofe above Palaikastro, which was also a kind of rock
a photograph of this object, which will be reproduced in shelter.
vol. ii of the present work. The associated ' larnax' 2 A single example of a bead-seal entirely devoted to
burials belonged to the close of the Third Late Minoan an inscription of this class came to light at Knossos during
Period, but the rock shelter seems to have contained the excavations of 1903.
earlier objects, for instance, the two beautiful ivory figures. s One or two isolated examples exist, however, of signs
I observed a similar rock shelter, composed of a project- belonging to Classes A or B engraved in the field of
ing ledge of conglomerate, used as a small votive cave intaglios,
at Epano Zakro in Eastern Crete. It contained terra-
libation vessels, in the same dark steatite, found in the Temple Repositories at Knossos
together with inscribed clay documents of the present class, and belonging, as we
have seen, to the close of the Third Minoan Period.
A parallel to the inscribed Dictaean Table has now been supplied by the more
fragmentary remains of a similar steatite object showing part of a cup with a raised rim
found by Mr. Currelly at Palaikastro1 near the mouth of a small cave or rock shelter
afterwards used for interments. This example bears some fourteen incised characters
wholly or partially preserved, and the signs themselves exhibit types which are peculiar
to the linear Class A.
It is interesting to notice that with the appearance of this early variety of the Change
developed linear script of Crete a significant change takes place in the character of the ^jj.hra"
seals. The practice of using signets and bead-seals with incised inscriptions, so general usage:
in the age when the hieroglyphic form of script was predominant, is now given up.a p^°^1.y"
The flat-faced seals so convenient for the engraving of sign-groups at this time disappear, scriptions
Both the small signets and the elongated bead-seals in the form of three- or four-sided &^^c y
prisms, accommodating whole lines of inscription, fall into disuse. The highly developed designs,
artistic spirit that marks the close of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Minoan
Age seemed to crave for a deeper and bolder style of engraving best secured by a
slightly bossed surface, while it substituted essentially pictorial types for the mere calli-
graphy of the preceding epoch. The round or oval field of the lentoid and amygdaloid
bead-seals or of the besils of the signet rings was now preferred, and became the vehicle
for bold and beautiful designs. This new and fine style of gem engraving for a time
subsisted side by side with the usage of the hieroglyphic script in its most developed
form, as is seen from several of the clay seal-impressions from the Hieroglyphic Deposit.
But the craving for artistic satisfaction seems to have led the owners of signets to prefer Inscrip-
the purely pictorial form, and, where it was necessary more particularly to empha- ^jjf °r"_
size the personal name or attributes, this was effected by means of a graffito inscription placed by
graffiti on
sealings.
on the reverse of the clay sealing already impressed by the g^"13 :,. :■:.. 1
1 See B. S. A. xii. p. 2. The Pirector of the British cotta figures analogous to those of the votive station of
School (Mr. R. M. Dawkins) has kindly supplied me with Petsofe above Palaikastro, which was also a kind of rock
a photograph of this object, which will be reproduced in shelter.
vol. ii of the present work. The associated ' larnax' 2 A single example of a bead-seal entirely devoted to
burials belonged to the close of the Third Late Minoan an inscription of this class came to light at Knossos during
Period, but the rock shelter seems to have contained the excavations of 1903.
earlier objects, for instance, the two beautiful ivory figures. s One or two isolated examples exist, however, of signs
I observed a similar rock shelter, composed of a project- belonging to Classes A or B engraved in the field of
ing ledge of conglomerate, used as a small votive cave intaglios,
at Epano Zakro in Eastern Crete. It contained terra-