DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0149
EARLY MINOAN III
123
introduced ready-made. At the same time the Egyptian hieroglyphic series Key
exhibits ' key ' and c meander' patterns of simple forms, in the one case [_p] among
(mer), indicative of irrigated land, in the other rD (ka, //), representing ]|?Jrpotian
a simplified form of the fuller pictographic plan of a Palace court. The glyphs,
latter connexion is important in its relation to the labyrinth in art.1 A Palace
The appearance of these meander patterns on Early Minoan seals must
be taken in connexion with other motives on seals of an 'Egypto-Libyan' class
which during this Period exercised a direct influence on the glyptic repertory
of Crete. This reaction of what seems to have been the older element in
Egypt on Early Minoan culture is indeed continually manifesting itself.
Among the constantly recurring motives of these ' Egypto-Libyan ' Influ-
seals of the Period which begins with the Sixth and continues to the ^Egypto-
Eleventh Dynasty are the opposed, confronted, or reversed figures of men 2 Libyan'
, .,0 1 r 1 1 • r '1 i • n % i Button-
and animals. Several or these designs hnd their reflection on Cretan seals—■ Seals,
indeed, an early example may be seen in the monkeys back to back on the
ivory signet, Fig. 51 above, which, from the associated objects, has been
placed within the limits of the E. M. II Period. Among the types that now Reversed
appear on a very characteristic class of these ' Egypto-Libyan' seals is T!°"
a design consisting of two lions in reversed positions. The lions here are
clearly of Egyptian derivation but in a barbaric setting, and this type of
'button-sealwhich is found already at the close of the Sixth Dynasty, is of
exceptional importance as supplying the prototype of a whole series of
motives that appear about this time on Minoan seal-stones.
It will be seen from the Fig. 92, B, C 3 that the reversed lions coalesce Becomes
in such a way as to give the main outlines of a mere pattern, resembling s^ckle^'6
a double sickle, which in turn influences the types on a long succession of Cretan
bead-seals (Fig. 92, D, E, F and Fig. 93 B, b). Most of these seals, which are of
steatite, belong to the perforated three-sided class, but at times the ' button'
type is itself taken over.
The above chronological evidence also supplies a clue to the approximate
date of a very characteristic class of three- and four-sided ' bead-seals '
exhibiting subjects of a pictographic character (Fig. 93 a, b).4 This con-
ventionalized type of prism-seal dates back to E. M. II 5 but the bulk of these
1 See below, p. 358.
2 See for example the confronted men on
the ' labyrinth'-seal, Fig. 91, above.
3 Compare Scripta Minoa, i, p. 128, Fig. 65.
4 See Scripta Minoa, i, p. 130 seqq., and
Cretan Pictographs, &c. {/.U.S., xiv, p. 337
seqq ) : Further Discoveries, &c. {J. H. S., xvii,
p. 331 seqq.). Scorpions, spiders, fishes,
hunted goats, ostrich-like birds, and revolving
disks recur.
5 See above, p. 95, with note 2.
123
introduced ready-made. At the same time the Egyptian hieroglyphic series Key
exhibits ' key ' and c meander' patterns of simple forms, in the one case [_p] among
(mer), indicative of irrigated land, in the other rD (ka, //), representing ]|?Jrpotian
a simplified form of the fuller pictographic plan of a Palace court. The glyphs,
latter connexion is important in its relation to the labyrinth in art.1 A Palace
The appearance of these meander patterns on Early Minoan seals must
be taken in connexion with other motives on seals of an 'Egypto-Libyan' class
which during this Period exercised a direct influence on the glyptic repertory
of Crete. This reaction of what seems to have been the older element in
Egypt on Early Minoan culture is indeed continually manifesting itself.
Among the constantly recurring motives of these ' Egypto-Libyan ' Influ-
seals of the Period which begins with the Sixth and continues to the ^Egypto-
Eleventh Dynasty are the opposed, confronted, or reversed figures of men 2 Libyan'
, .,0 1 r 1 1 • r '1 i • n % i Button-
and animals. Several or these designs hnd their reflection on Cretan seals—■ Seals,
indeed, an early example may be seen in the monkeys back to back on the
ivory signet, Fig. 51 above, which, from the associated objects, has been
placed within the limits of the E. M. II Period. Among the types that now Reversed
appear on a very characteristic class of these ' Egypto-Libyan' seals is T!°"
a design consisting of two lions in reversed positions. The lions here are
clearly of Egyptian derivation but in a barbaric setting, and this type of
'button-sealwhich is found already at the close of the Sixth Dynasty, is of
exceptional importance as supplying the prototype of a whole series of
motives that appear about this time on Minoan seal-stones.
It will be seen from the Fig. 92, B, C 3 that the reversed lions coalesce Becomes
in such a way as to give the main outlines of a mere pattern, resembling s^ckle^'6
a double sickle, which in turn influences the types on a long succession of Cretan
bead-seals (Fig. 92, D, E, F and Fig. 93 B, b). Most of these seals, which are of
steatite, belong to the perforated three-sided class, but at times the ' button'
type is itself taken over.
The above chronological evidence also supplies a clue to the approximate
date of a very characteristic class of three- and four-sided ' bead-seals '
exhibiting subjects of a pictographic character (Fig. 93 a, b).4 This con-
ventionalized type of prism-seal dates back to E. M. II 5 but the bulk of these
1 See below, p. 358.
2 See for example the confronted men on
the ' labyrinth'-seal, Fig. 91, above.
3 Compare Scripta Minoa, i, p. 128, Fig. 65.
4 See Scripta Minoa, i, p. 130 seqq., and
Cretan Pictographs, &c. {/.U.S., xiv, p. 337
seqq ) : Further Discoveries, &c. {J. H. S., xvii,
p. 331 seqq.). Scorpions, spiders, fishes,
hunted goats, ostrich-like birds, and revolving
disks recur.
5 See above, p. 95, with note 2.