132
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Blocks.
Large The base blocks of these enceinte walls, the date of which is thus
Early0" ascertained, were characterized by incised signs, many of them of abnor-
Base mally large proportions. One of the largest of these, consisting of a
combination of the ' double fork' and ' trident' signs, at the South-East
Palace Angle, is shown in Fig. 97.1 Its width is 8o cm. (31! inches), its
height 42 cm. (i6| inches), and the cutting is 25 cm. wide and 15 deep.
Such a sign as this far transcends an ordinary ' mason's mark ', and may
well be credited with some definite meaning-.
On a roughly squared base block near the North-West angle of the
Fig. 98. Incised Design on Base Block found near North-West Angle of Palace.
Palace, which seems to belong to the same class, there
occurred indeed a quite monumental incision (Fig. 98).
The remaining part of the design, which is somewhat
broken off on its left margin, is about a metre wide. The
left section seems to represent a linked group of signs
including the + and H, such as occur on some early seal-
stones. The right portion, on the other hand, suggests a rude human
1 Another very large example is supplied necting bar, was 72 cm., or about three-quarters
by a deep-cut, dumb-bell-like sign. No. 9 of of a metre, wide!
Fig. 99, consisting of two rings joined by a con-
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Blocks.
Large The base blocks of these enceinte walls, the date of which is thus
Early0" ascertained, were characterized by incised signs, many of them of abnor-
Base mally large proportions. One of the largest of these, consisting of a
combination of the ' double fork' and ' trident' signs, at the South-East
Palace Angle, is shown in Fig. 97.1 Its width is 8o cm. (31! inches), its
height 42 cm. (i6| inches), and the cutting is 25 cm. wide and 15 deep.
Such a sign as this far transcends an ordinary ' mason's mark ', and may
well be credited with some definite meaning-.
On a roughly squared base block near the North-West angle of the
Fig. 98. Incised Design on Base Block found near North-West Angle of Palace.
Palace, which seems to belong to the same class, there
occurred indeed a quite monumental incision (Fig. 98).
The remaining part of the design, which is somewhat
broken off on its left margin, is about a metre wide. The
left section seems to represent a linked group of signs
including the + and H, such as occur on some early seal-
stones. The right portion, on the other hand, suggests a rude human
1 Another very large example is supplied necting bar, was 72 cm., or about three-quarters
by a deep-cut, dumb-bell-like sign. No. 9 of of a metre, wide!
Fig. 99, consisting of two rings joined by a con-