Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 1): The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London, 1921)

M.M.I: CERAMIC PHASES

189

other cases reflect originals in metal-work. In this connexion p and 0 afford
good examples of the egg-shell ware of this epoch, illustrating its combination
with polychrome decoration on a black-glazed ground which was to attain
such perfection in the succeeding Period. The three-handled hand-burnished
jar n has very archaic relationships, and the pan bb is interesting as showing
the parallel striations on its base produced by cutting it off by means
of a string from the disk, on which it had been shaped.1 The clay object
aa with brown striped decoration on a light ground is important as showing
the survival of the votive ' sheep-bell ' type so frequent in M. M. I a.

During the later ceramic phase of M. M. I we see the dark glaze ground
becoming finer in character, and both the barbotine and polychrome decora-
tion—often combined—attain a more subtle development. Very good speci-
mens of this style occurred in the cist-like annexes of the ossuary tholoi at M..M. 1 b
Hagia Triada 2 and elsewhere, and in the Kamares Cave.3 Among the finest cfrrome
examples may be cited the jug from a house South of the Palace site at st>'le-
Knossos illustrated in Fig. 128 above.4 Some of the characteristic ' hole-
mouthed ' bridge-spouted jugs of this later M. M. I phase are wheel-made.

Ritual libation vessels resembling the classical ' rhytons' now for the Bull's
first time appear in the shape of bulls, with a large aperture in the upper Rhytons
part of the neck and a smaller orifice in the lips for pouring out the con-
tents. These vessels are the predecessors of a more varied Minoan
class in which only the head of an animal is represented. Of still greater Rhytons
interest is the appearance of a type of similar vessels showing small figures of ^
men clinging to the bull's horns or engaged in what seem to be acrobatic per- wlth

\crobatic

formances over his head (Fig. 137).5 It cannot be doubted that we Figures,
have in these an allusion to the sports of the bull-ring so prominent

1 The importance of these parallel striations pp. 38-40), who was unaware of Mr. Dawkins'

was first noticed by Dawkins (Excavs. at observations made fourteen years previously.
Palaikastro, B.S.A., ix (1903), pp. 301-3). 2 Paribeni, Moti. Ant., xiv, PI. 42, 2, 3, and 4,

Mr. Dawkins there suggests that the clay was and above. Fig. 12!), b. c, d.
separated from the slow wheel by means of a 3 Dawkins, B. S. A., xix, Plates IV (below),

'straight cutting instrument'. The use of VI, VII; and p. 16, Fig. 3.
string for this purpose seems, however, to be 4 For a coloured illustration of this jug, see

better reconciliable with the appearance of Hogarth and Welch, J. II. S., xxi (1901),

these striations. From the latter part of PI. VI 1.

M. M. II the striations are curved and more or 5 From the ossuary ' tholoi' discovered by

less concentric (cf. Dawkins^ J. H. S., xxiii Dr. Xanthudides at Kumasa and Porti in

(1903), p. 249, Fig. 2, and see p. 590, Messara. It is owing to the special courtesy

Fig. 434, b, below), and point to the cutting off of of the finder that I am able to reproduce these

the vessel from the clay left on the wheel when vessels here. Fig. 137 d (p. 190) is from Mosso,

in rapid motion. See too Franchet (op. tit., Scavi di Creta, p. 184, Fig. 95.