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)

278

THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.

Seals
with
Hiero-
glyphic
Script.

The hieroglyphic script of Crete itself attains its highest point of
development by the Second Middle Minoan Period. The sign-groups
engraved on the seals are of more artistic execution, while at the same time
a more linearized hieroglyphic script now makes its appearance for the first
time on clay documents and sealings. Among the inscribed seals of this

Royal
Seal.

Fig. 208. Clay Labels and Perforated Bars with Hieroglyphic Script (B). (i)

Fig. 209. Clay Tablet from Phaestos.

class the most beautiful example is a red cornelian prism which probably
contains the name and titles of a Minoan prince whose personal badge was
a cat (Fig. 207, a).1 The leg, and gate hieroglyphs round this badge answer
to those associated with the portrait head of Fig. 206, and may, as suggested
above, represent a recurring title. The scrolls that enclose the sign-group
on face c show a close correspondence with those on some M. M. II
polychrome vases.'2 Interlocked scrolls appear on the contemporary signet
1 Scripta Minoa, i, p. 153, P. 23, and pp. 270, 271. 2 See p. 246, Fig. 186, a.