DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0389
M. M. Ill : THE DOMESTIC QUARTER
35i
the neighbouring part of the Domestic Quarter, on the other hand it is seen Chrono-
to be part and parcel of the original M. M. Ill system that overlies the Loom- Evidence
Weight Basement. The South wall of the Lower E.-W. Corridor and its supplied
& by the
Northern branch running towards the Court of the Stone Spout, which illus- Spiral
trates in a slightly varied way the same structural succession, form in fact two Area!0
of the outer walls of the enclave which contains the area of the Spiral Fresco
belonging, as will be shown, to the earlier M. M. Ill phase. The M. M. Ill
substructures of the inner part of that area repeat in fact the same story.
They are in most cases actually superposed, at about the same level, on the Early
stumps of the M. M. II walls.1 In one case the)- immediately rest on the ^^S1U
deposit containing characteristic M. M. II fabrics. From these archaeological super-
, , i-i 1 1 i posed on
equations we can only draw one logical conclusion as to the connected m.m.ii.
walling in the Hall of the Double Axes, and as to the Domestic Quarter
generally. It too must have owed its original construction to the building
activity of the earlier M. M. Ill phase.
But this inevitable architectural conclusion, that much of the inner core
of the fabric of the Domestic Quarter goes back to the mature epoch of the
earlier M. M. Ill phase (a), has to be reconciled with another aspect of the
case. The external features of this Quarter, as far as they have been pre- m.M.
served to us, demonstrably belong to a later stage of Minoan architecture, features
Certain items of this are due no doubt to Late Minoan changes, but in the of
Domestic
mam the outer lines of this part or the building are undoubtedly the work of Quarter,
the close of the present Period. In place of stucco floors2 and painted
dadoes such as were in vogue in the days to which the Spiral Fresco belongs
we see gypsum pavements and dadoes generally in use. Instead of the
comparatively high column bases of variegated stones such as those found
in the area of the Spiral Fresco, which perpetuate the M.M. II tradition,
and of which we have abundant evidence in the contemporary later Palace
at Phaestos, we find everywhere the low column bases that continued to be
in use in the Late Minoan Age. As a matter of fact the gypsum pavement Affinities
of the Corridor of the Bays on which, as in the adjoining Magazine, M. M. 111 b Minoan 6
pottery was found, was continuous, under the blocking of L. M. I date, with St>'le-
that of the second landing of the Grand Staircase. The latest sherds under
intact portions of the pavement of the Hall of the Double Axes were still
1 See Section, Fig. 187, b, and compare the the M. M. Ill b store-jars rested was of stucco.
Plan, Fig. 187, a, p. 250, above. It was on this that remains of a smaller spiral
2 In the floor section of the Magazine of the fresco were found, contemporary in style with
Medallion Pithoi (p. 320, Fig. 233, above) the the other. See p. 374, below.
floor underlying the gypsum slabbing on which
35i
the neighbouring part of the Domestic Quarter, on the other hand it is seen Chrono-
to be part and parcel of the original M. M. Ill system that overlies the Loom- Evidence
Weight Basement. The South wall of the Lower E.-W. Corridor and its supplied
& by the
Northern branch running towards the Court of the Stone Spout, which illus- Spiral
trates in a slightly varied way the same structural succession, form in fact two Area!0
of the outer walls of the enclave which contains the area of the Spiral Fresco
belonging, as will be shown, to the earlier M. M. Ill phase. The M. M. Ill
substructures of the inner part of that area repeat in fact the same story.
They are in most cases actually superposed, at about the same level, on the Early
stumps of the M. M. II walls.1 In one case the)- immediately rest on the ^^S1U
deposit containing characteristic M. M. II fabrics. From these archaeological super-
, , i-i 1 1 i posed on
equations we can only draw one logical conclusion as to the connected m.m.ii.
walling in the Hall of the Double Axes, and as to the Domestic Quarter
generally. It too must have owed its original construction to the building
activity of the earlier M. M. Ill phase.
But this inevitable architectural conclusion, that much of the inner core
of the fabric of the Domestic Quarter goes back to the mature epoch of the
earlier M. M. Ill phase (a), has to be reconciled with another aspect of the
case. The external features of this Quarter, as far as they have been pre- m.M.
served to us, demonstrably belong to a later stage of Minoan architecture, features
Certain items of this are due no doubt to Late Minoan changes, but in the of
Domestic
mam the outer lines of this part or the building are undoubtedly the work of Quarter,
the close of the present Period. In place of stucco floors2 and painted
dadoes such as were in vogue in the days to which the Spiral Fresco belongs
we see gypsum pavements and dadoes generally in use. Instead of the
comparatively high column bases of variegated stones such as those found
in the area of the Spiral Fresco, which perpetuate the M.M. II tradition,
and of which we have abundant evidence in the contemporary later Palace
at Phaestos, we find everywhere the low column bases that continued to be
in use in the Late Minoan Age. As a matter of fact the gypsum pavement Affinities
of the Corridor of the Bays on which, as in the adjoining Magazine, M. M. 111 b Minoan 6
pottery was found, was continuous, under the blocking of L. M. I date, with St>'le-
that of the second landing of the Grand Staircase. The latest sherds under
intact portions of the pavement of the Hall of the Double Axes were still
1 See Section, Fig. 187, b, and compare the the M. M. Ill b store-jars rested was of stucco.
Plan, Fig. 187, a, p. 250, above. It was on this that remains of a smaller spiral
2 In the floor section of the Magazine of the fresco were found, contemporary in style with
Medallion Pithoi (p. 320, Fig. 233, above) the the other. See p. 374, below.
floor underlying the gypsum slabbing on which