DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.809#0033
TRADITIONAL ANATOLIAN CONNEXIONS
than a metre down in the Stone Age deposit, representing the very acme of
the mature Middle Neolithic phase, including hand-burnished pottery, of the
old crisp make, unsurpassed in brilliance.1 But the growing use of the
potter's oven coupled with the operation of new influences from overseas
seems to have brought about a somewhat rapid transformation. Old
processes were given up but at the same time the new were not sufficiently
advanced, so that the general effect in the ceramic field is one of decadence.
It is also to be observed that, while in fabric and texture and in certain
typical forms, such as the chalices, the pottery of this series shows significant
anticipations of the products of the First Early Minoan Period, in other
marked respects it falls short of them. There is no trace for instance of
painted ware and incipient glaze, nor of the characteristic ' through and
through grey' biscuit. On the other hand, Neolithic shapes of very ancient
descent predominate, such as the vessels with upright walls,2 well illustrated
in this case by remains of a series of large pans. The old tradition, too, was
specially notable in the handles, the more developed vertical ' band ' handle
occurring side by side with the horizontally perforated knobs out of which it
grew.8 Fragments, were also found of handles of the ' wishing-bone ' type,4
but these were rarer than in the Middle Neolithic strata. Part of a clay
ladle came to light with a flat handle of the parallel type showing a rounded
opening.5
The general fades of the pottery from this Late Neolithic deposit, of
which some forty basketfuls passed through my hands, was by no means
prepossessing. The tone, owing to the new procedure, was predominantly
a pale red, but the vessels, especially the larger ones, were still imperfectly
baked. The surface was generally dull and the fine ' bucchero ' tradition of
the earlier series was to a great extent lost, except in the case of some
small cups. At times, too, the surface of the pots was covered with a wash
Decadent
aspect of
pottery.
Absence
of some
typical
E.M. I.
features.
Still
funda-
mentally
Neo-
lithic.
1 The surface, of the Neolithic rises here
above that of the Central Court. Among
objects from this deposit were fragments of
highly polished ' rippled' ware, some with
a mottled red and dark brown surface recall-
ing the later Vasiliki ware, and many remains
of fine black burnished pottery including a
handle-less mug, a beaked spout belonging to
a bowl like Fig. 3, x, several large handles of the
' wishing-bone ' type, and a quaint bird's head
with striations on the neck, perhaps belonging
to a figure like P of M., i, Fig. 11, I. There
was also found the central part of a clay
chalice like those referred to below. The
proportion of incised fragments was much
larger than in the later deposit here described.
2 Cf. P. ofM., i, p. 39, Fig. 6, i.
3 In one case we see this in a rudimentary
form without the perforation.
4 Cf. op. eit., pp. 38 and 40, Fig. 7,1, 3, 5, 6.
The ' wishing-bone' type is also diffused
North of the Aegean.
5 Resembling, op. (it., Fig. 7, 7.
than a metre down in the Stone Age deposit, representing the very acme of
the mature Middle Neolithic phase, including hand-burnished pottery, of the
old crisp make, unsurpassed in brilliance.1 But the growing use of the
potter's oven coupled with the operation of new influences from overseas
seems to have brought about a somewhat rapid transformation. Old
processes were given up but at the same time the new were not sufficiently
advanced, so that the general effect in the ceramic field is one of decadence.
It is also to be observed that, while in fabric and texture and in certain
typical forms, such as the chalices, the pottery of this series shows significant
anticipations of the products of the First Early Minoan Period, in other
marked respects it falls short of them. There is no trace for instance of
painted ware and incipient glaze, nor of the characteristic ' through and
through grey' biscuit. On the other hand, Neolithic shapes of very ancient
descent predominate, such as the vessels with upright walls,2 well illustrated
in this case by remains of a series of large pans. The old tradition, too, was
specially notable in the handles, the more developed vertical ' band ' handle
occurring side by side with the horizontally perforated knobs out of which it
grew.8 Fragments, were also found of handles of the ' wishing-bone ' type,4
but these were rarer than in the Middle Neolithic strata. Part of a clay
ladle came to light with a flat handle of the parallel type showing a rounded
opening.5
The general fades of the pottery from this Late Neolithic deposit, of
which some forty basketfuls passed through my hands, was by no means
prepossessing. The tone, owing to the new procedure, was predominantly
a pale red, but the vessels, especially the larger ones, were still imperfectly
baked. The surface was generally dull and the fine ' bucchero ' tradition of
the earlier series was to a great extent lost, except in the case of some
small cups. At times, too, the surface of the pots was covered with a wash
Decadent
aspect of
pottery.
Absence
of some
typical
E.M. I.
features.
Still
funda-
mentally
Neo-
lithic.
1 The surface, of the Neolithic rises here
above that of the Central Court. Among
objects from this deposit were fragments of
highly polished ' rippled' ware, some with
a mottled red and dark brown surface recall-
ing the later Vasiliki ware, and many remains
of fine black burnished pottery including a
handle-less mug, a beaked spout belonging to
a bowl like Fig. 3, x, several large handles of the
' wishing-bone ' type, and a quaint bird's head
with striations on the neck, perhaps belonging
to a figure like P of M., i, Fig. 11, I. There
was also found the central part of a clay
chalice like those referred to below. The
proportion of incised fragments was much
larger than in the later deposit here described.
2 Cf. P. ofM., i, p. 39, Fig. 6, i.
3 In one case we see this in a rudimentary
form without the perforation.
4 Cf. op. eit., pp. 38 and 40, Fig. 7,1, 3, 5, 6.
The ' wishing-bone' type is also diffused
North of the Aegean.
5 Resembling, op. (it., Fig. 7, 7.