DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.811#0443
39Q
IDEAL SKETCH OF INTERIOR OF HALL
Ideal
interior
view.
scientifically worked out. The open ' pillar screen ' that divided it into two
compartments and the two little enclosed light-areas on its front and sides
secured not only a good supply of fresh air but a diffused, reflected lighting,
the effect of which, indeed, has been to a quite exceptional extent recovered
by the restoration of the upper structures. So, too, its social capacities were
enhanced by the unique disposition of benches.
In the ideal sketch given in the Frontispiece, an attempt is made to
reproduce its general appearance, and something of the life within it as it may
have appeared early in the ' New Era'. Some latitude, indeed, has been
allowed in it as to the exact limits of the period represented. The seated
ladies here introduced still represent the costume of the ' Miniature Frescoes'.
A contemporary survival of the 'Marine Style' of the ' Dolphin Fresco', with
decorative elements that coincide with the spiral friezes, has here been admitted
—a phenomenon suggested by the actual remains. Here, again, the religious
element is represented by the sacred Double Axe rising from its stepped base,
set to the right on the coping of the pillared stylobate—in this case almost
exactly in the position in which it was actually found.
For conversation the room was ideal, with its seats both back to back
and at right angles to one another, and there can be little doubt that
games were also played here, such as in the case of the earlier ' East Hall'
seem to be implied by the discovery of the ' Gaming Board'1 on the Northern
border of its area.
Holes for
game on
pave-
ment
slab.
Pavement Games.
An actual evidence of such diversions, though more probably connected
with the hall in its earlier phase, came to light in the South-East corner of the
Eastern light-area. Here laya slab of hard limestone, resembling the duvySaXi-
\160s of the M. M. II pavement, with a broken edge giving it a roughly trape-
zoid outline and presenting a half-circle of 7 holes, two of them double. When
completed, as shown in the sketch, Fig. 261, it would have consisted of
a circle consisting, apparently, of two segments of five small cups opposite
to one another and separated on either side by double cups of larger size.
The mean width of the circle was almost exactly a third of a metre, the
diameter of the smaller holes ranging to about 4-2 centimetres. That this
should be regarded as representing some kind of game played on the pave-
Parailels ment seems to be the natural conclusion. Variant examples of such objects
from *
elsewhere, have been found, some of them very rude and made out of irregular pave-
1 P. of M,, i, p. 472 seqq. and Coloured PI. V.
IDEAL SKETCH OF INTERIOR OF HALL
Ideal
interior
view.
scientifically worked out. The open ' pillar screen ' that divided it into two
compartments and the two little enclosed light-areas on its front and sides
secured not only a good supply of fresh air but a diffused, reflected lighting,
the effect of which, indeed, has been to a quite exceptional extent recovered
by the restoration of the upper structures. So, too, its social capacities were
enhanced by the unique disposition of benches.
In the ideal sketch given in the Frontispiece, an attempt is made to
reproduce its general appearance, and something of the life within it as it may
have appeared early in the ' New Era'. Some latitude, indeed, has been
allowed in it as to the exact limits of the period represented. The seated
ladies here introduced still represent the costume of the ' Miniature Frescoes'.
A contemporary survival of the 'Marine Style' of the ' Dolphin Fresco', with
decorative elements that coincide with the spiral friezes, has here been admitted
—a phenomenon suggested by the actual remains. Here, again, the religious
element is represented by the sacred Double Axe rising from its stepped base,
set to the right on the coping of the pillared stylobate—in this case almost
exactly in the position in which it was actually found.
For conversation the room was ideal, with its seats both back to back
and at right angles to one another, and there can be little doubt that
games were also played here, such as in the case of the earlier ' East Hall'
seem to be implied by the discovery of the ' Gaming Board'1 on the Northern
border of its area.
Holes for
game on
pave-
ment
slab.
Pavement Games.
An actual evidence of such diversions, though more probably connected
with the hall in its earlier phase, came to light in the South-East corner of the
Eastern light-area. Here laya slab of hard limestone, resembling the duvySaXi-
\160s of the M. M. II pavement, with a broken edge giving it a roughly trape-
zoid outline and presenting a half-circle of 7 holes, two of them double. When
completed, as shown in the sketch, Fig. 261, it would have consisted of
a circle consisting, apparently, of two segments of five small cups opposite
to one another and separated on either side by double cups of larger size.
The mean width of the circle was almost exactly a third of a metre, the
diameter of the smaller holes ranging to about 4-2 centimetres. That this
should be regarded as representing some kind of game played on the pave-
Parailels ment seems to be the natural conclusion. Variant examples of such objects
from *
elsewhere, have been found, some of them very rude and made out of irregular pave-
1 P. of M,, i, p. 472 seqq. and Coloured PI. V.