DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.811#0458
BONE FISH WITH ALPHABETIC SIGNS 405
Deposit in Drain-shaft.
Clearly marked as belonging to the same stratigraphic horizon as the Deposit
relics found beneath the later floor of the ' Store Room ' and in the Staircase shaft.' "
Closet was a third main deposit, brought out from the lower part of a stone
shaft about two and a half metres South of the Treasure Chamber. (See
Plans, Figs. 249, 266.) This chimney-like structure—of good masonry, 49
centimetres square internally—was brought to light beneath the threshold
of a doorway, a fact which itself indicated that there had been some structural
change at this point. This was probably due to the restoration about the
end of L. M. la and belonging to an epoch when the shaft itself had
ceased to fulfil its functions. The shaft had been closed by a slab above,
apparently at the time when the doorway was made. It seems to have
served as a kind of man-hole at the junction of two of the great stone-built
drains below, and may have been originally used either for inspection or
ventilation.1
It had been deliberately packed with earth to a depth of three metres,
but, beneath this filling, was brought out a deposit containing many relics
that had undoubtedly found their way here from the ' Treasure Chamber '
at the time of the great Catastrophe. A series of objects were in fact
brought to light here, including faience and crystal inlays and parts of ivory
bracelets, identical with those found beneath the later floor of the ' Store
Room' near by.
Bone ' Fish' and Segments cut from Bracelets, with Alphabetiform
Signs.
The deposit itself continued into the neighbouring part of the Eastern Bone
fish with
alpha-
drain below, from which some highly interesting objects in brown steatite
were brought out forming part of the locks of a large composite figure of a betiform
Sphinx, which will be described below. Apart from this, the principal feature
of this group of relics was the occurrence of numerous bone ' fish'2—of the
same vesica piscis shape as a well-known class of counters for card games—
ribbed above but incised on the plain face below with signs of a curiously
1 See P. of M. i, p. 228 and Fig. 171, b. of a mean height of about 35 millimetres and
' For this discovery see, too, A. E., Knossos, breadth of 17 mm.
Report, 1901, pp. 118-20. The ' fish' were
Deposit in Drain-shaft.
Clearly marked as belonging to the same stratigraphic horizon as the Deposit
relics found beneath the later floor of the ' Store Room ' and in the Staircase shaft.' "
Closet was a third main deposit, brought out from the lower part of a stone
shaft about two and a half metres South of the Treasure Chamber. (See
Plans, Figs. 249, 266.) This chimney-like structure—of good masonry, 49
centimetres square internally—was brought to light beneath the threshold
of a doorway, a fact which itself indicated that there had been some structural
change at this point. This was probably due to the restoration about the
end of L. M. la and belonging to an epoch when the shaft itself had
ceased to fulfil its functions. The shaft had been closed by a slab above,
apparently at the time when the doorway was made. It seems to have
served as a kind of man-hole at the junction of two of the great stone-built
drains below, and may have been originally used either for inspection or
ventilation.1
It had been deliberately packed with earth to a depth of three metres,
but, beneath this filling, was brought out a deposit containing many relics
that had undoubtedly found their way here from the ' Treasure Chamber '
at the time of the great Catastrophe. A series of objects were in fact
brought to light here, including faience and crystal inlays and parts of ivory
bracelets, identical with those found beneath the later floor of the ' Store
Room' near by.
Bone ' Fish' and Segments cut from Bracelets, with Alphabetiform
Signs.
The deposit itself continued into the neighbouring part of the Eastern Bone
fish with
alpha-
drain below, from which some highly interesting objects in brown steatite
were brought out forming part of the locks of a large composite figure of a betiform
Sphinx, which will be described below. Apart from this, the principal feature
of this group of relics was the occurrence of numerous bone ' fish'2—of the
same vesica piscis shape as a well-known class of counters for card games—
ribbed above but incised on the plain face below with signs of a curiously
1 See P. of M. i, p. 228 and Fig. 171, b. of a mean height of about 35 millimetres and
' For this discovery see, too, A. E., Knossos, breadth of 17 mm.
Report, 1901, pp. 118-20. The ' fish' were