DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0372
722
CEREAL GROUP OF SIGNS
Cereal
Group of
Signs.
and clay documents illustrating various kinds of grain have already receiv rl
illustration.1 These plant forms are of their nature conventionalized pict
graphs, and some attempt has been made to distinguish the various kind
of produce, including barley, oats, and rye. In connexion with these cereal
forms it has also been shown that special signs of measure and quantitv
were in vogue, which are here put together in B. 79, 80 of Fig. 705. These
may be regarded as special measures either of the grain itself or of some
liquid produce—such as kinds of beer. There is some evidence, indeed
that the bowl, No. 79—sometimes handled—was for liquid contents and
might be regarded as the equivalent of a ' pint' or ' quart', while No. 80
may stand for a ' bushel'.
Flocks and Herds: Swine and Horses.
The group of ideographic signs shown in Fig. 706 are clearly inter-
Flocks
Herds. related and can only be regarded as referring to cattle, including horned
bS^^P
Fig. 706. Flocks and Herds: B 90, Horned Cattle; B 91, Horned Sheep (or Goats);
B 92, Swine; B. 93, Horses.
Swine.
sheep, goats, swine (Nos. 90-92), and horses (No. 93). All four are
grouped together in a series of exceptionally long tablets of which complete
specimens are given in Fig. 707 a, b, c reduced to about three-quarters.
In these the swine's head signs of the second register are unmistakable.
So, too, figures that follow these are shown by the transitional forms, given
in Fig. 706 under B 93, to be horses' heads.
The transformation of the tufts of hair artificially arranged along the
back of the horses' necks, as illustrated by the ' Chariot Tablets ' described
in Section 114, into a mere loop and crest and of the head and neck
itself into a rectangular appendage, may serve as a good illustration of the
compendious methods resorted to by the Minoan sign maker.
See above, p. 622 seqq.
CEREAL GROUP OF SIGNS
Cereal
Group of
Signs.
and clay documents illustrating various kinds of grain have already receiv rl
illustration.1 These plant forms are of their nature conventionalized pict
graphs, and some attempt has been made to distinguish the various kind
of produce, including barley, oats, and rye. In connexion with these cereal
forms it has also been shown that special signs of measure and quantitv
were in vogue, which are here put together in B. 79, 80 of Fig. 705. These
may be regarded as special measures either of the grain itself or of some
liquid produce—such as kinds of beer. There is some evidence, indeed
that the bowl, No. 79—sometimes handled—was for liquid contents and
might be regarded as the equivalent of a ' pint' or ' quart', while No. 80
may stand for a ' bushel'.
Flocks and Herds: Swine and Horses.
The group of ideographic signs shown in Fig. 706 are clearly inter-
Flocks
Herds. related and can only be regarded as referring to cattle, including horned
bS^^P
Fig. 706. Flocks and Herds: B 90, Horned Cattle; B 91, Horned Sheep (or Goats);
B 92, Swine; B. 93, Horses.
Swine.
sheep, goats, swine (Nos. 90-92), and horses (No. 93). All four are
grouped together in a series of exceptionally long tablets of which complete
specimens are given in Fig. 707 a, b, c reduced to about three-quarters.
In these the swine's head signs of the second register are unmistakable.
So, too, figures that follow these are shown by the transitional forms, given
in Fig. 706 under B 93, to be horses' heads.
The transformation of the tufts of hair artificially arranged along the
back of the horses' necks, as illustrated by the ' Chariot Tablets ' described
in Section 114, into a mere loop and crest and of the head and neck
itself into a rectangular appendage, may serve as a good illustration of the
compendious methods resorted to by the Minoan sign maker.
See above, p. 622 seqq.