Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 4,2): Camp-stool Fresco, long-robed priests and beneficent genii [...] (London, 1935)

THE 'SWORD TABLETS' 853

already been called above, of a dominating influence exercised by
V ossos during the succeeding Age throughout Mainland Greece.

Apart from the evidence supplied by this sepulchral group, and one or 'Cruci-
tw0 other more or less contemporary sword-plates, the fullest material for 'Zolds
samples of the ' cruciform ' type is supplied by the Zafer Papoura Graves.1 f'omZlh
Five specimens were there brought to light in associations connecting them
with" the L. M. II Period or the earliest phase of L.M. Ill, to which

Ialysos example 2 may also be referred. Of the importance of this
tvoe at the close of the Palatial Age an interesting record has been pre-
served in a fragment of the crystal hilt described below,3 found near the
deposit of ' Sword Tablets' and practically identical with the faience type,
Fio-. 836, as well as on the ' Sword Tablets' themselves.4

As already noted in the case of the known examples of hilt-plates
belon°'in°' to swords of the ' cruciform' class, a modification has taken place
in the form of the central opening. The earlier ' kidney-shaped ' outline of
this, as noted above, has now become practically oval.

The ' Sword Tablets'.

In the South-West corner of the ' Domestic Quarter', above the later Depositof
plaster floor of a small passage that runs between the 'Shrine of the -j^y",'^
Double Axes ' and the outer wall to the West of it, was brought to light
a deposit of two classes of inscribed tablets. One of these groups presented
lists of men analogous to that of the Great Tablet, Fig. 6^6, above. A
well-preserved clay sealing associated with these, impressed with a couchant
lion and countermarked with a ' man' sign, had evidently served to secure
the chest containing them.5

The most important group of tablets here brought out, which have
given their name to the whole deposit, presented pictorial designs of swords.
With these also were sealings, originally attached to their chests, including
one representing a kneeling bull.

The whole of these appeared together with the charred remains of the
chests, and had evidently been precipitated on to the level on which they

1 See A. E., Preh. Tombs of Knossos, No. 36, ■ See below, p. S54.

P- 53 seqq. (' Chieftain's Grave'), 1. 61 cm. ' See below, pp. S54-7.

(with pommel), No. 42, p. 59 seqq., 1. 58 cm., s The form of the ' man' sign on this

*">. 43, p. 6i, 1. jo cm., No. 55, pp. 66, 67, sealing recalls that given in Fig. 088, p. 706

■ ^3 cm., No. 98, p. S6, 1. 61 cm. above as characteristic of a special class of

Maiuri, Ialysos, p. ny (1S9), Fig. 124 tablets. It supplied valuable evidence of

0111 Toml> XLV. contemporaneity.

■X K 2