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 (Index) (London, 1936)

SEAL-STONES

[184]

SEAL-STONES

Seal-stones, Bead-seals (cont.)

Conoids, steatite and ivory, E.M. Ill, M.M.
Ilia

Hemi-cylinder (an Egyptian type), of ivory,
M.M. la

Tubular bead (ivory) with engraved oval
facet, M.M. la; prototype of Minoan
signet-rings with oval bezel at right
angles to hoop, which itself is often too
small for the finger

Solid gold 'weight seal' (Egyptian gold unit)
with engraved spiraliform pattern below,
M.M. la

'Button' seal, black steatite, M.M. I

Elongated three-sided type (soft stones),
M.M. la, b

12th Dyn. Egyptian scarab (amethyst) used
by Minoan engraver for hieroglyphs of
Cretan Class A, M.M. lb

Minoan imitations in ivory and soft stone,
M.M. lb

Thick, flat-sided disks (designs on both
faces), ivory and soft stone, M.M. la

'Tabloids' with slightly rounded faces (re-
garded as prototypes of 'flat cylinder'
class), M.M. la

Hard stones, as agate, cornelian, chalcedony,
rock crystal, amethyst, and jasper, first in
general use by Minoan engravers in
M.M. II

Forms of seal in use in M.M. II for advanced
Hieroglyphic inscriptions (B): flat-sided
disks, prisms elongated (three-sided), do.
four-sided 'signet' types, types with con-
voluted backs. (Similar types on M.M.
II bead-seals also used for natural sub-
jects)

Abnormal lentoid bead form, yellow steatite,
inlaid with red material (M.M. I la, poly-
chrome pattern)

Lion-shaped type, amethyst, M.M. II

Outgrowth of prism type with three slightly
bossed engraved faces tapering towards
ends; red cornelian subjects often 'talis-
manic', M.M. III-L.M. la (surviving
example in Vapheio Tomb)

Flat-sided disks in hard stones (agate, corne-
lian, jasper, rock crystal), slightly bossed
faces, design, exceptionally, on both
faces (derivative of 'thick, flat-sided

Seal-stones, Bead-seals {cont.)

disks' above), M.M. 116, M.M. Ill,
overlapping L.M. I

Lentoids, mostly in similar hard stones (ex-
ceptionally found of steatite already in
E.M. Ill), M.M. 116, M.M. Ill, con-
tinuing to L.M. Ilia, in L.M. III6
usually of steatite

'Flat Cylinders' (in similar hard stones,
also haematite), M.M. 116, M.M. Ill
(masterpieces of design seen on this
type), L.M. la, b, L.M. II (decadent
example found in Tomb at Kalkani,
Mycenae, L.M. III6. A.E.)

Amygdaloids: first come into vogue (on hard
stones) in M.M. Ill (in M.M. III6-
L.M. la largely used for talismanic sub-
jects). The earlier are of a smooth-
backed class, but in L.M. la their back
appears framed with grooved borders
(perhaps imitative of plum-stones. A.E.).
In L.M. II they become rarer, lentoid
impressions largely predominating in
late Palatial deposits at Knossos (a re-
markable specimen in dark steatite of a
form transitional between the amygda-
loid and lentoid shapes, recently found
near Knossos, shows a decorative design
largely suggested by an argonaut type
and paralleled by a series of vase designs
of the 'Late Revival' (iv. 296 (Fig. 231
c, d), 573 (Fig. 311)). The pure amygda-
loid type in agate and cornelian is shown
from finds in the late cemetery of Vro-
kastro (E. H. Hall) to have survived (like
the Minoan type of ring) down to the
latest 'Sub-Minoan' phase, L.M. Ilk
(A.E.)

Elongated amygdaloid type (grooved back),
generally succeeds the normal type in
L.M. lb (taken over for engraved gold
beads at Thisbe and Knossos). Survives
L.M. II. (Also described as 'elongated
oval')

Cylinders of Oriental type (longitudinally
bored and engraved round circumfer-
ence), cornelian and agate, L.M. la, b

Cylinders of haematite (Oriental tradition)
with designs both purely Cretan and
Cypro-Minoan, L.M. Ilia, b