DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4945#0221
210
CHAPTER XII.
STONE, AMBER, HORN, WOOD, AND SHELL.
By D. G. Hogarth.
(Plates XLVI-XLVIII.)
STONE.
The objects in Hard Stone consist in great majority of rock-crystal, which
is found in the natural state in the neighbouring hills. Large prisms of the
raw material were brought to me from time to time by shepherds, and some
twenty unworked prisms, large and small, were found in the lower strata of
deposit on the temple site. Clear rock-crystal was reckoned in the Aegean
age among the most precious of stones, if we may judge by the quality of the
intaglio work engraved upon it ; and the taste for it evidently continued into
the archaic Hellenic period.
The balance of the stone objects is made up by seal-stones and beads
in cornelian, jasper, onyx, etc., etc. Only one intaglio occurred among the
seal-stones.
I. Crystal.
A. Studs.
xlvi.3,5, Fifteen circular objects were found, resembling large studs or buttons.
6,11,14. Each has a concave top of greater diameter than the base, which has a flat
under-surface. Four specimens are not bored: one is bored from below, the
hole not going through the stud : nine are bored half-way through from above.
In the remaining single example the bore goes right through ; but in its present
state, this particular object has the under-surface deeply chipped, and probably,
when intact, was not bored through. In the head of the boring of the one stud
which is pierced from below (xlvi. 14), traces of gum or glue survive, bearing the
impress of a rosette, whose head would have been visible through the crystal
top ; and probably an ivory button had been inserted in this bore. In the bore
of one of the other studs, when it was originally found, was such an ivory
button with incised rosette (see PI. xl. 17), set flush with the surface of
the crystal : but this dropped out in transit owing to the shrinkage of the
CHAPTER XII.
STONE, AMBER, HORN, WOOD, AND SHELL.
By D. G. Hogarth.
(Plates XLVI-XLVIII.)
STONE.
The objects in Hard Stone consist in great majority of rock-crystal, which
is found in the natural state in the neighbouring hills. Large prisms of the
raw material were brought to me from time to time by shepherds, and some
twenty unworked prisms, large and small, were found in the lower strata of
deposit on the temple site. Clear rock-crystal was reckoned in the Aegean
age among the most precious of stones, if we may judge by the quality of the
intaglio work engraved upon it ; and the taste for it evidently continued into
the archaic Hellenic period.
The balance of the stone objects is made up by seal-stones and beads
in cornelian, jasper, onyx, etc., etc. Only one intaglio occurred among the
seal-stones.
I. Crystal.
A. Studs.
xlvi.3,5, Fifteen circular objects were found, resembling large studs or buttons.
6,11,14. Each has a concave top of greater diameter than the base, which has a flat
under-surface. Four specimens are not bored: one is bored from below, the
hole not going through the stud : nine are bored half-way through from above.
In the remaining single example the bore goes right through ; but in its present
state, this particular object has the under-surface deeply chipped, and probably,
when intact, was not bored through. In the head of the boring of the one stud
which is pierced from below (xlvi. 14), traces of gum or glue survive, bearing the
impress of a rosette, whose head would have been visible through the crystal
top ; and probably an ivory button had been inserted in this bore. In the bore
of one of the other studs, when it was originally found, was such an ivory
button with incised rosette (see PI. xl. 17), set flush with the surface of
the crystal : but this dropped out in transit owing to the shrinkage of the