Pendlebury, John D.: The archaeology of Crete: an introduction (London, 1939)

THE EARLY MINOAN PERIOD

masa are i and /, the latter of silver and showing a medial
rib. The long type is shown in b, also of silver ; it corresponds
to shapes found at Salame in a pure E.M.n context, though
itself it is not stratified. The socketed arrow-head from Tomb
XIX at Mokhlos must surely be intrusive.

Another object of copper which is common at this period
is a small blade rather like an axe with a convex edge and
two holes at the end of the tang. Examples were found at
Mokhlos,1 Koumasa and Platanos,2 while an unstratified
example from Trapeza still preserves a small ivory handle
which prolongs the line of the blade. This, together with a
distinct wearing at one end of the edge, shows that the original
excavator's theory is correct and that they were not merely
votive models but objects for use probably connected with the
toilet. Tweezers, too, are found both at Mokhlos and in the
Messara. They are of a simple type with the two ends
widened. At the top the arms are sometimes pinched in to
form a loop at the end. A tool somewhat resembling the
toilet knives but much larger is shown in PI. XI, 3, a. It was
probably used for wood-cutting. In the same tomb at Kou-
masa was found a fine-toothed saw. In Tomb II at Mokhlos
appeared a double axe of copper and two smaller ones of lead.3
Their stratification is certain and they are the first examples
of an object which, as a religious symbol, is typical of the
Minoan Age.4

It is unfortunate that only one of the figurines which have em.u
been attributed to E.M.n was found in a stratified deposit. f's"r'"
This is an unpainted clay figurine from Palaikastro.5 The
body is a mere column, the arms are short stumps on a level
with the face, on which eyes and nose alone are marked. The
neck, waist and legs are not indicated. For the rest we must
go on style alone. Signorina Banti has made a most careful
analysis of the various types of figurines from the larger
tomb at Agia Triadha,6 and has come to the conclusion
that it would be dangerous to date any but the most primitive
to this period. Her conclusions will fit very well with the
rest of the Messara and also with the finds at Trapeza, the
only other site where E.M. figurines have been found in any

1 Mochlos, 107. s V.T.M., 28. 3 Mochlos, 34, 107.

4 Whence came the shape ? Hall, Essays presented to Sir Arthur
Evans, 42, publishes a flint example of very early date from Egypt.
bB.S.A., XI, 273, Sup., 131.
0 Annuario, XIII-XIV, 243.