DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1159#0129
96 EXPLORATIONS IN MOCELOS
THE E. M. II PERIOD
Numerous vases of the E. M. II period were found. They are
interesting inasmuch as most of them belong to the earlier part of
the E. M. II age, before the mottled ware attained its great popu-
larity. Many of the dark burnished vases show close affinities to
the ware of the preceding E. M. I period just described, although a
number of new shapes have come into use. The best vases are those
belonging to the early geometrical dark-on-light style, of which the
chamber tombs produced several very fine examples in a good state
of preservation. The saucer of Figures 7 and 13, No. II, I, is one
of the best of this class and, in quality of clay and paint, bears com-
parison with any of the later Minoan fabrics; its design is charac-
teristic of the geometrical dark-on-light style, examples of which
were found at Gournia and Vasiliki in 1905.1 Latticed figures re-
sembling double axes are often found at Knossos on a closely corre-
sponding M. M. I ware, which evidently owes much to this E. M. II
technique. In these Knossian M. M. I examples the design takes
rather an extreme and elongated form and has been called by its
discoverers the " butterfly " pattern.2 It had been thought heretofore
that the religious symbol of the double-axe did not occur before the
M. M. Ill age, but since such votive axes in bronze and lead were
found at Mochlos in an Early Minoan II tomb (p. 36), there seems
no reason to doubt that not only the M. M. I "butterfly " ornaments,
but also the designs on this saucer are meant to represent this sym-
bol. Festoons like those on the rim of the saucer are to be seen on
a cup from Tomb VI (Figs. 22, 23, No. VI, 6) and are common both
in E. M. Ill and M. M. I wares.3 The jug of Figures 4 and 13, No.
I, b, bears a design of cross-hatched triangles frequently noted in
the ware of this period from Vasiliki. Vases of the geometrical E. M.
II style have also been found at Zakro,4 Palaikastro,6 Phaistos,
Hagia Triada,6 Eoumasa, Porti and other sites, of many of which
no complete account has yet been published.
Of the typical E. M. II mottled vases very few specimens were
found, and most of those, owing to the peculiar action of the soil,
had entirely lost their painted surfaces. It would seem that few of
them possessed the brilliant mottling of the Vasiliki vases. Plain
burnished red ware occurred more frequently.
i Gournia, PI. XII. N03. 20, a, b, 25-33 and PL A, No. 3.
»B. S. A., Vol. IX, p. 95, Fig. 65, p.
• A. J. A., Vol. XIII, p. 292, Fig. 13, No. 2 of top row; Trans., Vol. II, Part 2, p. 126,
Fig. 9, a.
«B. S. A., Vol. VH, p. 144, Fig. 52. ' B. S. A., Vol. X, p. 196.
• Man. Ant., Vol. XXI, PI. IX, Figs. 21, 22.
THE E. M. II PERIOD
Numerous vases of the E. M. II period were found. They are
interesting inasmuch as most of them belong to the earlier part of
the E. M. II age, before the mottled ware attained its great popu-
larity. Many of the dark burnished vases show close affinities to
the ware of the preceding E. M. I period just described, although a
number of new shapes have come into use. The best vases are those
belonging to the early geometrical dark-on-light style, of which the
chamber tombs produced several very fine examples in a good state
of preservation. The saucer of Figures 7 and 13, No. II, I, is one
of the best of this class and, in quality of clay and paint, bears com-
parison with any of the later Minoan fabrics; its design is charac-
teristic of the geometrical dark-on-light style, examples of which
were found at Gournia and Vasiliki in 1905.1 Latticed figures re-
sembling double axes are often found at Knossos on a closely corre-
sponding M. M. I ware, which evidently owes much to this E. M. II
technique. In these Knossian M. M. I examples the design takes
rather an extreme and elongated form and has been called by its
discoverers the " butterfly " pattern.2 It had been thought heretofore
that the religious symbol of the double-axe did not occur before the
M. M. Ill age, but since such votive axes in bronze and lead were
found at Mochlos in an Early Minoan II tomb (p. 36), there seems
no reason to doubt that not only the M. M. I "butterfly " ornaments,
but also the designs on this saucer are meant to represent this sym-
bol. Festoons like those on the rim of the saucer are to be seen on
a cup from Tomb VI (Figs. 22, 23, No. VI, 6) and are common both
in E. M. Ill and M. M. I wares.3 The jug of Figures 4 and 13, No.
I, b, bears a design of cross-hatched triangles frequently noted in
the ware of this period from Vasiliki. Vases of the geometrical E. M.
II style have also been found at Zakro,4 Palaikastro,6 Phaistos,
Hagia Triada,6 Eoumasa, Porti and other sites, of many of which
no complete account has yet been published.
Of the typical E. M. II mottled vases very few specimens were
found, and most of those, owing to the peculiar action of the soil,
had entirely lost their painted surfaces. It would seem that few of
them possessed the brilliant mottling of the Vasiliki vases. Plain
burnished red ware occurred more frequently.
i Gournia, PI. XII. N03. 20, a, b, 25-33 and PL A, No. 3.
»B. S. A., Vol. IX, p. 95, Fig. 65, p.
• A. J. A., Vol. XIII, p. 292, Fig. 13, No. 2 of top row; Trans., Vol. II, Part 2, p. 126,
Fig. 9, a.
«B. S. A., Vol. VH, p. 144, Fig. 52. ' B. S. A., Vol. X, p. 196.
• Man. Ant., Vol. XXI, PI. IX, Figs. 21, 22.