DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2533#0469
PRIMITIVE CLASS
345
This, however, is no reason for thinking them to he other than amulets; though no one
has been able to read the signs found by Evans, and they may possibly be abbreviated
prayers or sacred and evil-averting signs.
There is one more question difficult of explanation, and that is how there came to be
so many stones of this sort at a place like the Heraeum. I can only suggest the explana-
tion that if these stones were amulets, it may well be that such powerful and sacred objects
were made by the priests, — that they were issued from the temple somewhat as indul-
gences are given out by the Catholic Church. Or it is possible that perhaps after the
death of the owner, or at some such solemn moment, they were dedicated in the temple.
These are, of course, mere hypotheses.
CLASS 1. PREHISTORIC OR PRIMITIVE.
Only eight stones of this sort were found (Nos. 1-8). The only carving on them con-
sists of scratches, and they show no trace of true masterly cutting. Similar scratchings
were found by Schliemann on whorls he dug up at Troy, and by other excavators. It is
possible that these lines conveyed some meaning to the original owner of the object, but,
at present, it is impossible to say what it was. Evans ' suggests that certain somewhat
similar carvings found by him stand for letters. None of the examples from the Heraeum
suggest this or anything more than being the haphazard work of an untrained carver.
They seem to be merely attempts to decorate the stones with more or less symmetrical
patterns.
In shape they show some variety, and it is difficult to explain why the makers of these
stones should have been satisfied with such rude carving of designs when they were able
to model the forms so comparatively well.
PLATE CXXXVIII.
1. Circular; both sides slightly convex. Bored. Both sides scratched. Dark blue steatite.
1.5 cm. Perhaps a bead. Found during first year's work.
2. Button shape. Double bore-hole. Design: star. 2.8 cm. The stone is broken, but both
parts were found. Found on stairs south of Second Temple.
3. Hemispherical. Bored. Scratches on flat surface. Red steatite. Diametei', 1.9 cm. Found
back of West Building.
4. Circular; both sides convex. Bored. Both sides scratched. Dark green steatite. 1.8 cm.
Found on southeast slope near bottom.
5. Spool shape. Ends concave. Cross lines and circle scratched on one end. Dark red steatite.
Diameter, 1.7 cm. The form is, perhaps, an imitation of a fish's vertebra. Found back of South
Building, at southwest corner of Second Temple terrace.
6. Flat; circular. Bored through centre. Light green steatite. 1.5 cm. No engraving;
accidental scratches. Perhaps a bead. This is one of those which being formed but not decorated
implies that the decoration was done at the Heraeum, as do the following. Found back of South
Building near No. 5.
7. Circular and slightly spool-shaped. Not bored. Mottled green steatite. Diameter, 1.8 cm.
Thickness, 0.8 em. Like No. 6, this is apparently unfinished. Found east of chambers on Second
Temple terrace.
8. vSteatite pebble. 1.7 cm. long. Perhaps shows the sort of stone used by the engravers.
Found during first year's work.
1 Cretan Pictoyraphs and Prae-Phoenician Stript, fig. 10, and p. 1G (285).
345
This, however, is no reason for thinking them to he other than amulets; though no one
has been able to read the signs found by Evans, and they may possibly be abbreviated
prayers or sacred and evil-averting signs.
There is one more question difficult of explanation, and that is how there came to be
so many stones of this sort at a place like the Heraeum. I can only suggest the explana-
tion that if these stones were amulets, it may well be that such powerful and sacred objects
were made by the priests, — that they were issued from the temple somewhat as indul-
gences are given out by the Catholic Church. Or it is possible that perhaps after the
death of the owner, or at some such solemn moment, they were dedicated in the temple.
These are, of course, mere hypotheses.
CLASS 1. PREHISTORIC OR PRIMITIVE.
Only eight stones of this sort were found (Nos. 1-8). The only carving on them con-
sists of scratches, and they show no trace of true masterly cutting. Similar scratchings
were found by Schliemann on whorls he dug up at Troy, and by other excavators. It is
possible that these lines conveyed some meaning to the original owner of the object, but,
at present, it is impossible to say what it was. Evans ' suggests that certain somewhat
similar carvings found by him stand for letters. None of the examples from the Heraeum
suggest this or anything more than being the haphazard work of an untrained carver.
They seem to be merely attempts to decorate the stones with more or less symmetrical
patterns.
In shape they show some variety, and it is difficult to explain why the makers of these
stones should have been satisfied with such rude carving of designs when they were able
to model the forms so comparatively well.
PLATE CXXXVIII.
1. Circular; both sides slightly convex. Bored. Both sides scratched. Dark blue steatite.
1.5 cm. Perhaps a bead. Found during first year's work.
2. Button shape. Double bore-hole. Design: star. 2.8 cm. The stone is broken, but both
parts were found. Found on stairs south of Second Temple.
3. Hemispherical. Bored. Scratches on flat surface. Red steatite. Diametei', 1.9 cm. Found
back of West Building.
4. Circular; both sides convex. Bored. Both sides scratched. Dark green steatite. 1.8 cm.
Found on southeast slope near bottom.
5. Spool shape. Ends concave. Cross lines and circle scratched on one end. Dark red steatite.
Diameter, 1.7 cm. The form is, perhaps, an imitation of a fish's vertebra. Found back of South
Building, at southwest corner of Second Temple terrace.
6. Flat; circular. Bored through centre. Light green steatite. 1.5 cm. No engraving;
accidental scratches. Perhaps a bead. This is one of those which being formed but not decorated
implies that the decoration was done at the Heraeum, as do the following. Found back of South
Building near No. 5.
7. Circular and slightly spool-shaped. Not bored. Mottled green steatite. Diameter, 1.8 cm.
Thickness, 0.8 em. Like No. 6, this is apparently unfinished. Found east of chambers on Second
Temple terrace.
8. vSteatite pebble. 1.7 cm. long. Perhaps shows the sort of stone used by the engravers.
Found during first year's work.
1 Cretan Pictoyraphs and Prae-Phoenician Stript, fig. 10, and p. 1G (285).