DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12762#0043
16
THE VAULTED TOMBS OF MESARA
tholos b are shown in Plate XXI; Nos. 856, 857, 858, 862-863, and 865. The material
stone objects is white limestone. The shape is rectangular, the largest, 865, measuring -22 m.
Palettes in length by -18 m., the smallest, 857, -16 m. in length by -11 m. The thickness
varies from -02 m. to -04 m.
865 is flat on both sides, but the others are more or less convex on the
under side, though the top, the surface proper, is flat. All have a moulding
on the upper surface, that is, a groove round the edge leaving a border a centi-
metre wide more or less. One or two show a few marks of use, i.e. rubbing,
but no trace of pigment was observed on them, so that it is not possible to say
positively that they were colour palettes for grinding the pigments used in
dyeing like the similar palettes from tombs in the Cyclades, which showed
clear marks of grinding and had crumbs of red pigment adhering to them.
Besides, in their case the pestles were found with them.1 This was the case,
too, in Egypt with the palettes from predynastic and early dynastic graves
found with malachite and antimony.
Similar stone palettes were found in Tholos E here at Koumasa, and at
Porti, one too in the large tholos of Hagia Triada (653), two in the tholos of
Marathokephalon,2 and one of dark blue limestone so small as to be almost a
toy (994) in a tomb at Palaikastron.
We must, I think, postulate the same purpose for all of these, as also for
two large plaques of blue limestone (1172, 1173) from the Mochlos tomb, which,
with their four legs, look like tables in miniature.3
Now the table shape of these two and the absence in the Cretan examples
of any signs of grinding or colour suggest to my mind the possibility that they
were not colour palettes, but sacred Tables of Offerings.4 Further, the presence
of a large rectangular plaque of white limestone with some sacred vessels in the
shrine of the older Palace of Phaestos compels the belief that, whatever other
use such plaques may have had, there at any rate it served some purpose of
worship or ritual.5
At Sesklo in Thessaly Professor Tsountas found similar stone objects
which he calls platters (nXadava),6 and says that their use ' was for the grinding
of some substance, or as boards to make bread on or perhaps clay pots.'
Half of another similar little table (544) with two of the legs preserved
comes from Palaikastron, and two more were found at Gournia, one with four
legs, and the other quite small with an incised border (1306).7
Egyptian Palettes Colour palettes of slate or limestone of the same oblong shape have been
found in quantities in Egypt in predynastic and early dynastic tombs, and
1 Tirovura, KvuXaSiKa, 'E<£. 'Ap\- (1898), o-eA. 4 Sir Arthur Evans, however, does not accept
185, mv. 10, dpid. 11, 12, 14, 15 ; (1899), <reX. 75 this idea.
and 100. s Mon. Ant., p. 109, fig. 42.
Bosanquet, B.S.A., III, pp. 64-67, fig. 7. 6 X. Taovvra, TrpoicrTOpiKal axpoiroXw Arjprjviov
2 'Apx- A«At., rop.. 4, llapaprrjpa, aeX. 18. ko.I ~2(:<tk\ov ('A^i-cu, 1908), <rtA. 330-331, e'lK. 257.
3 Seager, Mochlos, p. 36, fig. 13, II, 53 ; p. 59, 7 H. Boyd Hawes, Gournia, p. 32, No. 43,
fig. 28, XI, 5. Plafc III, 43 and 56.
THE VAULTED TOMBS OF MESARA
tholos b are shown in Plate XXI; Nos. 856, 857, 858, 862-863, and 865. The material
stone objects is white limestone. The shape is rectangular, the largest, 865, measuring -22 m.
Palettes in length by -18 m., the smallest, 857, -16 m. in length by -11 m. The thickness
varies from -02 m. to -04 m.
865 is flat on both sides, but the others are more or less convex on the
under side, though the top, the surface proper, is flat. All have a moulding
on the upper surface, that is, a groove round the edge leaving a border a centi-
metre wide more or less. One or two show a few marks of use, i.e. rubbing,
but no trace of pigment was observed on them, so that it is not possible to say
positively that they were colour palettes for grinding the pigments used in
dyeing like the similar palettes from tombs in the Cyclades, which showed
clear marks of grinding and had crumbs of red pigment adhering to them.
Besides, in their case the pestles were found with them.1 This was the case,
too, in Egypt with the palettes from predynastic and early dynastic graves
found with malachite and antimony.
Similar stone palettes were found in Tholos E here at Koumasa, and at
Porti, one too in the large tholos of Hagia Triada (653), two in the tholos of
Marathokephalon,2 and one of dark blue limestone so small as to be almost a
toy (994) in a tomb at Palaikastron.
We must, I think, postulate the same purpose for all of these, as also for
two large plaques of blue limestone (1172, 1173) from the Mochlos tomb, which,
with their four legs, look like tables in miniature.3
Now the table shape of these two and the absence in the Cretan examples
of any signs of grinding or colour suggest to my mind the possibility that they
were not colour palettes, but sacred Tables of Offerings.4 Further, the presence
of a large rectangular plaque of white limestone with some sacred vessels in the
shrine of the older Palace of Phaestos compels the belief that, whatever other
use such plaques may have had, there at any rate it served some purpose of
worship or ritual.5
At Sesklo in Thessaly Professor Tsountas found similar stone objects
which he calls platters (nXadava),6 and says that their use ' was for the grinding
of some substance, or as boards to make bread on or perhaps clay pots.'
Half of another similar little table (544) with two of the legs preserved
comes from Palaikastron, and two more were found at Gournia, one with four
legs, and the other quite small with an incised border (1306).7
Egyptian Palettes Colour palettes of slate or limestone of the same oblong shape have been
found in quantities in Egypt in predynastic and early dynastic tombs, and
1 Tirovura, KvuXaSiKa, 'E<£. 'Ap\- (1898), o-eA. 4 Sir Arthur Evans, however, does not accept
185, mv. 10, dpid. 11, 12, 14, 15 ; (1899), <reX. 75 this idea.
and 100. s Mon. Ant., p. 109, fig. 42.
Bosanquet, B.S.A., III, pp. 64-67, fig. 7. 6 X. Taovvra, TrpoicrTOpiKal axpoiroXw Arjprjviov
2 'Apx- A«At., rop.. 4, llapaprrjpa, aeX. 18. ko.I ~2(:<tk\ov ('A^i-cu, 1908), <rtA. 330-331, e'lK. 257.
3 Seager, Mochlos, p. 36, fig. 13, II, 53 ; p. 59, 7 H. Boyd Hawes, Gournia, p. 32, No. 43,
fig. 28, XI, 5. Plafc III, 43 and 56.