DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12762#0048
KOUMASA
21
(g) Obsidian tholos b
All the Koumasa tombs produced many blades of obsidian. Of those sr0IsE 0BJECTS
shown in the lower right-hand corner of Plate XXIII, the length varies from
•05 m. to -07 m. Two of these blades are of whitish flint, but the rest are
Melian obsidian. With them were found a large number of fragmentary blades
and flakes and also cores of obsidian, a proof that the work of flaking the blades
off the cores was done on the spot in Crete.1
C. Figurines. figurines
1. Cycladic Figurines. 122-127. (Plate XXI.) Cydadic
Of these six, two only, 125 and 127, were found in Tholos B. 122 and Figurines
123 were found in the space A B where other interments had been made,
probably in small graves. 124 was found inside the small tholos, A, and 126
in the square tomb, T. It will, however, be convenient to consider all six of
the Koumasa specimens together.
It is common knowledge that long ago figurines of this kind were found
in tombs in the Cyclades. They used to be called ' island ' or ' Carian ' figurines,
but to-day ' Cycladic' is the accepted term. They are very well known to
archaeologists as one of the peculiarly characteristic marks of Cycladic tombs,
and have given rise to much discussion.2 Examples have been found in other
parts of Crete—at Hagios Onouphrios, for example, near Phaestos.3 The head
of a similar figurine (214) was found at a place called Trypete outside Candia.
Three more figurines in the Candia Museum (182-184) come from the collection
of the widow of Mr. J. Mitsotakis, but we do not know exactly from what part
of the island they came. One more was found in the tholos 4 of Pyrgos, and
we shall come to another from Platanos.
125. This is of the white island semi-transparent marble, and is -11 m.
high, measuring -055 m. across the shoulders. It is flat and of a fairly advanced
type, head, neck, and arms being indicated, and also the legs, which are in one
piece, with the division between them shown by a fine groove. The nose
projects in relief, and, as is the rule, the head is convex in front and concave
behind, with the face tilted upwards. Three thin parallel lines indicate the
folded arms, and separate the breast from the abdomen, which again is marked
off from the thighs by two oblique lines meeting in an angle bisected by a
vertical line to indicate the sex. The round holes above and below the break
in the neck show that the break occurred before the figure was put in the tomb,
1 Melian obsidian is discussed by Bosanquet, s Evans, Pictagraphs, p. 124, where references
Phylakopi, chap. VIII, pp. 216 ff. to the relevant literature are to be found.
I!. Kafifia(>la, YlpoiaropiK-ij A/JXul0^07la ('A9rj-
2 To-oviTa, 'E<£. 'APX. (1898), o-tA. 193-198, Uu: vat, 1914), o-tA. 383, eU, 505-507.
10 and 11 ; (1899), <reA. 97 («*«. 28-30), 100-101. Perrot et Chipiez, Histoire de I'Art, VI, pp. 735 ff'.,
Tsountas and Manatt, The Mycenaean Age, figs. 325 ff.
pp. 256-258, fig. 132. 4 'Apx- AeAr., to/*. 4 (1918), <rtL 163, tin. 14.
21
(g) Obsidian tholos b
All the Koumasa tombs produced many blades of obsidian. Of those sr0IsE 0BJECTS
shown in the lower right-hand corner of Plate XXIII, the length varies from
•05 m. to -07 m. Two of these blades are of whitish flint, but the rest are
Melian obsidian. With them were found a large number of fragmentary blades
and flakes and also cores of obsidian, a proof that the work of flaking the blades
off the cores was done on the spot in Crete.1
C. Figurines. figurines
1. Cycladic Figurines. 122-127. (Plate XXI.) Cydadic
Of these six, two only, 125 and 127, were found in Tholos B. 122 and Figurines
123 were found in the space A B where other interments had been made,
probably in small graves. 124 was found inside the small tholos, A, and 126
in the square tomb, T. It will, however, be convenient to consider all six of
the Koumasa specimens together.
It is common knowledge that long ago figurines of this kind were found
in tombs in the Cyclades. They used to be called ' island ' or ' Carian ' figurines,
but to-day ' Cycladic' is the accepted term. They are very well known to
archaeologists as one of the peculiarly characteristic marks of Cycladic tombs,
and have given rise to much discussion.2 Examples have been found in other
parts of Crete—at Hagios Onouphrios, for example, near Phaestos.3 The head
of a similar figurine (214) was found at a place called Trypete outside Candia.
Three more figurines in the Candia Museum (182-184) come from the collection
of the widow of Mr. J. Mitsotakis, but we do not know exactly from what part
of the island they came. One more was found in the tholos 4 of Pyrgos, and
we shall come to another from Platanos.
125. This is of the white island semi-transparent marble, and is -11 m.
high, measuring -055 m. across the shoulders. It is flat and of a fairly advanced
type, head, neck, and arms being indicated, and also the legs, which are in one
piece, with the division between them shown by a fine groove. The nose
projects in relief, and, as is the rule, the head is convex in front and concave
behind, with the face tilted upwards. Three thin parallel lines indicate the
folded arms, and separate the breast from the abdomen, which again is marked
off from the thighs by two oblique lines meeting in an angle bisected by a
vertical line to indicate the sex. The round holes above and below the break
in the neck show that the break occurred before the figure was put in the tomb,
1 Melian obsidian is discussed by Bosanquet, s Evans, Pictagraphs, p. 124, where references
Phylakopi, chap. VIII, pp. 216 ff. to the relevant literature are to be found.
I!. Kafifia(>la, YlpoiaropiK-ij A/JXul0^07la ('A9rj-
2 To-oviTa, 'E<£. 'APX. (1898), o-tA. 193-198, Uu: vat, 1914), o-tA. 383, eU, 505-507.
10 and 11 ; (1899), <reA. 97 («*«. 28-30), 100-101. Perrot et Chipiez, Histoire de I'Art, VI, pp. 735 ff'.,
Tsountas and Manatt, The Mycenaean Age, figs. 325 ff.
pp. 256-258, fig. 132. 4 'Apx- AeAr., to/*. 4 (1918), <rtL 163, tin. 14.