DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12762#0153
CHAPTER X
INTERPRETATIVE
I. THE MESARA SKULLS—THE MINOAN RACE
skulls from The condition of the human remains found in the Mesara vaulted tombs was
1H ToafjBS KA enough to give us skulls and bones in numbers sufficient to enable the
expert anthropologist to determine the character of the race.
From all these tombs it was not possible to extract more than a very few
skulls, and even these were by no means perfect. One was got from the tombs
at Koumasa, two from Tholos E at Hagia Eirene, two from Porti, and three
from the tombs at Platanos. Those that are comparatively well preserved are
illustrated in Plate LIX.
One of them, M I from Koumasa, has been measured by Herr Max Kiessling
of the Anthropological Institute at Berlin, and found to be of the dolichocephalic
type.1
Signor A. Mosso measured the same skull, together with eighteen from
other spots, and found a cephalic index of 75-8.2
The other five skulls of Plate LIX, now in the Candia Museum, give the
following cephalic indices :—
1. From Tholos E at Hagia Eirene . . .66-66
2. „ the tholos at Porti.....71-66
3. ,, ,, ,, .... 78-31
4. ,, a store-room of Tholos A at Platanos . 71-03
5. „ Tholos B at Platanos . . .72-97
The conclusion is that with the exception of No. 3, which is mesocephalic,
all are dolichocephalic. No 1 may in fact be called hyperdolichocephalic.
Other Cretan tombs of the Early Minoan and Middle Minoan periods have
yielded more extensive and better-preserved material for the study of the
expert anthropologist. The following is a resume of the conclusions reached.
Measurement of Dr. Duckworth measured five skulls of E.M. I date and their skeletons at
Hagios Nikolaos. The cephalic indices of all five point to a dolichocephalic
race.3 He also examined several dozen skulls from tombs at Roussolakkos and
Patema by Palaikastron, and found the following :—
Male. Female.
Dolichocephalic . . . 65-3 per cent. 70-6 per cent.
Mesocephalic . . . 26-15 „ 20-53 „
Brachycephalic . . 8-55 „ 5-87 „
1 Gf. Mackenzie, Cretan Palaces: B.S.A., XII, 2 Mosso, Origini, op. (it., p. 327.
p. 232. 3 B.S.A., IX, pp. 344 ff.
5 E.M. Skulls
INTERPRETATIVE
I. THE MESARA SKULLS—THE MINOAN RACE
skulls from The condition of the human remains found in the Mesara vaulted tombs was
1H ToafjBS KA enough to give us skulls and bones in numbers sufficient to enable the
expert anthropologist to determine the character of the race.
From all these tombs it was not possible to extract more than a very few
skulls, and even these were by no means perfect. One was got from the tombs
at Koumasa, two from Tholos E at Hagia Eirene, two from Porti, and three
from the tombs at Platanos. Those that are comparatively well preserved are
illustrated in Plate LIX.
One of them, M I from Koumasa, has been measured by Herr Max Kiessling
of the Anthropological Institute at Berlin, and found to be of the dolichocephalic
type.1
Signor A. Mosso measured the same skull, together with eighteen from
other spots, and found a cephalic index of 75-8.2
The other five skulls of Plate LIX, now in the Candia Museum, give the
following cephalic indices :—
1. From Tholos E at Hagia Eirene . . .66-66
2. „ the tholos at Porti.....71-66
3. ,, ,, ,, .... 78-31
4. ,, a store-room of Tholos A at Platanos . 71-03
5. „ Tholos B at Platanos . . .72-97
The conclusion is that with the exception of No. 3, which is mesocephalic,
all are dolichocephalic. No 1 may in fact be called hyperdolichocephalic.
Other Cretan tombs of the Early Minoan and Middle Minoan periods have
yielded more extensive and better-preserved material for the study of the
expert anthropologist. The following is a resume of the conclusions reached.
Measurement of Dr. Duckworth measured five skulls of E.M. I date and their skeletons at
Hagios Nikolaos. The cephalic indices of all five point to a dolichocephalic
race.3 He also examined several dozen skulls from tombs at Roussolakkos and
Patema by Palaikastron, and found the following :—
Male. Female.
Dolichocephalic . . . 65-3 per cent. 70-6 per cent.
Mesocephalic . . . 26-15 „ 20-53 „
Brachycephalic . . 8-55 „ 5-87 „
1 Gf. Mackenzie, Cretan Palaces: B.S.A., XII, 2 Mosso, Origini, op. (it., p. 327.
p. 232. 3 B.S.A., IX, pp. 344 ff.
5 E.M. Skulls