DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12762#0159
132
THE VAULTED TOMBS OF MESARA
influence Talos, Minos, Daidalos, in the cult of the double axe, in the labyrinth, in the
from asia later cult of Rhea and Zeus, and in the favourite sport of bull-grappling. And
even in the neolithic age he finds a connection with Asia Minor in the squatting
steatopygous type of figurine.1
Relations with Relations with Troy are, in Sir Arthur's view, suggested by the import of
Troy silver to the Cyclades and Crete, which must have come from the silver mines
of the Troad.2
RELATIONS C. RELATIONS WITH THE WEST.
with THE .
WEST Finally, relations with the west are indicated by the import of such raw
materials as tin and liparite.3
Central Position The central position of Crete in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean,
lying between three continents and dividing the iEgean from the Libyan sea,
favoured the collection there of the elements of civilisation and their redistribu-
Crete the Cradle tion. The island is large enough to have permitted the development of a
of Civilisation detached and independent natural life that could give free welcome to sugges-
tions from all quarters, and even from one most favoured quarter, Egypt,
without any fear of encroachment or domination by foreign ideas ; and thus
it became the cradle of the individual civilisation that we call Minoan, which
developed with extraordinary speed under the forcing influence of the sea-
power established over the ^Egean.
THE MINOAN IV. THE MINOAN CIVILISATION
CIVILISATION
Frequency of At several sites 4 it was possible to get some evidence on the communities
Tombs and to which the vaulted tombs belonged, and we may regard it as certain that on
other sites, where tombs of this type, tholoi, intended for multiple burials,
have been found,5 similar settlements existed in connection with them, and
probably in the near neighbourhood ; for wherever a settlement has been found
it has been found quite close to the tombs. Further, I believe that the known
tombs and settlements are not the full tale of all that once existed in this rich
plain. Many possibly await discovery, and many more may have disappeared
in the course of four thousand years; for even in our time several of those
mentioned have been found by chance and in part destroyed.6
In the Koumasa section of Mesara, where the greater number of tombs
excavated by me were situated, if we take Koumasa as the centre we have
within a radius of four to five kilometres the tombs and settlements of Hagia
Eirene, Drakones, Salame, Koutsokera, Porti, Christos, and Koumasa, that is,
seven groups of tombs with their settlements in this small area ; strong evidence
1 Evans, Palace, pp. 5 and 15. Kalathiana.
2 Ibid., p. 22. 5 E.g. Siva, Hagios Onouphrios, Hagfa Triada,
3 Ibid., p. 23. and Marathok^phalon.
1 E.g. at Koumasa, Portf, Salame, and Kout- 6 Hagios Onouphrios, Kalathiana, Marathoke-
sokera, Drakones, Hagfa Eirene, PMtanos, and phalon, Koumasa, and Platanos.
Settlements
THE VAULTED TOMBS OF MESARA
influence Talos, Minos, Daidalos, in the cult of the double axe, in the labyrinth, in the
from asia later cult of Rhea and Zeus, and in the favourite sport of bull-grappling. And
even in the neolithic age he finds a connection with Asia Minor in the squatting
steatopygous type of figurine.1
Relations with Relations with Troy are, in Sir Arthur's view, suggested by the import of
Troy silver to the Cyclades and Crete, which must have come from the silver mines
of the Troad.2
RELATIONS C. RELATIONS WITH THE WEST.
with THE .
WEST Finally, relations with the west are indicated by the import of such raw
materials as tin and liparite.3
Central Position The central position of Crete in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean,
lying between three continents and dividing the iEgean from the Libyan sea,
favoured the collection there of the elements of civilisation and their redistribu-
Crete the Cradle tion. The island is large enough to have permitted the development of a
of Civilisation detached and independent natural life that could give free welcome to sugges-
tions from all quarters, and even from one most favoured quarter, Egypt,
without any fear of encroachment or domination by foreign ideas ; and thus
it became the cradle of the individual civilisation that we call Minoan, which
developed with extraordinary speed under the forcing influence of the sea-
power established over the ^Egean.
THE MINOAN IV. THE MINOAN CIVILISATION
CIVILISATION
Frequency of At several sites 4 it was possible to get some evidence on the communities
Tombs and to which the vaulted tombs belonged, and we may regard it as certain that on
other sites, where tombs of this type, tholoi, intended for multiple burials,
have been found,5 similar settlements existed in connection with them, and
probably in the near neighbourhood ; for wherever a settlement has been found
it has been found quite close to the tombs. Further, I believe that the known
tombs and settlements are not the full tale of all that once existed in this rich
plain. Many possibly await discovery, and many more may have disappeared
in the course of four thousand years; for even in our time several of those
mentioned have been found by chance and in part destroyed.6
In the Koumasa section of Mesara, where the greater number of tombs
excavated by me were situated, if we take Koumasa as the centre we have
within a radius of four to five kilometres the tombs and settlements of Hagia
Eirene, Drakones, Salame, Koutsokera, Porti, Christos, and Koumasa, that is,
seven groups of tombs with their settlements in this small area ; strong evidence
1 Evans, Palace, pp. 5 and 15. Kalathiana.
2 Ibid., p. 22. 5 E.g. Siva, Hagios Onouphrios, Hagfa Triada,
3 Ibid., p. 23. and Marathok^phalon.
1 E.g. at Koumasa, Portf, Salame, and Kout- 6 Hagios Onouphrios, Kalathiana, Marathoke-
sokera, Drakones, Hagfa Eirene, PMtanos, and phalon, Koumasa, and Platanos.
Settlements