DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3044#0231
216 10: HIEROGLYPHIC DEPOSIT GROUP MM II (-?)
perimental. By this time engravers had achieved total mastery of their medium. Third, several
motifs in the same geometricizing style as those of the seals of the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group
appear on the contemporary Kamares ware (cf. PI. 34), in which case their origin and style have
nothing to do with the tools available.
The majority of the motifs engraved on the seals are of the Hieroglyphic B script, but approxi-
mately one fifth of the motifs appear to be essentially ornamental in inspiration and consist large-
ly of rotational arrangements of geometric and plant-derived elements also found in ceramic decor-
ation. The most frequently occurring of these motifs are the petaloid loop (Motif 20:8-13), S-
spiral (46:15-21) and various whirling motifs (47:6-7; 48:5-7; 49:9). Representations of animals
3 7
also appear. The repertoire of motifs is more limited than that of the other major kind of hi-
eroglyphic seals, the Malia Workshop Complex.
The motifs of the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group are often stylized or mannered. One can, for
example, speak of a calligraphic elaboration of script signs (cf. 56:5 and 6). The ornamentaliza-
tion and pictorialization of motifs is a manifestation of the general tendency to elaborate on
forms, which itself is a characteristic of this style-group (cf. 58:11-15, 17-21). Harmony, clarity
and symmetry are all characteristics of these designs. "Harmony" refers to a combination of ele-
ments which form a consistent and orderly whole. This harmony expresses itself in the predomi-
nance of geometrically pure, curvilinear forms: The cuts are in section semicircular, the motifs
and seal shapes are organic as well. A further expression of harmony is the agreement in the qual-
ity of the materials, technique and artistic expression, all of which are excellent. A final style
characteristic is that there is little interior drawing of the motifs and representations of animals
are stiff in appearance.
No single syntactic scheme characterizes the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group and one can point
to examples of rotational , bilateral and trilateral segmented as well as outline compositions.
The rectangular shapes of most of the seal faces accomodate frieze compositions.
Certain seals are stylistically peripheral to the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group. These generally
are fashioned in hard stone and are in the shapes typical of the group. CMS 115 25 (Motif 23:15)
and IV 28D both show segmental compositions of a type common to this group. CMS X 54 and
XII 95 (23:11), respectively a 13c Foliate Back and a 21b Prism, both in hard stone, show motifs
more abstract than most of those found on seals of this group. AGD II 11 shows a representa-
tion of a fish (13:5) which is geometricized in a manner similar to that of the other seals of the
group. This same geometricizing quality is also evident in the fish carved into AGD II 10 (13:6).
A stylistically similar composition decorates a vessel of the MM II Classical Kamares style.
Two criteria which aid in dating the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group are stratigraphically data-
ble seals and a comparison of the seal decoration with that of the contemporary Kamares decora-
tion. The Hieroglyphic Deposit does not date this group but is dated by it. This deposit is not
closed as the materials assigned to it were found scattered in a space beneath the staircase at the
north end of the Long Gallery as well as in the adjacent magazines. Evans wavered on the dat-
ing of the Deposit, assigning it first to MM III but later to MM IIB. More recently the ten-
dency has been to propose a later date based mainly on notions of the stylistic development of
some of the sealing designs.
Unable to date the Deposit closely either on the grounds of ceramic evidence or stratigraphy,
Evans relied on the fact that the first stage of the West Wing of the Palace, where the impressions
were found, was built in MM II but that the associated contents belong mostly to the succeeding
perimental. By this time engravers had achieved total mastery of their medium. Third, several
motifs in the same geometricizing style as those of the seals of the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group
appear on the contemporary Kamares ware (cf. PI. 34), in which case their origin and style have
nothing to do with the tools available.
The majority of the motifs engraved on the seals are of the Hieroglyphic B script, but approxi-
mately one fifth of the motifs appear to be essentially ornamental in inspiration and consist large-
ly of rotational arrangements of geometric and plant-derived elements also found in ceramic decor-
ation. The most frequently occurring of these motifs are the petaloid loop (Motif 20:8-13), S-
spiral (46:15-21) and various whirling motifs (47:6-7; 48:5-7; 49:9). Representations of animals
3 7
also appear. The repertoire of motifs is more limited than that of the other major kind of hi-
eroglyphic seals, the Malia Workshop Complex.
The motifs of the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group are often stylized or mannered. One can, for
example, speak of a calligraphic elaboration of script signs (cf. 56:5 and 6). The ornamentaliza-
tion and pictorialization of motifs is a manifestation of the general tendency to elaborate on
forms, which itself is a characteristic of this style-group (cf. 58:11-15, 17-21). Harmony, clarity
and symmetry are all characteristics of these designs. "Harmony" refers to a combination of ele-
ments which form a consistent and orderly whole. This harmony expresses itself in the predomi-
nance of geometrically pure, curvilinear forms: The cuts are in section semicircular, the motifs
and seal shapes are organic as well. A further expression of harmony is the agreement in the qual-
ity of the materials, technique and artistic expression, all of which are excellent. A final style
characteristic is that there is little interior drawing of the motifs and representations of animals
are stiff in appearance.
No single syntactic scheme characterizes the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group and one can point
to examples of rotational , bilateral and trilateral segmented as well as outline compositions.
The rectangular shapes of most of the seal faces accomodate frieze compositions.
Certain seals are stylistically peripheral to the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group. These generally
are fashioned in hard stone and are in the shapes typical of the group. CMS 115 25 (Motif 23:15)
and IV 28D both show segmental compositions of a type common to this group. CMS X 54 and
XII 95 (23:11), respectively a 13c Foliate Back and a 21b Prism, both in hard stone, show motifs
more abstract than most of those found on seals of this group. AGD II 11 shows a representa-
tion of a fish (13:5) which is geometricized in a manner similar to that of the other seals of the
group. This same geometricizing quality is also evident in the fish carved into AGD II 10 (13:6).
A stylistically similar composition decorates a vessel of the MM II Classical Kamares style.
Two criteria which aid in dating the Hieroglyphic Deposit Group are stratigraphically data-
ble seals and a comparison of the seal decoration with that of the contemporary Kamares decora-
tion. The Hieroglyphic Deposit does not date this group but is dated by it. This deposit is not
closed as the materials assigned to it were found scattered in a space beneath the staircase at the
north end of the Long Gallery as well as in the adjacent magazines. Evans wavered on the dat-
ing of the Deposit, assigning it first to MM III but later to MM IIB. More recently the ten-
dency has been to propose a later date based mainly on notions of the stylistic development of
some of the sealing designs.
Unable to date the Deposit closely either on the grounds of ceramic evidence or stratigraphy,
Evans relied on the fact that the first stage of the West Wing of the Palace, where the impressions
were found, was built in MM II but that the associated contents belong mostly to the succeeding