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Two Protopalatial Houses at Knossos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2013

Extract

An interesting feature of the excavations in the West Court at Knossos in 1930 was the discovery of two more walled pits or ‘Koulouras’ lying between that already excavated and the great enceinte wall which was brought to light at the western extremity of the later Court (Fig. 1).

At the bottom of each of these Koulouras appeared walls and floors belonging to houses dating from the beginning of the first Middle Minoan period, which had been covered in at the time when the Court was extended and the Koulouras constructed—i.e. in Middle Minoan I. b or at the beginning of Middle Minoan II.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1930

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References

page 53 note 1 This report must be regarded as purely preliminary—a mere statement of the results of the excavation which Sir Arthur Evans has generously allowed us to publish. The final word will be found in the fourth volume of the Palace of Minos, together with more accurate plans. In the absence of Mr. P. de Jong, the present plans are our own work and are rather to be regarded as diagrams.

page 55 note 1 All efforts were unfortunately in vain. The contents had been tipped over from the north-east corner, with the result that half of a vase might be found in the first half-metre of the eastern side, while the other half was nearly at the bottom of the west. The pottery too, evidently came from other rubbish heaps which were at intervals transported here, e.g. M.M. I. b was found quite high up, while M.M. II. b was found quite low down. Even a stray piece of M.M. III. appeared. The mass was M.M. II., and that is all one can say.

page 58 note 1 This was the method employed at Tell el Amarna (cf. J.E.A. xv. p. 147Google Scholar). It would be even more suitable here.

page 59 note 1 The incised pyxis lids from this deposit have been regarded as an archaic feature since they resemble in type an Early Cycladic III class. Sherds of this burnished and incised type have been found elsewhere in M.M. I. a contexts (see this article p. 60 and Plate XII, a, 10; also p. 60, Fig. 5, No 8; and Palace Reference Sherd Collection, Knossos, AII2 N.W. Kamares Area Pit, where the pottery was in general Middle Minoan with a little Late Minoan). They seem to be a survival of Neolithic technique, perhaps kept alive in the intermediate period by means of a medium other than pottery, i.e. wood, gourd or thick parchment. This is the suggestion of Sir Arthur Evans. (See P. of M. i. p. 177Google Scholar and P. of M. iv. pp. 90, 91.Google Scholar)

page 59 note 2 P. of M. i. p. 166Google Scholar. Seager, , Mochlos, p. 85, M 80Google Scholar; Fig. 50, and Plate VIII.

page 59 note 3 Mostly pedestalled cups of egg-cup shape with lines running spirally from lip to stem. P. of M. i. p. 168Google Scholar; Fig. 116 a, 7; and Fig. 120.

page 59 note 4 P. of M. i. Fig. 118 a, 16Google Scholar.

page 59 note 5 Ibid. 18.

page 59 note 6 Ibid. 10.

page 59 note 7 bid. 7.

page 59 note 8 Ibid. 20.

page 59 note 9 Cf. B.S.A. Supp. i. Pl. IV. f. and P. of M. i. Fig. 120.

page 60 note 1 Cf. Seager, Mochlos, Fig. 13, 1, b. Xanthoudides, , The Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. XIX. 4274Google Scholar.

page 60 note 2 Seager, Mochlos, Fig. 49, No. 57.

page 60 note 3 Fragment of askos (E.M. I.). B.S.A. Supplement, Fig. 1. Cf. Phylakopi, Pl. IX. 11.

page 60 note 4 Cf. a sherd in M.M. I. case in the Ashmolean Museum.

page 61 note 1 The arrangement of such a corpus, with the addition of such types as were missing from this year's finds, we hope to produce shortly as an aid to excavators.

page 61 note 2 Cf. a jug in the Ashmolean Museum, M.M. I. case, and B.S.A. Supplement, Pl. IX. b.

page 61 note 3 Cf. J.H.S. xxvi., Pl. VII. Nos. 17 and 18Google Scholar.

page 62 note 1 As also a variety of coarse cup (Pl. XII a, 20) which appeared in one, two and three tiers.

page 62 note 2 A jug exactly similar in shape but with a band of incised decoration was found in the ‘North quarter’ of the city. J.H.S. xxvi., Pl. X. 8Google Scholar.

page 62 note 3 J.H.S. xxiii., p. 166Google Scholar.

page 62 note 4 P. of M. i. p. 175Google Scholar. Cf. examples in the Ashmolean Museum, M.M. I. case.

page 62 note 5 B.S.A. Supplement, Pl. XI. m, and Pl. IV. a, a forerunner of M.M. II. shapes.

page 62 note 6 P. of M. i. p. 169Google Scholar, Fig. 119 a.

page 63 note 1 Seager, , Mochlos, Fig. 22, vi. 6Google Scholar, and Fig. 23.

page 63 note 2 Of similar design but less carinated shoulder. Seager, , Mochlos, Fig. 18, iv. 2Google Scholar.

page 63 note 3 Seager, , Mochlos, Pl. VIII. and Fig. 28, xi. 13Google Scholar.

page 63 note 4 Some shewed a carination near the base or rim of the cup. B.S.A. Supplement, Pl. IV. f.

page 64 note 1 This design is common. Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. IX. 6861Google Scholar. Seager, , Mochlos, Pl. VIII. xi. 16Google Scholar. Ashmolean Museum, M.M. I. case on sherd with incised band, and a jug in the possession of Sir Arthur Evans.

page 64 note 2 J.H.S. xxvi. Pl. IX, 13, 14, and p. 248Google Scholar.

page 64 note 3 A later form of those with one handle and a more projecting spout. J.H.S. xxiii. p. 167Google Scholar, Fig. 1, bottom row. For an E.M. form see Seager, Mochlos, Fig. 49, No. 74.

page 64 note 4 The white paint had all flaked off, leaving the design, however, clearly traceable.

page 64 note 5 For elaborate designs on bowls cf. Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. IX. 6859Google Scholar. Platanos.

page 65 note 1 P. of M. i. Fig. 133. Cf. also sherds in the Ashmolean Museum, M.M. I. case.

page 65 note 2 Cf. J.H.S. xxvi. p. 253Google Scholar.

page 65 note 3 The inner side had a white cable pattern and dots on black diagonal bands.

page 65 note 4 Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. VI. No. 5082Google Scholar. For pattern cf. Pl. IX. No. 6859; also Pl. XXXIV. No. 5051.

page 65 note 5 Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of the Messará, Pl. IX. 6860Google Scholar. Cf. Seager, , Mochlos, Pl. VIII. and Fig. 28, xi. 16Google Scholar.

page 65 note 6 P. of M. i. p. 175Google Scholar, Fig. 124.

page 66 note 1 Grapes, for instance, could be crushed in the upper part of the jar and the juice poured out through the spout. The interior would have to be cleaned out at intervals through the central hole, which is big enough to admit the hand. The latter is Mrs. Marinatos' suggestion.

page 68 note 1 Cf. fruit-stands from Palaikastro—shape as P. of M. i. Fig. 133 e, decoration as in example at Candia.

page 68 note 2 Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. XXXVII. 5074Google Scholar from Porti.

page 68 note 3 Ibid. Pl. V. 4971.

page 68 note 4 Ibid. 4972.

page 69 note 1 Rivets indicating metal prototypes for such jugs were mentioned above.

page 69 note 2 Cf. a jug in the Ashmolean Museum, M.M. I. case.

page 69 note 3 Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. XXVI. b, 4107Google Scholar. Koumasa.

page 69 note 4 J.H.S. xxiii. p. 169Google Scholar.

page 70 note 1 J.H.S. xxvi. pp. 244, 245Google Scholar.

page 70 note 2 Ibid. Pl. VII. Nos. 3, 15, 16. Cf. also Xanthoudides, , Vaulted Tombs of Messará, Pl. IX. 6861, 6862Google Scholar.

page 70 note 3 P. of M. i. Fig. 133.

page 70 note 4 J.H.S. xxiii. pp. 157 f.Google Scholar, xxvi. pp. 243 f.