How to Observe in Archaeology Part 6

Pottery with geometric patterns normally dark on light buff or reddish coa.r.s.e clay. Sometimes red or white on black burnished clay.

Marble figurines 'fiddle-shaped' from Naxos and Paros (III, Fig. 6).

Contemporary with Middle Minoan.

Pottery with very pale sometimes greenish clay, and grey black totally unl.u.s.trous paint. Patterns mainly geometric. Rather spa.r.s.e decoration. Later, with addition of red, decoration becomes fully naturalistic. Lilies and birds in red and black (Melos) (III, Figs. 5 and 9; hatched lines=red). Beaked jugs (III, Fig. 5) most characteristic shape of this period.

Cretan influence strong in Middle Minoan completely drowned local efforts in first Late Minoan days. Thenceforward local ware imitative.

SOUTH GREECE.

NEOLITHIC. Nothing known.

BRONZE AGE.

Geometric Ware with matt paint and pale clay corresponding to that of islands found in Argolid and Boeotia.

'Urfirnis' Ware. Hand-made. Whole vase covered with thin semi- l.u.s.trous wash varying from red-brown to black. Sometimes mere smears.

Mainly found in Boeotia, but extends north to valley of Spercheius and south to Argolid. Date uncertain, but in Boeotia evidence that it ended before rise of 'Minyan' ware.

'Minyan Ware.' Grey unpainted pottery, polished. No decoration except (rarely) incised lines. Usually wheel-made. Characteristic shapes: Goblet with tall ringed stem (III, Fig. 15); wide open cup with high handles.

Appears to range Between Middle Minoan II and Late Minoan III.

Most frequent in Boeotia to which it owes its name. Found as far north as Thessaly and as far south as Crete. Local imitations, obvious but distinct, found with imported specimens (Melos).

Provenance unknown; connexion with Troy suspected.

'Mycenaean.' The Cretan civilization swept over South Greece in the first Late Minoan period. Characterized by exuberance both in shape and ornament (III, Figs. 11, 12, 13, 16, 17). Bulk of what is likely to be found is of latest period when style has become conventionalized.

Compare Fig. 11 (Mycenaean) with III, Fig. 7 Late Minoan I. Characteristic shapes high goblet and 'stirrup' vase (III, Figs. 17 and 16).

Female clay figurines common (III, Fig. 14), also animals, oxen.

Objects Characteristic of Aegean Civilization.

Seal Stones.

Round or bean-shaped, pierced for suspension, usually soft stone, e.g. slate or steat.i.te. Sometimes hard, as hemat.i.te or rock crystal.

Carved with naturalistic designs: lions, (III, Fig. 8), stags, bulls, cows or hinds suckling their young, cuttle-fish, dolphins, &c. Two animals ranged like heraldic supporters characteristic.

Obsidian.

Natural gla.s.s, volcanic, black. Source Melos. Used for knives throughout Bronze Age.

Chips of Knife or razor blades, and sometimes the cores from which these were flaked, may be picked up on any Bronze Age site, and even on Thessalian neolithic settlements. Glistening black unmistakable.

Terra-cotta lamps.

The characteristic lamp of the Aegean civilization is open, as opposed to the Greek and Roman lamp where the body is partly covered in.

Walls.

Cyclopean walls of huge irregular stones. Also good square-cut masonry.

'Corbelling' system for arches, each layer of stones projecting inwards over the one below. Also used for the vaults of 'Beehive'

Tombs towards end of period.

[Ill.u.s.tration III: TYPES OF GREEK POTTERY, ETC.]

II. PREHISTORIC GREEK

Geometric or Dipylon Period.

Pottery.

Iron Age. circ. 1000 B.C.--Absolute break in continuity from what preceded. No naturalism. Prevalence of geometric patterns (III, Figs. 18 and 19). Not much variety. Meanders, lozenges, and zigzags. Circles joined by tangents replace Mycenaean spirals. Ornament crowded. Rows or single specimens of long-legged water birds. Human figures rare, rude angular silhouettes.

Local characteristics discernible (e.g. between ware of Thessaly, Attica, Boeotia, Delphi, Argolid, Laconia, Thera, and Crete), but strong family resemblance. (Lower specimen III, Fig. 19 characteristic of Boeotia.) Dark paint on natural clay (sometimes lightened by a white slip, e. g. Laconia) differs distinctly from Mycenaean. Shapes fewer and curves less flowing. Amphorae, plates, bowls, and jugs. Trefoil lip to jug first appears.

Terra-cotta loom weights from now onwards often pyramidal in form and glazed.

Bronzes.

Figurines. Three types:-- Human, rare (as on vases).

Quadrupeds, mainly horses. Cylindrical muzzle and narrow cylindrical belly (III, Fig. 23).

Birds. Long neck and legs, flat bill and body. Stands to above, flat, square or round, with open-work snake or spiral.

Pins (to fasten dress at shoulder). Long head with small bosses like strung beads sometimes separated by discs (III, Fig 21). Sometimes larger flat disc at end of head (often missing) Pin itself usually iron, rarely extant.

Brooches.

1. Spiral type. Of wire coiled into spirals. Made of one, two, or three wires crossing with two, four, or six spirals respectively.

Boss at centre. Spectacle type (two spirals) common. In 'spectacle'

type (sometimes very large) spiral purely utilitarian, giving spring to the pin. With four or more spirals the additions are ornament, noteworthy in view of absence of spirals on pottery.

2. Bow type.

(a) High arched bow solid.

(b) Arched bow hollowed like boat inverted. This type often has flat plate attached to one end, lower edge of which is bent to form catch. Plate incised, crossed leaves, ships, horses, or men.

(c) Arched bow consisting of crescent-shaped plate, similar incised decoration.

Paste Beads.

A type pyramidal, dark with yellow spirals round corners, much resembling 'bull's eye' sweets, was common in Laconia (III, Fig.27).

Terra-cotta Figurines.

Series of rude horses sometimes with riders characteristic of end of period. Chiefly from Boeotia. Painted like pottery, but chiefly in lines.

III. ARCHAIC GREEK

A. Orientalising.

Pottery.

700 B.C.--Influence from Asia Minor. Recrudescence there of spirit of Mycenaean art? Lions, stags, sphinxes, sirens, either in procession or arranged in pairs like heraldic supporters.

Stylized plant motifs in decoration. Rays (or flower petals) rising from foot most characteristic (III, Figs. 24, 26, and 28).