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New evidence for the history of the Minoan presence on Karpathos1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Lefteris Platon  and
Efi Karantzali
Lefteris Platon
Affiliation:
4th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, Rhodes
Efi Karantzali
Affiliation:
22nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Rhodes
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Abstract

This article presents a new unpublished closed pottery group from northern Karpathos (Avlona), handed in by a private individual. It consists of fourteen tableware vessels, which clearly constituted the contents of a chamber tomb completely destroyed during the mechanical clearing of a new country road. The typological and stylistic analysis of the pottery showed that the finds probably came from two different cultural territories: Mainland (Mycenaean area) and Minoan Crete. The palatial character of another isolated find coming from the area of the harbour at Pigadia implies a special link between the Minoan centres and Karpathos, at least from the 15th century BC onwards. The presence of such an object, made without a doubt in a palatial pottery workshop, is probably related to the establishment of trade sites by the Minoans on their way to the wealth-producing centres of the East.

Type
Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 98 , November 2003 , pp. 189 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 2003

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Footnotes

1

This text was presented, in simplified form, at the Karpathian Congress in October 2001. The surface inspection of the area was undertaken by our colleague, Ms Photini Zervaki. Warm thanks are due to the Director of the Ephorate, Dr Ioannis Papachristodoulou, for permission to publish the Avlona material. The vases were drawn by the authors and then inked by Georgia Thomadakis. Thanks are also due to Panagiotis Kapoglou for the scanning and page layout of the drawings, to George Kasiotis for the photography, and to Angeliki Theodoropoulou for general assistance.

The following abbreviations have been used:

Benzi 1992 = M. Benzi, Rodi e la Civiltà Micenea (Rome, 1992).

CVA = Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum.

Charitonidis = S. Charidonidis, ‘Θαλαμοειδὴς τάφος Καρπάθου’, A. Delt 17 (1961/2), Mel. 32–76.

DPK 1970 = M. R. Popham, The Destruction of the Palace at Knossos (SIMA 12; Göteborg, 1970).

Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962 = R. Hope Simpson and J. F. Lazenby, ‘Notes from the Dodecanese’, BSA 57 (1962), 154–73

Kanta 1980 = A. Kanta, The LMIII Period in Crete (SIMA 58; Göteborg, 1980).

Mountjoy 1986 = P. A. Mountjoy, Mycenaean Decorated Pottery (SIMA 73; Göteborg, 1986).

Mountjoy 1999 = P. A. Mountjoy, Regional Mycenaean Decorated Pottery (Rahden im Westfalen, 1999).

MUM 1984 = R. Popham et at, The Minoan Unexplored Mansion at Knossos, (BSA Supp. 17; Oxford, 1984).

Palaststilkeramik = W.-D. Niemeier, Die Palaststilheramik von Knossos, Stil Chronologie und historischer Kontext (Archäologische Forschungen, 13; Berlin, 1985).

Popham 1967 = M. R. Popham, ‘Late Minoan pottery, a summary’, BSA 62 (1967), 337–51.

References

2 Paton, W. A., ‘Mycenaean tombs in Karpathos’, CR 3 (1889), 333 Google Scholar.

3 Benzi 1992, 143; Karantzali, E., The Mycenaean Cemetery Pylona on Rhodes (BAR S988; Oxford, 2001), 24–5Google Scholar.

4 FS 256 or FS 257, depending on the height of the stem. Kanta 1980, 263, fig. 126. 1. Mountjoy 1986, 88, fig. 106.

5 Furumark, A., The Mycenaean Pottery, Analysis and Classification (Stockholm, 1941), 272 Google Scholar, FM 12. 35. Mountjoy 1999, i. 270, fig. 89. 100.

6 Charitonidis, 51–2, pl. 20 b variation.

7 For a general discussion of the subject: Hallager, B., ‘Terminology. The Late Minoan goblet, kylix and footed cup’, in Hallager, E. and Hallager, B. P. (eds), LMIII Pottery, Chronology and Terminology (Danish Institute at Athens; Athens, 1997), 22 and n. 25Google Scholar.

8 Benzi (n. 3) 137, pl. 1, T3/4.

9 Mountjoy 1986, 65, fig. 75.

10 van Effenterre, H., Les Nécropolis du Mirabello (Étude Crétoises, 8, Paris 1948)Google Scholar, pl. 35. Kanta 1980, 132.

11 For the motif, see FM 49. MUM 1984, 185, pl. 126 c, pl. 127 b, above and left.

12 For broad lines in LM III B: MUM 1984, 185.

13 DPK 1970, 68–9. Kanta 1980, 266–7.

14 Kanta 1980, 267, fig. 29. 3. Popham, M. R., ‘Some Late Minoan III pottery from Crete’, BSA 60 (1965), 324 Google Scholar, fig. 5, pl. 86 c, id., Late Minoan III B pottery from Crete’, BSA 65 (1970), 199, fig. 3. 38, pl. 47 e.

15 Kanta 1980, 267.

16 Kanta 1980, 82, fig. 36. 2, 284–5 (for the shape). MUM 1984, pl. 173. 24, 173. 18, 174. 43 (for the motifs).

17 Unpublished find from southern Rhodes, Museum of Rhodes (now in the scientific collection).

18 Cf. Mountjoy 1986, 91–2, fig. 112, p. 119, fig. 146.

19 For the LM III B stratified examples: Tzedakis, J. and Kanta, A., Kastelli 1966 (SMEA 66; Rome, 1978), 16 Google Scholar, fig. 7.

20 Mountjoy 1986, 91–2, 119–20. FS 304–5.

21 Tzedakis–Kanta (n. 19), fig. 7, p. 16, type FS 305. Kanta 1980, 258. Two complete unpublished vases of FS 305 from the Kastelli excavations are exhibited in the Chania Museum.

22 Several variations of the motif, with horizontal zigzag or rhomboid lozenge net, are represented in many Minoan and Mycenaean examples. Kanta 1980, 236, pl. 87. 2–3, 220, pl. 89. 2, 11, pl. 113. 4. Mountjoy 1986, 119, fig. 146.

23 The FS 304 LH III A2-early version is similar to the example from H/L pit 10+11 and C pit 8 from Knossos (the Unexplored Mansion). MUM 1984, 183, pl. 174. 1. There the associated context is certainly dated to the LM III A2, but the stemmed bowl is stylistically near to LM III A1 style of decoration.

24 Cf. the motif on a cup from Makeli. Charitonidis, 58, pl. 24 e. See also Knossos: DPK 1970, pl. 11 d FM 24. e. MUM 1984, pl. 179. 2, 3. The hatched crescent motif occurs among the products of the Chania workshop. Kanta 1980, 289, fig. 138. 2.

25 Variation of the mainland shape FS 102. Cf. Benzi 1992, pl. 134 b, Lelos T6/15, pl. 139. 1. Karantzali (n. 3), 37–8, fig. 31.

26 FM 62:14. DPK 1970, pl. 20 f. Kanta 1980, fig. 122. 6 Myrsini; Charitonidis, 57, pl. 24 b.

27 This fabric characterizes Palaikastrian products from LM III A to LM III Bosanquet, C. R. and Dawkins, R. M., The Unpublished Objects from the Palaikastro Excavations (BSA supp. 1; London, 1923,) 21 Google Scholar ff., Sackett, L. H. and Popham, M. R., ‘Excavations at Palaikastro VI’, BSA 60 (1965), 278–92Google Scholar; Kanta 1980, 289 for references.

28 Furumark (n. 5), 104–5.

29 See examples from Gournia, Kalochoraphitis, Chania/Mazali. Kanta 1980, 110, 261, fig. 128. 18473. The distinction in dating is drawn from the style of decoration. Dimopoulou, N. and Rethemiotakis, G., ‘Yστερομινωικό νεκροταφείο στο Μετόχι Καλού Ηρακλείου’, A. Delt. 33 (1978)Google Scholar, Mel. 58. Charitonidis, 46, pl. 17 b. Close to the mainland type FS 114, cf. Mountjoy 1986, 74, fig. 85.

30 Kanta 1986, fig. 57. 5, from Episkopi Ierapetras, dated from the motif to LH III B.

31 For the history of the pyxis: Alexiou, St., ‘Yστερομινωικός Τάφος Παχυάμμου’, Kr. Chron. 8 (1954), 404–12Google Scholar.

32 Cf. Knossos, Palaikastro, Pakhyammos, Gournia. See Kanta 1980, 282 for references. See also Tzedakis, J., ‘Ανασκαφὴ Καστελλίου Χανίων’, A. Delt 25 (1970)Google Scholar, Chr. 465, pl. 407 d.

33 FM 49.14; Benzi 1992, pl. 31 g, 66 i, 67 c, e. CVA, Copenhagen 2, pl. 63. 2; Mountjoy 1986, 52, 55, 65.

34 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 161; CVA, British Museum no. 5 (Great Britain, no. 7, 1930), pl. 10. 8–14. The LM III A2 associated context is certain.

35 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962; Melas, M., The Islands of Karpathos, Sams and Kassos (SIMA 68; 1985 Göteborg, 1985), 44 Google Scholar.

36 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 159–63, 173; Melas (n. 35), 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39. Charitonidis, 3–76; Zachariadou, O., ‘Θαλαμοειδής Τάφος στην ᾿Αρκάσα Καρπάθου’, A. Delt. 33 (1978)Google Scholar, Mel. 249–94. The results of the recent important research at Xenonas/Pigadia, undertaken by Photini Zervaki of the 22nd Ephorate, remain unpublished at present.

37 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 160; Melas (n. 35), 30.

38 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 159; Melas (n. 35), 30.

39 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 162.

40 Hope Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 160; ibid. ‘Notes from the Dodecanese II’, BSA 65 (1970), 68; Melas (n. 35), 28.

41 The tomb at the Pouzoukakis plot was excavated by Charitonidis (Charitonidis 33–76).

42 de Santerre, H. Gallet, ‘Chroniques des fouilles 1949’, BCH 74 (1950), 312–13Google Scholar.

43 Kanta 1980, 302. Charitonidis 33 n. 3, pls. 12 a, b, d, 13 a, b, 14, 16, 17, etc.

44 Melas, M. and Karantzali, E., ‘῾Ανασκαφή Μινωικής Βίλλας στην Κάρπαθο, 1992–1994’, Acts of the Eighth International Cretological Congress (Herakelion, 2000), A2, 281–92Google Scholar.

45 Mountjoy 1986, 29–30, fig. 27. 1.

46 Müller, W., Kretische Tongefäße mit Meeresdekor (Archäologische Forschungen 19; Berlin, 1997)Google Scholar, pl. 69. Niemeier, W.-D., ‘Die Katastrophe von Thera und spätminoische Chronologie’, JdA 95 (1980), 28–9Google Scholar, fig. 9 and n. 143–4 for bibliography.

47 Ibid. n. 45 and Müller (n. 46), 330, pls. 5. 11, 6. 14, 67. 179, p. 380. Betancourt, Ph., The History of Minoan Potter (Princeton, 1985), 140, 147–8Google Scholar.

48 Mountjoy, P. A., ‘The Minoan Thalassocracy reconsidered’, BSA 95 (2000), 178, 182–4Google Scholar.

49 Warm thanks are due to our colleague, V. Karambatsos, who undertook a short investigation of the area and kindly gave us permission to refer to this interesting unpublished find.

50 Hope-Simpson–Lazenby 1962, 173. A. Furumark, ‘The settlement at Ialysos and the Aegean History c. 1550-1400 BC’, Op. Ath. 1950, 201. Niemeier, W.-D., ‘The Minoans in the South-Eastern Aegean and in Cyprus’, in Karageorghis, V. and Stampolidis, N. Ch. (eds), Eastern Mediterranean: Cyprus—Dodecanese—Crete sixteenth–sixth cent. BC (Athens, 1998), 29, 35–8Google Scholar.

51 Ibid. n. 50.

52 Niemeier (n. 50), 37, where the relevant bibliography is provided.