Creta Antica (E-Journal - Università di Catania)
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LA COROPLASTICA DI KANNIÀ: OSSERVAZIONI PRELIMINARI
Full text linkIn Late Minoan IIIB the eastern part of the Minoan Villa at Kannià was rearranged in order to house some cult rooms, as testified by the recurrent assemblage of clay wheel-made statuettes of «Goddesses with Upraised Arms», snake tubes or tubular stands and kalathoi in rooms I, V and XV. The Kannià GUAs can be assigned to two different types, contemporary each other, as testified also by some manufacture details. Another interesting group of neopalatial terracotta anthropomorphic figurines was found in room VI of the same building: due to the archaeological context, also the deposition of these (fragmentary) figurines can be dated in Late Minoan I
HUMAN ICONOGRAPHY AND IDENTITIES ON CRETE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE 1ST MILLENIUM BC: THE SMALL COLUMNAR FIGURINES FROM PRINIÀS
Full text linkAt the beginning of this paper, the Protogeometric Cretan framework of the small anthropomorphic coroplastic is briefly taken into account. The number of figurines, as well as the peculiarities of the archaeological contexts, lead one reconsider the otherwise widespread interpretation of the fading figurative tradition as the outcome of a shift in ritual practices taking place during the Bronze Age/Iron Age transition. In addition, by looking at the variety of the stylistic features, speculation regarding the existence of at least three major styles possibly reflecting the fragmentation and exuberance of the Cretan societies combined with a mixing of internal trends and exogenous influences ensues.Subsequently, the attention shifts to the evidence retrieved from the settlement of Priniàs, whose iconographic and contextual analysis seem to underpin the idea of a lively PG horizon and some continuity of a kind regarding the LM ritual value of some of the areas on the Patela. Finally, by pondering the rather homogeneous iconographic and stylistic features of the columnar figurines the possibility of linking their occurrence with two ritual settings is investigated. These settings, which are apparently characterized by a Mycenaean aura, are considered as the expression of a rising aristocratic hierarchy within a social body showing a rather coherent and homogeneous cultural background
CRETAN EARLY IRON AGE TERRACOTTAS. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Full text linkThe conference in Catania had two major implications: it made an important contribution to the study of Early Iron Age Crete and also to the study of Greek terracotta figurines in general. The organizers and hosts of this conference, Antonella Pautasso and Oliver Pilz, combined their scientific interests in a joint enterprise. Both have a particular interest in Crete and coroplastic studies, and both are active members of the Association for Coroplastic Studies (ACoSt). The results will be a stimulus for further studies
LA COROPLASTICA DI PRINIÀS NEL CONTESTO CULTUALE CRETESE DELLA TARDA ETÀ DEL BRONZO
Full text linkThe oldest clay votive figurines, which were found on the Patela hill, near Priniàs, date back to the LM IIIC period (1200-1070). They are, mostly, female figures with up-raised arms, traditionally interpreted as idols, but there are also bovine figures and a fragment probably pertinent to a fantastic being. Almost all of them come from an open area to the east of the settlement, but a small group of fragments was unearthed in the Hellenistic layers (residual finds) of the nearby fortress and another one in a site to the south of the Patela hill. Despite their fragmentary state, the study of the votive objects from Priniàs, based on stylistic and technological analysis, allows us to connect them to the coeval Cretan productions. Furthermore, the analysis of the topographical features of the find-spots and the comparison with contemporary Cretan shrines allow us to make some assumptions on the social significance of the religious practices performed by the community who lived in the settlement during the first phase of its history
COROPLASTIC PRODUCTION IN EARLY IRON AGE CRETE: SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Full text linkThe paper briefly summarizes the previous research on the manufacturing techniques of Cretan coroplastic objects of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age. In this context, the importance of studies examining the production process of terracotta figures, figurines, reliefs, etc. for the understanding of Cretan material culture is underscored. Subsequently, the manufacturing techniques of a presumably local workshop of the Protogeometric period are discussed drawing on the examples of a fragment from a large wheelmade figure and an interesting group of anthropomorphic vases from the small open-air sanctuary of Kako Plaï on the Anavlochos ridge in Eastern Crete
CONTESTI, SPAZI, FUNZIONI. Osservazioni sulla coroplastica dal versante meridionale della Patela di Priniàs
Full text linkThe present paper concerns the coroplastic finds coming from the area of the central block lying on the southern slope of the Patela of Priniàs. The block, built around the middle of the 7th century B.C., is of particular interest for the uniqueness of the structure within the urban plan of the archaic settlement. The results of the excavations carried out in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1994 have converged in the monograph by Giovanni Rizza (2008), but only a small part of finds has been included. In the last years the reappraisal of the old excavations data together with the new study of the architectural remains and archaeological records, has been undertaken with the aim to understand the history of this settlement area before the building of the archaic block, to reconstruct the functions of the rooms through the study of the floor assemblages, and to interpret the relationship between the so called building C and the other rooms of the block. The analysis of the earliest coroplastic finds, revealed new interesting data on the first history of this area and raises a few interesting issues about the dynamics of continuity and discontinuity in the use of areas and objects over time
LA PICCOLA PLASTICA FITTILE IN CONTESTI FUNERARI DELLA PRIMA ETÀ DEL FERRO A CRETA
Full text linkThis paper, which is mainly based on the data collected for the database of my PhD thesis, presents a contextual analysis of small-scale antropomorphic and zoomorphic Cretan terracotta figures and vase attachments (appliques) of the Protogeometric and Geometric periods recovered in funeral contexts in Central and Eastern Crete. At the present state of research, on the island of Minos the wheelmade human and animal figures typically occuring in sanctuaries of the Early Iron Age, and attested also in other contexts, seem to be almost absent from the contemporary burial sphere and this appear to be in contrast to what have been observed in other regions of the Aegean.The paper not only acknowledges the difficulties of interpreting the meaning of both the antropomorphic (divinities, ancestors, etc.) and zoomorphic (toys, status symbols, etc.) figurines, but also points to a link of small-scale terracotta plastic to build tombs and specific areas within the burial grounds, probably assigned to the performance of funeral rituals. Despite the scarcity of reliable data, terracotta figurines seem particularly associated with rich tombs as well as infants and child burials, and perhaps, in some cases, male individuals
DEDALO E LA PLASTICA CRETESE: UN CINQUANTENARIO
Full text linkFifty years ago Giovanni Rizza, published a paper regarding the obscure personality of Daidalos, the mythological cretan artist tied with the King Minos of Knossos but also, according to the literary sources, author of statues of archaic period. This paper reviews Rizza’s study, along with his subsequent studies about the terracottas from Gortyna and Axos, suggesting also a new solution of the Daidalos’ puzzle
CRETA IN OCCIDENTE? ECHI STILISTICI E TRADIZIONI ARTIGIANALI
Full text linkThe paper focuses on relationships and influences originated by Cretan coroplastic production on Western first occurences of terracotta figurines. In the first part of the paper we will analyze the value of the myth referred to Daedalus and his (presumed) role in the first plastic finds in Sicily, particularly in the area of Gela and Agrigento. In fact, the very few terracottas imported or directly influenced by Cretan production, here presented, are found only in this part of the island in sanctuaires dedicated to femal deities. We can surely talk about a weak stylistic influence, due in some way to the partecipation of a Cretan group in Geloan colonial enterprise; this influence has concurred, togheter with other ones, to create the own stylistical languages of the Sicilian poleis.The studies on the terracottas of daedalic style documented in Magna Graecia have a more recent tradition than those on Sicilian production; mainly Peloponnesian influences on the artifacts have been recognized. Only in the last decade there has been a renewed interest for the Southern Italy production of the orientalizing period and new researches tend to revalue the role of the Cretan tradition. In the second part of the paper, analyzing few artifacts and reconsidering some of the most significant hypothesis, we try therefore to propose again the question of the Cretan influences on the coroplastic production of Magna Graecia with a particular attention for the Tarantine area