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Download - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

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572 PHILIP P. BETANCOURT ET AL.<br />

EM II by Krause in his extensive study <strong>of</strong> Early Minoan figurines.94 <strong>The</strong>se<br />

assertions may help to d<strong>at</strong>e 53 because its context is <strong>of</strong> no help in close<br />

d<strong>at</strong>ing (it comes from the mixed secondary deposit <strong>of</strong> the burial cave with<br />

pottery d<strong>at</strong>ing from Neolithic through L<strong>at</strong>e Minoan).<br />

A complete stone figurine made <strong>of</strong> green igneous rock (Fig. 15:54) was<br />

dubbed the Green Goddess after its excav<strong>at</strong>ion from the cave. One side <strong>of</strong><br />

the sculpture is modeled in the shape <strong>of</strong> a scarab, while its belly is incised<br />

with lines indic<strong>at</strong>ing the head, upper body, folded arms, and pubic triangle<br />

<strong>of</strong> a female sculpture whose arm position recalls Cycladic folded-arm<br />

figurines. It is too morphologically different to be classified in Branigan's<br />

system. <strong>The</strong> Green Goddess, which has been previously published,95 is a<br />

unique local Cretan figure th<strong>at</strong> has some affinities with Cycladic folded-<br />

arm figurines but is carved in a very different style.<br />

A complete figurine made from animal bone was incised with eyes, a<br />

fl<strong>at</strong> nose, open mouth, and ears formed by angled cuts (Fig. 15:55). <strong>The</strong><br />

back <strong>of</strong> the head has a cylindrical, vertical hollow due to the original marrow<br />

cavity in the bone. <strong>The</strong> incised arms join <strong>at</strong> the waist, while V-lines<br />

suggest the pelvic area, and additional lines mark the upper legs. An incised<br />

line signifies the bottom <strong>of</strong> the buttocks, and a vertical line differenti<strong>at</strong>es<br />

the upper legs; the lower legs are completely separ<strong>at</strong>ed. This figure should<br />

definitely be added to the four known Siva-type figurines as defined by<br />

Branigan.96 <strong>The</strong> previously known examples are made <strong>of</strong> bone or ivory<br />

and are comparable in height to 55. <strong>The</strong> separ<strong>at</strong>e legs <strong>of</strong> 55 are paralleled<br />

by those <strong>of</strong> figurine F14 from inside Tholos Tomb Gamma <strong>at</strong> Phourni,<br />

Archanes.97 Figurine F14 comes from a str<strong>at</strong>ified level where the majority<br />

<strong>of</strong> the pottery is d<strong>at</strong>ed to EM II A.98 <strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> bone and the separ<strong>at</strong>e legs<br />

are distinctly non-Cycladic fe<strong>at</strong>ures.99<br />

Beginning in EM III/MM IA, the human figures <strong>of</strong> Minoan Crete<br />

are clothed. At Hagios Charalambos, a small group <strong>of</strong> hippopotamus ivory<br />

figurine pendants were excav<strong>at</strong>ed, and they seem to have long garments.<br />

Two examples (Fig. 14:56, 57) are both fl<strong>at</strong> on the back surface and use<br />

the obtuse angle <strong>of</strong> the triangular hippopotamus incisor to full effect as<br />

Figure 15. Figurines 54 (H. 9.8 cm)<br />

and 55 (H. 8.9 cm)<br />

94. Krause 1992, p. 310, nos. ID.138,<br />

330, 332.<br />

95. Betancourt 2003, p. 8.<br />

96. Branigan 1972a, pp. 71-72,<br />

fie. 1:13; 1972b, p. 23, fig. l:e.<br />

97. Papad<strong>at</strong>os 2005, pp. 30, 32-33,<br />

fig. 22.<br />

98. Papad<strong>at</strong>os 2005, p. 10.<br />

99. Papad<strong>at</strong>os 2005, p. 30.

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