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574
PHILIP P. BETANCOURT ET AL.
antecedents outside of Crete, but enough parallels exist on Crete to surmise
that they were domestically sculpted.
The figurines from Hagios Charalambos fit into a specific group of
burial accoutrements that has a tradition across central and eastern Crete
during the Early to Middle Bronze Age. Many objects from the cave at
Hagios Charalambos have parallels from the neighboring Trapeza cave in
Lasithi, and also from the tholoi of south-central Crete, with fewer similarities
to objects from the caves and rock shelters along the north coast
near Malia and the house tombs of Mochlos in East Crete.
The presence of hippopotamus tooth artifacts in the cave furnishes
a date of EM III-MM I for the objects made in this material. Although
only two definitive remains of hippopotamus ivory were identified from the
Aegean Bronze Age prior to 1984, research by Krzyszkowska subsequently
identified many more artifacts made from the material,109 and Sbonias has
developed a good chronology for the seals made of this type of ivory.110 His
middle phase of EM Ill/early MM IA, a time leading up to the foundation
of the first palaces in Crete, saw the preeminence of hippopotamus ivory
use in a new tradition of cylinder seals carved on one or both ends. The
Hagios Charalambos pieces can be placed within this tradition.
From these general indications, three groups of figurines can be suggested
for the Hagios Charalambos cave. Phase I, from the Early Bronze
Age, includes the two nude female figurines inspired by the Spedos type
of Cycladic folded-arm figurine (Fig. 15:54, 55). Phase II, dated between
EM III and MM IA, contains three small, female, ivory figurines and a
female marble figure, three of which have arms that meet across the body;
all have blunted bottoms, which indicate that each figure is wearing a garment
(Fig. 14:53, 56-58). The small, bulbous, aniconic, amorphous, fossil
shell figurines (Fig. 14:59, 60) can be placed in MM I- II by the parallels
from Malia.
Catalogue
53 Female figurine, complete Fig. 14
HNM 11,844. Room 1 (Davaras 1989a, p. 388). H. 12.8, W. at shoulders 5.1,
W. of head 2.5 cm. Marble (white, with a patina that is pink, 7.5YR 7/4). Rectangular
body; oval head with features in low relief; hands meet at center of waist;
abstract lower body.
Cf. Xanthoudides 1924, pl. 4, no. 130 (Koumasa); Banti 1930-1931, p. 191,
fig. 58:g (HagiaTriada).
EM III-MM IA.
54 Female figurine, complete Fig. 15
HNM 11,845. Room 2 (Davaras 1989a, p. 388). H. 9.8, max. W. 6.8, max.
Th. 3.3 cm. Igneous rock, pale greenish gray with dark gray (5Y 4/1) phenocrysts.
Smooth, rounded form with a scarablike shape; rounded side has incised line for
neck and incised line dividing the wings; flat side has incised lines delineating
details of a schematic figurine, including neck, arms folded across body, and pubic
triangle.
EM II- III.
109. Krzyszkowska
1984, p. 125.
110. Sbonias 1995; 2000, pp. 278-
279.