Cretan Mystery – Extra Sources

1. What type of building does the floorplan suggest?

Plans of Minoan Tombs

Plans of Minoan Palaces

Plans of Minoan Villas

Urban Shrines

Plans of Minoan Sanctuaries

2. How should the building be reconstructed?

3. How should the ceramic feet be interpreted and reconstructed?

"The statue of Samian Hera, as Aethilos says, was a wooden beam at first, but afterwards, when Prokles was ruler, it was humanized in form...” - Clement of Alexandria, Protrepticus 40, 41

“Of the works of Daidalos there are two in Boeotia, a Herakles in Thebes and the Trophonios at Lebadeia. There are also two other xoana in Crete, a Britomartis at Olous and an Athena at Knossos. ... At Delos, too, there is a small xoanon of Aphrodite, its right hand damaged by time, and instead of feet its lower part is square. I am persuaded that Ariadne got this image from Daidalos.” - Pausanias, 9.40.3

“the Athenians are the only people whose wooden images of Eileithyia are draped to the tips of their feet.” – Pausanius 1.18.5

4. What was the function of the West Room?

5. Did people in the ancient Mediterranean practice human sacrifice? What does this mean for our interpretation of the West Room?

“The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.”- Leviticus 20:1-5

‘But now, Patroclus, since I [Achilles] go after you under the earth,

I shall not perform your funeral before bringing here

the armour and head of Hector, your great-hearted slayer.

And before the pyre I shall slash the throats of twelve

of the Trojans’ splendid sons, enraged at your slaying.’

…but when his arms had tired from killing,

alive from the river twelve young men he chose,

compensation for the dead Patroclus, Menoetius’ son.

He drove them out to shore dazed like fawns

and bound their hands in back with well-cut straps,

which they themselves wore on their pliant coats,

and he gave them to comrades to take to the hollow ships.

But back he sped, eager to slaughter more.

(Homer, Illiad 18.333–7; 21.26-33)

“But why am I saying these things? For how many people have slain over their dead both horses and concubines, how many have slain even cupbearers and burned or buried clothing and other ornaments with the dead, as if they could use them there and enjoy them in the world below?”

- Lucian, De Luctu 14.

For when they were sacrificing to the god, they were led by their drunkenness to the point of violence, so that they even killed the priest of Dionysus. And when they had killed him, immediately a pestilential disease befell them, and an oracle arrived from Delphi instructing them to sacrifice a boy in life’s prime to Dionysus. But not many years later they say that the god substituted a goat as victim instead of the boy.

- Pausanius 9.8.2

6. What is the importance of the rock in the Central Room?

7. What is the significance of the image on the seal?

He is called Urshanabi, the Ferryman of Utanapishtim. You shall find him in the depths of the forest felling pine trees. The Beings of Stone, who are not harmed by the Waters of Death, are with him.- Epic of Gilgamesh

The other myths about Hades, current among the Greeks, also agree with the customs which are practised even now in Egypt. For the boat which receives the bodies is called baris,58 and the passenger's fee is given to the boatman, who in the Egyptian tongue is called charon.- Diodorus Siculus 96.8

6. How do we reconcile the pottery vs. architectural dating?

McEnroe 2010