Ashlar: Exploring the Materiality of Cut-Stone Masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, 2020
Cut-stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterizes monumental architectur... more Cut-stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterizes monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and is a corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean. The workshop held in Louvain-la-Neuve on the 8th and 9th of March 2018 aimed at exploring the specificities of building practices incorporating cut-stone masonry or components in Egypt, Syria, the Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, and the Levant in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. Specialists of the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean discussed topics including the structural and formal features of standing architectural remains, extraction and shaping methods, tool kits, the visual effect of ashlar use and the symbolic impact of its abandonment. Before letting the reader enter the core of the volume and explore the range of approaches to ashlar offered by contributors specialized in different geographical areas and sites, it bears upon the editors to provide a terminological and contextual framework in this introductory chapter. Characterizing the forms, techniques and building processes associated with cut-stone masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age is a daunting task. Data are spread over an extensive geographical and chronological context – the latter often debated – and the description of ashlar components and masonries is often provided with varying degrees of details and a loose terminology. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to provide a reminder of the terminology of cut-stone building components and masonry, to describe the specific techniques related to its production, and to provide a synopsis of ashlar use in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. This regional synopsis is followed by a presentation of the challenges addressed during the workshop, and which fashioned the research questions addressed in the different, focused, contributions to this volume. These and the present introductory chapter address the research questions through varying case studies, datasets and methodologies, thus providing an in-depth understanding of the use of ashlar in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, and providing a sound basis for discussion and comparison pertaining to this elaborate building technique.
The violent destruction by fire of Building 5 at Palaikastro, Crete, provided an interesting and ... more The violent destruction by fire of Building 5 at Palaikastro, Crete, provided an interesting and varied collection of well-preserved fired-earth elements. Those include fragments of mudbricks, mud coatings, roofs/ceilings, doorjambs, and other samples which bear impressions of wooden elements, probably from installations made of a combination of earth and wood. The publication of a selection of the samples has two purposes. The first is to offer a typological description of the earthen features in order to elucidate their various functions and their importance in Minoan architecture. Thus considered, the fragments described illustrate particular construction techniques and help reconstructing the original appearance of the building. The second purpose of this study is to consider the knowledge Minoan builders had of materials and techniques involved in earthen architecture. This study may allow some insights into the status of the practitioners of architecture and the degree of involvement of inhabitants or of specialists in construction.
This paper investigates sun-dried mudbrick architecture in the Minoan Palace at Malia on the nort... more This paper investigates sun-dried mudbrick architecture in the Minoan Palace at Malia on the north coast of Crete (Greece), excavated and studied by the French School at Athens since the beginning of the 20th century. Macroscopic study of the standing architectural remains is combined with geochemical (pXRF and XRD) and petrographic analyses of a selection of mudbrick samples in order to explore patterns and variations in bricklaying, mudbrick recipes, manufacturing practices and mudbrick performance throughout the Pre-, Proto- and Neopalatial periods (2450-1430 BCE). The microscopic composition of the mudbricks highlights the consistent procurement of local raw materials, despite marked differences in macroscopic composition related to varying manufacturing processes that impacted mudbrick performance. This diversity is important enough to indicate the completion of the Neopalatial building project by separate teams of builders, whose skills seem to have varied markedly. The participation in the Neopalatial building project of specialised mudbrick ‘master’ builders is attested but the workforce was also drawn from the site’s inhabitants who had the requisite knowledge to produce standing, though significantly less-well performing, mudbrick walls.
Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 134.1 2010 (published in 2012)
The poverty of the Neopalatial funerary record (ca. 1650/1640 - 1440/1430 BCE) is explored, for w... more The poverty of the Neopalatial funerary record (ca. 1650/1640 - 1440/1430 BCE) is explored, for which both natural and cultural factors are considered. The exposure of corpses to the elements or their simple deposition in natural cavities seems to be the reason for their rarity in the Neopalatial archaeological landscape. It can also be related to ancient Cretan practices, and it is suggested that, during the Neopalatial period, the palaces and the sites under their control form an alternative ritual context better suited to the needs of the population, thus causing a decreasing interest in social gatherings organised at the community cemeteries. This would go some way toward explaining the marked lack of interest in earlier, Pre- and Protopalatial, monumental funerary sites. Despite the poverty of the Neopalatial funerary archaeological record, the relevant information is here investigated in detail: diversity of the funerary contexts (caves and rock-shelters, circular tombs, ‘house tombs’, chamber tombs, and pithoi), continuing use of Pre- and Protopalatial tombs, and ritual practices. The diversity of the funerary sites is stressed, together with their material content and the small-scale ritual practices of which they were the focus, which stands as the most convincing explanation for the scarcity of Neopalatial tombs. In addition to exploring the cultural motivations for this scarcity, alternative modes of treatment of the corpses are investigated. Stemming from a chapter of my PhD, this paper explores how the decreasing interest for lasting forms of depositions of the corpses might be related to the control of alternative forms of social gatherings by the palatial sphere.
Résumé - Est envisagée ici la pauvreté du corpus funéraire néopalatial (1650/1640 - 1440/1430 av.J.-C.), en même temps que les différents facteurs, naturels et culturels, susceptibles d’en être la cause. On suggère l’exposition des corps ou leur dépôt sommaire dans des cavités naturelles, dans le prolongement de pratiques crétoises anciennes, à l’origine de leur rareté dans le paysage archéologique au Néopalatial. La sphère palatiale semble désormais offrir un cadre rituel plus adapté aux besoins de la population et participe au désintérêt pour des cadres funéraires monumentaux caractéristiques des époques pré- et protopalatiale. Parallèlement à la pauvreté du corpus, les pratiques funéraires néanmoins identifiées sont explorées. On met en exergue la diversité des cadres funéraires, leur contenu matériel et les pratiques rituelles dont ils faisaient l’objet.
IN Devolder M. and I. Caloi (with coll.) "Le Bâtiment Dessenne et les abords Sud-Ouest du palais dans l’établissement pré- et protopalatial de Malia", 2019
The function of a large number of distinctive signs, usually called masons’ marks, carved on cut-... more The function of a large number of distinctive signs, usually called masons’ marks, carved on cut- stone blocks found in Minoan or Bronze Age buildings on the island of Crete remains a debated topic. Interpretations have varied from a simple practical use, aiding the builders in positioning the blocks, to a magical or religious function. In view of the constantly expanding corpus, this article considers the use of the marks visible in the walls of the Neopalatial palace at Malia (ca. 1700–1450 B.C.E.). Topics explored include the characteristics of the marks and the blocks on which they are carved, the phases of the construction process during which the carving occurred, the proportion of marked blocks in the building, and the distribution of the marks in relation to the organization of the building project. A case is made for the largely secular function of the marks that reflects different tasks during the construction project. They are most likely identifiers for the masons involved in quarrying the blocks and the builders in charge of the construction and final trimming of some of the best executed walls of the palace.
The two study campaigns carried out in 2022 as part of the study and publication project for the ... more The two study campaigns carried out in 2022 as part of the study and publication project for the Palace of Malia focused on the one hand on the study of the ceramic material and the stratigraphic data associated with the Neopalatial sequence of occupation within the building (excavations and soundings 1915-1992), and on the other hand on the finalisation of the study linked to the final publication of the material and data from the excavations and soundings in the rooms to the north of the central court of the Palace (1923-1992). Les deux campagnes d’étude menées en 2022 dans le cadre du projet d’étude et de publication du Palais de Malia se sont concentrées d’une part sur l’étude du matériel céramique et des données stratigraphiques associés à la séquence de l’occupation néopalatiale au sein de l’édifice (fouilles et sondages 1915-1992), et d’autre part sur la finalisation de l’étude liée à la publication finale du matériel et des données issues des fouilles et sondages dans les pièces au Nord de la cour centrale du Palais (1923-1992).
The evidence available for the reconstruction of the Western Magazines of the early palace at Mal... more The evidence available for the reconstruction of the Western Magazines of the early palace at Malia is here re-evaluated. Despite the importance given to external social agents stationed in the Protopalatial town outside the palace, our knowledge of the main building during this key period in the history of the settlement remains limited. The shallow stratigraphy associated with its construction and heavy rebuilding during the succeeding Neopalatial period obstruct a clear vision of the architectural phasing of the early building, but a new analysis focusing on building materials and techniques suggests the presence of a series of Protopalatial storage rooms behind the main façade on the West Court, later integrated into the Neopalatial building. This architectural analysis allows a better assessment of the role of the central building of Middle Bronze Age Malia.
A series of Protopalatial grey black crystalline and grey sandy limestone blocks were incorporate... more A series of Protopalatial grey black crystalline and grey sandy limestone blocks were incorporated in the Neopalatial palace at Malia to be used in various architectural features (e.g. column bases, thresholds, steps or lintels). A detailed study has shown that these initially formed the levelling course of the western façade of the Protopalatial palace. The materials employed and the care taken in shaping the blocks indicate the quality of the architectural project. Their restitution within the Protopalatial palace of Malia also highlights the similarities with the palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, thus stressing a community of architectural practices among the Cretan palaces from the beginning of the 2nd millennium onwards. Résumé – Une série de blocs en calcaire cristallin gris noir et gréseux gris ont été découverts remployés sous la forme d’éléments architectoniques divers (bases de colonnes, seuils, marches ou linteaux par exemple) au sein du palais néopalatial de Malia. Leur observation détaillée a permis de déterminer qu’ils provenaient d’une assise de nivellement dans la façade Ouest du palais détruit à la fin de la période protopalatiale. Les matériaux utilisés et le soin apporté au façonnage des blocs illustrent la qualité du projet architectural. Leur restitution au sein du palais protopalatial de Malia met également en évidence le parallèle avec les façades Ouest des palais de Knossos et Phaistos, et suggère l’existence d’une communauté de pratiques architecturales entre les différents palais crétois au Protopalatial.
The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto- and Neopalatial. A firs... more The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto- and Neopalatial. A first, Protopalatial building is erected at the onset of the second millennium BC (ca. 1900-1700 BC), and after a conflagration perhaps triggered by an earthquake around 1700 BC, the Neopalatial complex is built (ca. 1700-1450 BC). The ruin now visible is an intricate weave of both periods. This is for a large part because the Neopalatial builders saved both time and energy by reusing previous architectural materials or spolia. But the incorporation of Protopalatial remains into the new complex also reflects the desire to promote continuity within the long-standing monument. The limestone façade wall facing the North-West Court of the Palace is especially significant in this regard. Constructed with large boulders of grey blue limestone, it contrasts sharply with the yellowish background of cut sandstone walls erected during the Neopalatial period. This striking difference in masonry did not escape the excavators of the Palace: the sturdy look of the wall in comparison with the elaborate ashlar masonry prompted the name of ‘Dungeon’ for the rooms it bordered, and it was suggested that it belonged to the first, Protopalatial complex. A new architectural study of the Palace is now able to show that, even though the excavators were not entirely wrong, the story of the ‘Dungeon’ is significantly more complex and challenging than initially surmised. In this paper, I argue that the façade of the ‘Dungeon’ was erected during the Neopalatial period by reusing materials from the West façade of the Protopalatial Palace. I also argue that the new wall was constructed in masonry of grey blue boulders which specifically imitated the Protopalatial West façade in order to serve as a mnemonic device. The sharp contrast created by the ‘Dungeon’ with its built environment is seen as a deliberate attempt to single out its architectural legacy within the Neopalatial complex and to boost the visual impact it made on the users of the Palace crossing the North-West Court in order to reach the elaborate Quartier d’apparat. New architectural data in the Palace at Malia thus underline the fact that, despite the thorough reconstruction of the building after the 1700 BC destruction, special care was taken in promoting its continuity through the erection within the Neopalatial complex of walls that mirrored its Protopalatial grandeur.
In this paper, we investigate the features of a wooden structure inserted within the cut sandston... more In this paper, we investigate the features of a wooden structure inserted within the cut sandstone walls erected at the beginning of the Neopalatial period around the North Court of the Palace at Malia. This analysis reflects the close association between the wooden doorjambs that framed the accesses towards the rooms surrounding the court, the wooden structure integrated within the walls, and elements related to the roofing of the court’s portico. The structural unity of the North Court is further enhanced by the unity of its architectural style, and by the originality of its masonry in regard with those used in other areas of the Malia palace. The features of the walls that surround the portico of the North Court thus reflect the care taken by the masons in creating a harmonious and structurally efficient architectural unit. They also recall building practices not unsimilar to those that shaped some of the walls of the palace at Knossos and may suggest the same builders worked in the two palaces.
Cet article analyse en détails les traces relatives à la présence d’une structure en bois insérée dans les murs principalement érigés en pierre de taille autour de la Cour Nord du palais de Malia au début de la période néopalatiale. Cette analyse reflète l’association étroite entre les jambages qui encadraient les portes d’accès vers les pièces autour de la cour, la structure en bois insérée dans les murs, et les éléments liés au couvrement du portique bordant la cour. L’unité structurelle de l’ensemble est encore renforcée par l’uniformité de son apparence architecturale, et par l’originalité de la maçonnerie au sein du palais de Malia. Les traits des murs bordant le portique de la Cour Nord reflètent ainsi le soin apporté par des constructeurs apparemment soucieux de l’efficacité structurelle et de l’harmonie de l’ensemble, des bâtisseurs dont il n’est pas exclu qu’ils aient également travaillé au palais de Knossos.
Issues such as the assessment of the scale of Minoan building projects, their impact on the commu... more Issues such as the assessment of the scale of Minoan building projects, their impact on the communities, or the role of the labour-time generated by the construction of various masonries on the choices made by the builders often seem too far-fetched to be tackled by archaeologists. By taking a materialistic stance, the present paper offers to explore some of the parameters at play in the production of Minoan architecture.
The built environment of Neopalatial Crete is considered here through the manpower implicated in ... more The built environment of Neopalatial Crete is considered here through the manpower implicated in its production.
This approach is based on a quantitative method of estimating the time needed to build a structure. It relies on
standard costs empirically established through experiments, observations and accounts of large building sites. The
volumes of materials of a selection of Neopalatial buildings which offer a suficient degree of architectural precision
are estimated, to which standard costs are hence applied. Based on such application, the strong polarisation
between the costs of Neopalatial simple and complex buildings is obvious, but more pertinently the relationship
between the potential workforce and the costs of simple or vernacular architecture reafirms the involvement of the
inhabitants in the construction of their own homes. This state ment makes it possible to explore the size of a Neopalatial social unit associated with vernacular architecture. Complex or “polite” architecture shows a drastically different scheme. In this case, the manpower needed by far exceeds the capacity of the residents to provide the re quired workforce. Rather, it indicates the privileged access of the commissioners to resources, both human and agricultural. They were able to mobilise many workers, amongst whom were specia lists, thus relying on a totally different kind of workforce, both in terms of availability and nature.
Minoan Realities. Theory-based Approaches to Images and Built Spaces as Indicators of Minoan Social Structures (AEGIS, 5), ed. by D. PANAGIOTOPOULOS et U. GÜKEL-MASCHEK, 2012
Beyond the description of the physical traits of Minoan architecture and their role in the classi... more Beyond the description of the physical traits of Minoan architecture and their role in the classification of buildings into distinct categories, this essay explores a quantitative approach to Minoan architecture, based on a study of the labour costs generated by the erection of a series of buildings. This approach, sometimes dubbed ‘architectural energetics’, offers a series of estimates of the time necessary to accomplish the diverse architectural tasks involved in building an edifice. The clearing and levelling of buildings sites, the supply of materials – whether through collection or extraction –, their transport and finishing, the erection of walls and the making of ceilings and roofs can be studied according to the time necessary for their completion, which is usually expressed in man-hours (henceforth m-h). In this study, I first detail some of the specificities of the method and then focus on the implication for Neopalatial architecture, by studying three specific cases. The specific purpose of this paper is to highlight the insights offered by such a quantitative approach for the built form and the factors at play during its production. I especially focus here on the material and technical choices of the builders, on the setting of the costs into the historical context, and on the workforce involved in the building project.
This paper examines the potential of a specific approach to the relation between architecture and... more This paper examines the potential of a specific approach to the relation between architecture and society, the estimation of the construction ‘costs’ (expressed in man-days) of particular buildings. This kind of architectural approach is based on the principle that a quantitative estimation of the construction process of a building produced by a society necessarily reflects this society, allowing new insights. The principles are here applied to the Minoan palace at Gournia on Crete. An examination of the time devoted to the construction of the palace leads to interesting possibilities where the phasing of the edifice and its relation with its built environment, the town, are concerned as well the social and historical context in which the central building was initially constructed, used and transformed. In this peculiar case, the construction ‘costs’ of the palace of Gournia show a very distinct amount of energy invested in LM IA and in LM IB, together with a growing differentiation in the domestic architecture in the town. Several scenarios are suggested to explain these radical changes, involving the economic situation of the town, its construction and mobilisation force.
The scientific and scholarly study concerned with the search for material traces of the past comp... more The scientific and scholarly study concerned with the search for material traces of the past comprise a significant level towards the cultural heritage management and preservation. Ground based and satellite/aerial technologies can be utilized for capturing both the dynamics and the evolution of the cultural landscapes creating a digital archive for the management of cultural resources. The research directive that has been initiated by FORTH and is under the auspices of various cultural and research foundations aims towards the establishment of a best practice guide for the application of geo-information technologies for the study, management and preservation cultural landscapes. In the archaeological site of Malia”, conventional photogrammetric and laser scanning techniques have been carried out in collaboration with the French School of Athens, in order to provide a 3D model of the “Magasins Dessenne” area which have subsequently been backfilled for conservation reasons . The different approaches have provided a realistic orthorectified model that can be used for the further studies of the monuments of the particular section of the site. In “Eleftherna”, on the hill of “Pyrgi”, the focus has been to map the aqueduct of the ancient town through the application of electrical resistivity tomography. The continuation of the water tunnel which lies 8m below the surface towards the south where two large water reservoirs have been cut into the rock was examined through a high resolution three-dimensional (3-D) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) method. Even though the data processing and interpretation with 3-D resistivity imaging/inversion algorithms reconstructed with significant detail the near surface features, it was unable to give further insight regarding the southern end of the water tunnel due to the limited resolution of the surface ERT and its inability to resolve the tunnel within the specific environmental regime. The particular controlled experiments set the foundation of a guide that will promote the optimal application of the particular techniques based on the current progress of the geo-information technologies and that will ultimately function as a road-guide for the archaeologists’ own usage.
Ashlar: Exploring the Materiality of Cut-Stone Masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, 2020
Cut-stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterizes monumental architectur... more Cut-stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterizes monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and is a corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean. The workshop held in Louvain-la-Neuve on the 8th and 9th of March 2018 aimed at exploring the specificities of building practices incorporating cut-stone masonry or components in Egypt, Syria, the Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, and the Levant in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. Specialists of the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean discussed topics including the structural and formal features of standing architectural remains, extraction and shaping methods, tool kits, the visual effect of ashlar use and the symbolic impact of its abandonment. Before letting the reader enter the core of the volume and explore the range of approaches to ashlar offered by contributors specialized in different geographical areas and sites, it bears upon the editors to provide a terminological and contextual framework in this introductory chapter. Characterizing the forms, techniques and building processes associated with cut-stone masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age is a daunting task. Data are spread over an extensive geographical and chronological context – the latter often debated – and the description of ashlar components and masonries is often provided with varying degrees of details and a loose terminology. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to provide a reminder of the terminology of cut-stone building components and masonry, to describe the specific techniques related to its production, and to provide a synopsis of ashlar use in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. This regional synopsis is followed by a presentation of the challenges addressed during the workshop, and which fashioned the research questions addressed in the different, focused, contributions to this volume. These and the present introductory chapter address the research questions through varying case studies, datasets and methodologies, thus providing an in-depth understanding of the use of ashlar in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, and providing a sound basis for discussion and comparison pertaining to this elaborate building technique.
The violent destruction by fire of Building 5 at Palaikastro, Crete, provided an interesting and ... more The violent destruction by fire of Building 5 at Palaikastro, Crete, provided an interesting and varied collection of well-preserved fired-earth elements. Those include fragments of mudbricks, mud coatings, roofs/ceilings, doorjambs, and other samples which bear impressions of wooden elements, probably from installations made of a combination of earth and wood. The publication of a selection of the samples has two purposes. The first is to offer a typological description of the earthen features in order to elucidate their various functions and their importance in Minoan architecture. Thus considered, the fragments described illustrate particular construction techniques and help reconstructing the original appearance of the building. The second purpose of this study is to consider the knowledge Minoan builders had of materials and techniques involved in earthen architecture. This study may allow some insights into the status of the practitioners of architecture and the degree of involvement of inhabitants or of specialists in construction.
This paper investigates sun-dried mudbrick architecture in the Minoan Palace at Malia on the nort... more This paper investigates sun-dried mudbrick architecture in the Minoan Palace at Malia on the north coast of Crete (Greece), excavated and studied by the French School at Athens since the beginning of the 20th century. Macroscopic study of the standing architectural remains is combined with geochemical (pXRF and XRD) and petrographic analyses of a selection of mudbrick samples in order to explore patterns and variations in bricklaying, mudbrick recipes, manufacturing practices and mudbrick performance throughout the Pre-, Proto- and Neopalatial periods (2450-1430 BCE). The microscopic composition of the mudbricks highlights the consistent procurement of local raw materials, despite marked differences in macroscopic composition related to varying manufacturing processes that impacted mudbrick performance. This diversity is important enough to indicate the completion of the Neopalatial building project by separate teams of builders, whose skills seem to have varied markedly. The participation in the Neopalatial building project of specialised mudbrick ‘master’ builders is attested but the workforce was also drawn from the site’s inhabitants who had the requisite knowledge to produce standing, though significantly less-well performing, mudbrick walls.
Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 134.1 2010 (published in 2012)
The poverty of the Neopalatial funerary record (ca. 1650/1640 - 1440/1430 BCE) is explored, for w... more The poverty of the Neopalatial funerary record (ca. 1650/1640 - 1440/1430 BCE) is explored, for which both natural and cultural factors are considered. The exposure of corpses to the elements or their simple deposition in natural cavities seems to be the reason for their rarity in the Neopalatial archaeological landscape. It can also be related to ancient Cretan practices, and it is suggested that, during the Neopalatial period, the palaces and the sites under their control form an alternative ritual context better suited to the needs of the population, thus causing a decreasing interest in social gatherings organised at the community cemeteries. This would go some way toward explaining the marked lack of interest in earlier, Pre- and Protopalatial, monumental funerary sites. Despite the poverty of the Neopalatial funerary archaeological record, the relevant information is here investigated in detail: diversity of the funerary contexts (caves and rock-shelters, circular tombs, ‘house tombs’, chamber tombs, and pithoi), continuing use of Pre- and Protopalatial tombs, and ritual practices. The diversity of the funerary sites is stressed, together with their material content and the small-scale ritual practices of which they were the focus, which stands as the most convincing explanation for the scarcity of Neopalatial tombs. In addition to exploring the cultural motivations for this scarcity, alternative modes of treatment of the corpses are investigated. Stemming from a chapter of my PhD, this paper explores how the decreasing interest for lasting forms of depositions of the corpses might be related to the control of alternative forms of social gatherings by the palatial sphere.
Résumé - Est envisagée ici la pauvreté du corpus funéraire néopalatial (1650/1640 - 1440/1430 av.J.-C.), en même temps que les différents facteurs, naturels et culturels, susceptibles d’en être la cause. On suggère l’exposition des corps ou leur dépôt sommaire dans des cavités naturelles, dans le prolongement de pratiques crétoises anciennes, à l’origine de leur rareté dans le paysage archéologique au Néopalatial. La sphère palatiale semble désormais offrir un cadre rituel plus adapté aux besoins de la population et participe au désintérêt pour des cadres funéraires monumentaux caractéristiques des époques pré- et protopalatiale. Parallèlement à la pauvreté du corpus, les pratiques funéraires néanmoins identifiées sont explorées. On met en exergue la diversité des cadres funéraires, leur contenu matériel et les pratiques rituelles dont ils faisaient l’objet.
IN Devolder M. and I. Caloi (with coll.) "Le Bâtiment Dessenne et les abords Sud-Ouest du palais dans l’établissement pré- et protopalatial de Malia", 2019
The function of a large number of distinctive signs, usually called masons’ marks, carved on cut-... more The function of a large number of distinctive signs, usually called masons’ marks, carved on cut- stone blocks found in Minoan or Bronze Age buildings on the island of Crete remains a debated topic. Interpretations have varied from a simple practical use, aiding the builders in positioning the blocks, to a magical or religious function. In view of the constantly expanding corpus, this article considers the use of the marks visible in the walls of the Neopalatial palace at Malia (ca. 1700–1450 B.C.E.). Topics explored include the characteristics of the marks and the blocks on which they are carved, the phases of the construction process during which the carving occurred, the proportion of marked blocks in the building, and the distribution of the marks in relation to the organization of the building project. A case is made for the largely secular function of the marks that reflects different tasks during the construction project. They are most likely identifiers for the masons involved in quarrying the blocks and the builders in charge of the construction and final trimming of some of the best executed walls of the palace.
The two study campaigns carried out in 2022 as part of the study and publication project for the ... more The two study campaigns carried out in 2022 as part of the study and publication project for the Palace of Malia focused on the one hand on the study of the ceramic material and the stratigraphic data associated with the Neopalatial sequence of occupation within the building (excavations and soundings 1915-1992), and on the other hand on the finalisation of the study linked to the final publication of the material and data from the excavations and soundings in the rooms to the north of the central court of the Palace (1923-1992). Les deux campagnes d’étude menées en 2022 dans le cadre du projet d’étude et de publication du Palais de Malia se sont concentrées d’une part sur l’étude du matériel céramique et des données stratigraphiques associés à la séquence de l’occupation néopalatiale au sein de l’édifice (fouilles et sondages 1915-1992), et d’autre part sur la finalisation de l’étude liée à la publication finale du matériel et des données issues des fouilles et sondages dans les pièces au Nord de la cour centrale du Palais (1923-1992).
The evidence available for the reconstruction of the Western Magazines of the early palace at Mal... more The evidence available for the reconstruction of the Western Magazines of the early palace at Malia is here re-evaluated. Despite the importance given to external social agents stationed in the Protopalatial town outside the palace, our knowledge of the main building during this key period in the history of the settlement remains limited. The shallow stratigraphy associated with its construction and heavy rebuilding during the succeeding Neopalatial period obstruct a clear vision of the architectural phasing of the early building, but a new analysis focusing on building materials and techniques suggests the presence of a series of Protopalatial storage rooms behind the main façade on the West Court, later integrated into the Neopalatial building. This architectural analysis allows a better assessment of the role of the central building of Middle Bronze Age Malia.
A series of Protopalatial grey black crystalline and grey sandy limestone blocks were incorporate... more A series of Protopalatial grey black crystalline and grey sandy limestone blocks were incorporated in the Neopalatial palace at Malia to be used in various architectural features (e.g. column bases, thresholds, steps or lintels). A detailed study has shown that these initially formed the levelling course of the western façade of the Protopalatial palace. The materials employed and the care taken in shaping the blocks indicate the quality of the architectural project. Their restitution within the Protopalatial palace of Malia also highlights the similarities with the palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, thus stressing a community of architectural practices among the Cretan palaces from the beginning of the 2nd millennium onwards. Résumé – Une série de blocs en calcaire cristallin gris noir et gréseux gris ont été découverts remployés sous la forme d’éléments architectoniques divers (bases de colonnes, seuils, marches ou linteaux par exemple) au sein du palais néopalatial de Malia. Leur observation détaillée a permis de déterminer qu’ils provenaient d’une assise de nivellement dans la façade Ouest du palais détruit à la fin de la période protopalatiale. Les matériaux utilisés et le soin apporté au façonnage des blocs illustrent la qualité du projet architectural. Leur restitution au sein du palais protopalatial de Malia met également en évidence le parallèle avec les façades Ouest des palais de Knossos et Phaistos, et suggère l’existence d’une communauté de pratiques architecturales entre les différents palais crétois au Protopalatial.
The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto- and Neopalatial. A firs... more The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto- and Neopalatial. A first, Protopalatial building is erected at the onset of the second millennium BC (ca. 1900-1700 BC), and after a conflagration perhaps triggered by an earthquake around 1700 BC, the Neopalatial complex is built (ca. 1700-1450 BC). The ruin now visible is an intricate weave of both periods. This is for a large part because the Neopalatial builders saved both time and energy by reusing previous architectural materials or spolia. But the incorporation of Protopalatial remains into the new complex also reflects the desire to promote continuity within the long-standing monument. The limestone façade wall facing the North-West Court of the Palace is especially significant in this regard. Constructed with large boulders of grey blue limestone, it contrasts sharply with the yellowish background of cut sandstone walls erected during the Neopalatial period. This striking difference in masonry did not escape the excavators of the Palace: the sturdy look of the wall in comparison with the elaborate ashlar masonry prompted the name of ‘Dungeon’ for the rooms it bordered, and it was suggested that it belonged to the first, Protopalatial complex. A new architectural study of the Palace is now able to show that, even though the excavators were not entirely wrong, the story of the ‘Dungeon’ is significantly more complex and challenging than initially surmised. In this paper, I argue that the façade of the ‘Dungeon’ was erected during the Neopalatial period by reusing materials from the West façade of the Protopalatial Palace. I also argue that the new wall was constructed in masonry of grey blue boulders which specifically imitated the Protopalatial West façade in order to serve as a mnemonic device. The sharp contrast created by the ‘Dungeon’ with its built environment is seen as a deliberate attempt to single out its architectural legacy within the Neopalatial complex and to boost the visual impact it made on the users of the Palace crossing the North-West Court in order to reach the elaborate Quartier d’apparat. New architectural data in the Palace at Malia thus underline the fact that, despite the thorough reconstruction of the building after the 1700 BC destruction, special care was taken in promoting its continuity through the erection within the Neopalatial complex of walls that mirrored its Protopalatial grandeur.
In this paper, we investigate the features of a wooden structure inserted within the cut sandston... more In this paper, we investigate the features of a wooden structure inserted within the cut sandstone walls erected at the beginning of the Neopalatial period around the North Court of the Palace at Malia. This analysis reflects the close association between the wooden doorjambs that framed the accesses towards the rooms surrounding the court, the wooden structure integrated within the walls, and elements related to the roofing of the court’s portico. The structural unity of the North Court is further enhanced by the unity of its architectural style, and by the originality of its masonry in regard with those used in other areas of the Malia palace. The features of the walls that surround the portico of the North Court thus reflect the care taken by the masons in creating a harmonious and structurally efficient architectural unit. They also recall building practices not unsimilar to those that shaped some of the walls of the palace at Knossos and may suggest the same builders worked in the two palaces.
Cet article analyse en détails les traces relatives à la présence d’une structure en bois insérée dans les murs principalement érigés en pierre de taille autour de la Cour Nord du palais de Malia au début de la période néopalatiale. Cette analyse reflète l’association étroite entre les jambages qui encadraient les portes d’accès vers les pièces autour de la cour, la structure en bois insérée dans les murs, et les éléments liés au couvrement du portique bordant la cour. L’unité structurelle de l’ensemble est encore renforcée par l’uniformité de son apparence architecturale, et par l’originalité de la maçonnerie au sein du palais de Malia. Les traits des murs bordant le portique de la Cour Nord reflètent ainsi le soin apporté par des constructeurs apparemment soucieux de l’efficacité structurelle et de l’harmonie de l’ensemble, des bâtisseurs dont il n’est pas exclu qu’ils aient également travaillé au palais de Knossos.
Issues such as the assessment of the scale of Minoan building projects, their impact on the commu... more Issues such as the assessment of the scale of Minoan building projects, their impact on the communities, or the role of the labour-time generated by the construction of various masonries on the choices made by the builders often seem too far-fetched to be tackled by archaeologists. By taking a materialistic stance, the present paper offers to explore some of the parameters at play in the production of Minoan architecture.
The built environment of Neopalatial Crete is considered here through the manpower implicated in ... more The built environment of Neopalatial Crete is considered here through the manpower implicated in its production.
This approach is based on a quantitative method of estimating the time needed to build a structure. It relies on
standard costs empirically established through experiments, observations and accounts of large building sites. The
volumes of materials of a selection of Neopalatial buildings which offer a suficient degree of architectural precision
are estimated, to which standard costs are hence applied. Based on such application, the strong polarisation
between the costs of Neopalatial simple and complex buildings is obvious, but more pertinently the relationship
between the potential workforce and the costs of simple or vernacular architecture reafirms the involvement of the
inhabitants in the construction of their own homes. This state ment makes it possible to explore the size of a Neopalatial social unit associated with vernacular architecture. Complex or “polite” architecture shows a drastically different scheme. In this case, the manpower needed by far exceeds the capacity of the residents to provide the re quired workforce. Rather, it indicates the privileged access of the commissioners to resources, both human and agricultural. They were able to mobilise many workers, amongst whom were specia lists, thus relying on a totally different kind of workforce, both in terms of availability and nature.
Minoan Realities. Theory-based Approaches to Images and Built Spaces as Indicators of Minoan Social Structures (AEGIS, 5), ed. by D. PANAGIOTOPOULOS et U. GÜKEL-MASCHEK, 2012
Beyond the description of the physical traits of Minoan architecture and their role in the classi... more Beyond the description of the physical traits of Minoan architecture and their role in the classification of buildings into distinct categories, this essay explores a quantitative approach to Minoan architecture, based on a study of the labour costs generated by the erection of a series of buildings. This approach, sometimes dubbed ‘architectural energetics’, offers a series of estimates of the time necessary to accomplish the diverse architectural tasks involved in building an edifice. The clearing and levelling of buildings sites, the supply of materials – whether through collection or extraction –, their transport and finishing, the erection of walls and the making of ceilings and roofs can be studied according to the time necessary for their completion, which is usually expressed in man-hours (henceforth m-h). In this study, I first detail some of the specificities of the method and then focus on the implication for Neopalatial architecture, by studying three specific cases. The specific purpose of this paper is to highlight the insights offered by such a quantitative approach for the built form and the factors at play during its production. I especially focus here on the material and technical choices of the builders, on the setting of the costs into the historical context, and on the workforce involved in the building project.
This paper examines the potential of a specific approach to the relation between architecture and... more This paper examines the potential of a specific approach to the relation between architecture and society, the estimation of the construction ‘costs’ (expressed in man-days) of particular buildings. This kind of architectural approach is based on the principle that a quantitative estimation of the construction process of a building produced by a society necessarily reflects this society, allowing new insights. The principles are here applied to the Minoan palace at Gournia on Crete. An examination of the time devoted to the construction of the palace leads to interesting possibilities where the phasing of the edifice and its relation with its built environment, the town, are concerned as well the social and historical context in which the central building was initially constructed, used and transformed. In this peculiar case, the construction ‘costs’ of the palace of Gournia show a very distinct amount of energy invested in LM IA and in LM IB, together with a growing differentiation in the domestic architecture in the town. Several scenarios are suggested to explain these radical changes, involving the economic situation of the town, its construction and mobilisation force.
The scientific and scholarly study concerned with the search for material traces of the past comp... more The scientific and scholarly study concerned with the search for material traces of the past comprise a significant level towards the cultural heritage management and preservation. Ground based and satellite/aerial technologies can be utilized for capturing both the dynamics and the evolution of the cultural landscapes creating a digital archive for the management of cultural resources. The research directive that has been initiated by FORTH and is under the auspices of various cultural and research foundations aims towards the establishment of a best practice guide for the application of geo-information technologies for the study, management and preservation cultural landscapes. In the archaeological site of Malia”, conventional photogrammetric and laser scanning techniques have been carried out in collaboration with the French School of Athens, in order to provide a 3D model of the “Magasins Dessenne” area which have subsequently been backfilled for conservation reasons . The different approaches have provided a realistic orthorectified model that can be used for the further studies of the monuments of the particular section of the site. In “Eleftherna”, on the hill of “Pyrgi”, the focus has been to map the aqueduct of the ancient town through the application of electrical resistivity tomography. The continuation of the water tunnel which lies 8m below the surface towards the south where two large water reservoirs have been cut into the rock was examined through a high resolution three-dimensional (3-D) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) method. Even though the data processing and interpretation with 3-D resistivity imaging/inversion algorithms reconstructed with significant detail the near surface features, it was unable to give further insight regarding the southern end of the water tunnel due to the limited resolution of the surface ERT and its inability to resolve the tunnel within the specific environmental regime. The particular controlled experiments set the foundation of a guide that will promote the optimal application of the particular techniques based on the current progress of the geo-information technologies and that will ultimately function as a road-guide for the archaeologists’ own usage.
This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne nea... more This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne near the Palace at Malia in 1960. The architectural study of the ruin and the detailed presentation of the material discovered by the archaeologist allows a better understanding of the role of the Dessenne Building in the settlement at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Complemented by a series of archaeological soundings, the present research also provides original data regarding the occupation of Malia during the Prepalatial period, including late 3rd millennium BC large-scale levelling works that prefigurate the construction of the Protopalatial Palace. Architecture, ceramic, stone vases, weights and tools, seals and sealings, and archaeozoological and archaeobotanical remains are studied by specialists whose research coalesce into a synthesis on the Bronze Age site development. This book thus not only offers the detailed presentation of an elite structure, it sets it into a broader historical perspective and offers a revision of the Pre- and Protopalatial sequence of the occupation at the core of the settlement of Malia.
Cet ouvrage offre la publication définitive d’un ensemble architectural protopalatial découvert en 1960 par André Dessenne aux abords immédiats du palais de Malia. L’étude architecturale de la ruine et la présentation détaillée du matériel mis au jour par l’archéologue permettent de considérer le rôle du Bâtiment Dessenne au sein de l’établissement au début du IIème millénaire av. J.-C. Complétées par de nouvelles fouilles, les recherches à l’origine de cet ouvrage produisent également des données inédites sur l’occupation de Malia au Prépalatial et sur les grands travaux d’aménagement de la fin du IIIème millénaire qui préfigurent la construction du palais au Protopalatial. Architecture, céramique, vases, poids et outillage en pierre, sceaux et scellés, faune terrestre et marine et restes archéobotaniques sont envisagés par des spécialistes dont les travaux produisent une synthèse importante sur le développement du site à l’Âge du Bronze. L’ouvrage présente ainsi de manière détaillée un édifice minoen d’élite tout en l’insérant dans une perspective historique plus large, en offrant notamment une révision de la séquence pré- et protopalatiale au cœur de l’établissement maliote.
This volume focusses on ashlar masonry, probably the most elaborate construction technique of the... more This volume focusses on ashlar masonry, probably the most elaborate construction technique of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, from a cross-regional perspective. The building practices and the uses of cut-stone components and masonries in Egypt, Syria, the Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus and the Levant in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC are examined through a series of case studies and topical essays. The topics addressed include the terminology of ashlar building components and the typologies of its masonries, technical studies on the procurement, dressing, tool kits and construction techniques pertaining to cut stone, investigations into the place of ashlar in inter-regional exchanges and craft dissemination, the extent and significance of the use of cut stone within the communities and regions, and the visual effects, social meanings, and symbolic and ideological values of ashlar.
Cretan Neopalatial architecture (XVIIth-XVth c. BC) is considered by means of architectural energ... more Cretan Neopalatial architecture (XVIIth-XVth c. BC) is considered by means of architectural energetics for estimating the time necessary to erect a building. The aim is to calculate the total amount of working hours necessary to fulfill the various tasks involved in the building project, i.e. collecting, transporting, manufacturing and assembling the raw materials. As such, the energetic approach provides a better understanding of the builders’ behaviour, especially regarding the selection and use of the different materials, and the leveling of the terrain prior to the construction. Through the examination of a broad sample of edifices, the particular study concludes to the involvement of the inhabitants in the construction of their own house, in marked contrast with the large and partly specialized manpower that contributed to elaborate building projects. The wide variety of the construction costs estimated throughout the study suggests an open access to specialized manpower, to which Neopalatial elites had a privileged, albeit not exclusive, access.
University of Cyprus Archaeological Research Unit 62nd Public Lecture Series | Winter Semester 2024
Masons’ marks form a large corpus of some 2,500 pictographic signs carved on stone blocks or othe... more Masons’ marks form a large corpus of some 2,500 pictographic signs carved on stone blocks or other elements used in elaborate buildings in the Bronze Age Aegean (19th to 13th centuries BCE) and Cyprus (14th to 12th centuries BCE). Because of a limited overlap with Bronze Age scripts, the marks constitute a separate, non-scribal system of signs, the function of which remains controversial. In this presentation, I will review the evidence for the masons’ marks identified on almost 30 sites in Crete, the Cyclades and Mainland Greece, and show how Cyprus differs markedly from Aegean trends. I will focus especially on the material features of the carefully cut stone blocks upon which the signs were carved, and on the distribution of these marked blocks within a building, settlement or region. In doing so, I argue that the carving of the marks is mainly associated with specific stages of the building process, namely the extraction and dressing of the blocks. Only in a few cases may they have taken on a higher level of meaning related to pride in craftsmanship or a figurative engagement with the built environment. Through this study of the masons’ marks, their support and their broader archaeological context, I aim to show how these carved signs can prove to be a formidable clue in tracing the development and proliferation of elite Late Bronze Age architecture in the Aegean, and in attempting to identify the circulation of specialised builders through different cultural and socio-political areas in the region.
13th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF CRETAN STUDIES, 2022
The Minoan settlement of Malia shows indication for growing occupation throughout the Prepalatial... more The Minoan settlement of Malia shows indication for growing occupation throughout the Prepalatial period (ca. 3100-1900 BC) and especially during the Early Minoan IIB phase (ca. 2450-2200 BC). Extensive architectural remains dating from this period have been unveiled, which attest the presence of a modest habitat as well as more elaborate structures erected under or near the location of the later Palace. This Early Minoan IIB phase ends abruptly in a fire that strikes the largest part of the settlement. However, primary deposits are few, notably because their material was incorporated in secondary deposits seemingly associated with large-scale levelling operations that cleaned the occupation at the core of the site at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. Soundings made across the settlement since the 1930s have discovered layers of densely packed stones, sediments, and Early Minoan IIB sherds in irregularities of the natural limestone bedrock. These fills, the latest material in which currently provides an Early Minoan IIIA early (ca. 2200-2100 BC) terminus a quo, hint at one or several major levelling operations predating the construction of the Palace and seemingly devoted to the creation of large open spaces. The aim of this presentation is two-fold. Firstly, it will provide a detailed update on the state of evidence for the nature of the Prepalatial occupation in the centre of Malia, based on a preliminary stratigraphic and ceramic sequence of the Early Minoan II-Middle Minoan IA phases. Secondly, it will present new evidence pertaining to the occurrence of large-scale levelling operations in the core of the settlement, assessing them against the historical development of the palatial town. Indeed, this levelling signals deep transformation in Malia, since it attests the mobilisation and management of a significant labour force whose work disrupted domestic occupation on the site and prefigurated the construction of the monumental Palace and associated courts at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.
Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was t... more Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was the occasion to present synthetic papers on the various sectors of the Sissi site revealed (cemetery, settlement, central building) , to note parallels and stress the importance of differences, but also to discuss to what degree the excavations have added, modified, or confirmed past ideas on Minoan civilization.
Sun-dried mudbricks formed a significant part of Bronze Age architecture in Crete, and many build... more Sun-dried mudbricks formed a significant part of Bronze Age architecture in Crete, and many buildings still preserve walls constructed with this building material, such as the Minoan settlement and Palace at Malia. In this seminar, we want to present the results of a geoarchaeological and architectural study of mudbrick remains within the Malia Palace, which combines macroscopic observations of the singular mudbricks and their bricklaying techniques with their geoarchaeological analysis. Our main objectives are to investigate the structural properties of mudbrick masonry, to describe the mudbricks' macroscopic fabric composition and to present the results of geochemical (pXRF and XRD) and petrographic analyses in order to highlight issues pertaining to craftmanship and material performance and re-use. The study focuses on interpreting and combining these macro-and microscopic approaches in order to gain insights on the craftspeople and labourers who participated to the Malia Palace building project throughout the Bronze Age. It also answers important questions regarding patterns of resources exploitation in the plain of Malia, making it possible to explore further the relationship between the natural and built environment in Minoan Crete.
Présentation au workshop Étudier les usages du bois dans l’architecture grecque antique. Approche... more Présentation au workshop Étudier les usages du bois dans l’architecture grecque antique. Approches méthodologiques, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès (France), 13-14 juin 2019 (PLH-CRATA, en partenariat avec la MSHS-T), organisé par Sylvie ROUGIER-BLANC (PLH-CRATA) Résumé - Longtemps négligé au profit de matériaux plus ‘nobles’ et certainement plus durables, le bois occupe depuis plusieurs années une place nouvelle dans les études sur l’architecture crétoise de l’Âge du Bronze. Malgré ce regain d’intérêt reflété tant par les études archéobotaniques que par celles traitant des matériaux et techniques de construction, les connaissances sur la place et le rôle du bois dans le bâti minoen restent souvent empiriques. Ceci est en grande partie dû aux objectifs et moyens divers des fouilles et recherches menées sur les différents sites crétois, à la plus grande attention accordée dans les études à l’architecture d’élite où le bois semble avoir occupé une place particulière, et surtout à l’idée prépondérante que l’usage de ce matériau était rendu indispensable par les risques provoqués par les séismes fréquents sur l’île. De l’absence quasiment complète du bois dans les rapports archéologiques, on en est donc progressivement venu à son omniprésence supposée dans l’architecture minoenne. L’objectif de cette communication est de dresser un état des connaissances sur l’exploitation du bois à des fins architecturales en Crète au 2ème millénaire avant notre ère, et ce afin de définir la place de ce matériau dans l’histoire des techniques architecturales minoennes ; d’envisager sa relation avec d’autres matériaux de construction (briques, moellons bruts, pierres de taille) ; et de mettre en évidence les traits voire les particularismes régionaux liés à l’usage du bois, et ce indépendamment du risque posé de manière permanente et uniforme sur l’île par l’activité sismique.
Following its initial recognition in 2011, the excavation of the Minoan Ceremonial Center at Siss... more Following its initial recognition in 2011, the excavation of the Minoan Ceremonial Center at Sissi (Kinotita Vrachasiou, Mirabello, Lassithi, Crete) continued for three campaigns, in 2015, 2016 and 2017. By the end of the 2017 campaign, most of the plastered Central Court and large parts of the east, north and west wings of the complex were uncovered but only the north boundary has been securely identified. While some parts of the east wing were reoccupied and remodeled during the Late Minoan III period, the rest of the complex seems largely to date to the Neopalatial period or 17th–16th B.C.E. (MM III–LM IA), although reusing earlier constructions, some of which are Prepalatial (25th century B.C.E.). The presence of Santorini ash in the abandonment levels suggests that the complex had a relatively short life span. The paper will discuss a series of particular architectural features that were found in the last three seasons including: a finely paved road or corridor which leads from the west straight into the court where it is flanked by a large platform and installation; a rectangular ashlar building and adjacent area which seems largely devoted to water collection; and certain other features in and around the central court which potentially suggest a ritual use. Incremental evidence has for a sequence of phases within the Neopalatial building complex will also be presented.
Les usages du bois dans la ville et le palais de Malia L'urbanisation et le développement d'une a... more Les usages du bois dans la ville et le palais de Malia L'urbanisation et le développement d'une architecture monumentale en Crète au II e millénaire av. J.-C. ont laissé d'impressionnantes ruines de pierre. Si l'utilisation de ce matériau a fait l'objet d'investigations poussées liées notamment aux aspects techniques et humains de la construction, d'autres sont souvent délaissés. C'est le cas de la brique crue et du bois, véritables 'parents pauvres' de l'architecture minoenne. Le site de Malia exploré sur la côte nord de l'île constitue à ce titre un ensemble archéologique remarquable, où l'étendue des fouilles et la qualité des vestiges permet d'envisager la diversité des techniques de construction minoennes. Les vestiges de bois, qui apparaissent en négatif ou dans les restes charbonneux, témoignent de la place importante de ce matériau dans l'architecture locale. Nous allons ici nous pencher sur l'incorporation dans divers édifices d'éléments en bois à des fins structurelles. La première présentation (Maia Pomadère, avec la collaboration de Gaëlle Hilbert) s'intéressera aux usages du bois dans des constructions non palatiales, en se fondant sur les indices observés dans le secteur Pi, récemment fouillé (2005-2014). La maçonnerie du bâtiment néopalatial (c. 1700-1450 av. J.-C.) mis au jour dans ce secteur se compose principalement de soubassements de moellons surmontés de briques crues, comme c'est traditionnellement le cas dans l'architecture domestique minoenne. La stratigraphie architecturale, complétée par des comparaisons avec d'autres édifices de l'agglomération maliote, permet toutefois d'illustrer le rôle structurel du bois, notamment dans le renforcement des murs et des ouvertures. L'approche technique peut aujourd'hui être complétée par les résultats d'analyses anthracologiques qui documentent les essences utilisées. La seconde présentation (Maud Devolder) abordera la question de l'usage structurel du bois dans le palais de Malia. Érigé au début du II ème millénaire av. J.-C., cet édifice monumental a livré des vestiges architecturaux substantiels datés des périodes proto-(c. 1900-1700 av. J.-C.) et néopalatiale (c. 1700-1450 av. J.-C.) marquées par plusieurs destructions par incendie qui ont littéralement 'figé' certains murs, révélant ainsi une grande diversité de pratiques architecturales. Nous allons nous pencher ici sur les pratiques liées à l'insertion du bois dans l'édifice, en sollicitant deux types de sources : d'une part l'observation détaillée de la ruine, et d'autre part les informations produites lors des fouilles du palais au début du XX ème siècle. Cette étude se fonde non seulement sur les traces laissées dans les murs par les éléments en bois aujourd'hui disparus (empreintes, mortaises et autres évidements), mais aussi sur les traits généraux des différents types de maçonneries. En effet, alors que certains murs d'apparence fragile n'ont pas requis de structure en bois intégrée dans la maçonnerie, d'autres qui semblaient structurellement plus puissants font état de l'utilisation soignée du bois. Il semble également que la vocation structurelle d'éléments en bois lors de l'aménagement des niveaux supérieurs du palais ait joué un rôle essentiel dans la configuration du dernier état de l'édifice. Ces études jettent les bases d'une discussion qui permettra de préciser la méthodologie et d'affiner certaines questions sur les choix opérés dans la construction et l'évolution de l'utilisation du bois à Malia au cours de l'Âge du Bronze.
The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto-and Neopalatial. A first... more The Minoan Palace at Malia reflects two main architectural phases, Proto-and Neopalatial. A first, Protopalatial building is erected at the onset of the second millennium BC (ca. 1900-1700 BC), and after a conflagration perhaps triggered by an earthquake around 1700 BC, the Neopalatial complex is built (ca. 1700-1450 BC). The ruin now visible is an intricate weave of both periods. This is for a large part because the Neopalatial builders saved both time and energy by reusing previous architectural materials or spolia. But the incorporation of Protopalatial remains into the new complex also reflects the desire to promote continuity within the long-standing monument. The limestone façade wall facing the NorthWest Court of the Palace is especially significant in this regard. Constructed with large boulders of grey blue limestone, it contrasts sharply with the yellowish background of cut sandstone walls erected during the Neopalatial period. This striking difference in masonry did not escape the excavators of the Palace: the sturdy look of the wall in comparison with the elaborate ashlar masonry prompted the name of 'Dungeon' for the rooms it bordered, and it was suggested that it belonged to the first, Protopalatial complex. A new architectural study of the Palace is now able to show that, even though the excavators were not entirely wrong, the story of the 'Dungeon' is significantly more complex and challenging than initially surmised. In this paper, I argue that the façade of the 'Dungeon' was erected during the Neopalatial period by reusing materials from the West façade of the Protopalatial Palace. I also argue that the new wall was constructed in masonry of grey blue boulders which specifically imitated the Protopalatial West façade in order to serve as a mnemonic device. The sharp contrast created by the 'Dungeon' with its built environment is seen as a deliberate attempt to single out its architectural legacy within the Neopalatial complex and to boost the visual impact it made on the users of the Palace crossing the NorthWest Court in order to reach the elaborate Quartier d'apparat. New architectural data in the Palace at Malia thus underline the fact that, despite the thorough reconstruction of the building after the 1700 BC destruction, special care was taken in promoting its continuity through the erection within the Neopalatial complex of walls that mirrored its Protopalatial grandeur.
This presentation considers the use of the so-called masons’ marks visible in the walls of the Ne... more This presentation considers the use of the so-called masons’ marks visible in the walls of the Neopalatial Palace at Malia, taking into account the blocks on which they are carved, the characteristics of the marks, the phase of the construction process during which the carving occurred, the proportion of marked blocks in the building, and the distribution of the signs. Based on such observations, a secular function of the marks is argued for.
Based on detailed observations of standing architectural remains, this communication sheds light ... more Based on detailed observations of standing architectural remains, this communication sheds light on the successive stages within the architectural sequence of the Palace at Malia. The state of the West Wing before and after the 1700 BC destruction is explored, providing relevant data for discussing the use of various building materials and techniques during the Proto‐ and Neopalatial periods. Also, the functions of masons' marks are explored, together with the involvement of specialised builders who participated to the building project.
During cleaning operations of the southern limits of the West Court of the Palace at Malia in 196... more During cleaning operations of the southern limits of the West Court of the Palace at Malia in 1960, the north-eastern corner of a large, well-built Protopalatial complex was discovered and subsequently cleared by André Dessenne. Destroyed by a violent fire during the MM IIB period, the building surprised by the presence of a regular plan, pillars, plastered rooms, a large number of pithoi and ashlar walls. The premature death of the excavator, however, prevented a fuller exploration of this complex, henceforth called ‘Magasins Dessenne’. Moreover, the discovery, a few years later, of the similarly dated but even better preserved Quartier Mu, resulted in the almost oblivion of the Dessenne Storage Building apart from some studies which discussed its potential organization. Since 2012, the French School at Athens has been reinvestigating the building. A detailed architectural study now allows the recognition of a new architectural sequence and a better understanding of the functional organization of the complex, implying e.g. the rather late transformation of part of the rooms in storage areas. The paper proposes to discuss these changes and to reassess the role and importance of the complex within the Protopalatial urban landscape of Malia.
Sissi V. Preliminary Report on the 2017-2019 Excavations at Sissi, 2021
Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to conta... more Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to contact individual contributors to receive pdfs of the various chapters
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
The generic term ‘masons’ marks’ is used to designate the signs chiefly carved on cut stone block... more The generic term ‘masons’ marks’ is used to designate the signs chiefly carved on cut stone blocks incorporated in Middle and early Late Bronze Age walls in elite architecture in Crete and the broader Aegean (ca. 1900-1430 BC). These marks, the purpose of which remains debated, were first identified at Knossos in 1881 by Minos Kalokairinos and attracted Arthur Evans, driven to Crete by his interest in early writing systems, to the site. This two-volume book is the work of Sinclair Hood with the assistance of Lisa Maria Bendall, who substantially edited the manuscript. It provides a detailed and comprehensive account of the ca. 1,600 marks at Knossos, by far the largest corpus of signs carved on masonry blocks at a single site in the Bronze Age Aegean, and supplies a contextual analysis of these marks.
Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architectur... more Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean (Harmanşah 2007; Knapp 2009; Broodbank 2013; Fisher 2014). Ashlar walls and orthostat lining indeed mark a considerable increase in energy investment in architecture, as well as the mobilisation of a large and skilled workforce necessary for its construction in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria and Levant. Seen against the backdrop of long-distance interactions that connect these regions from the 3rd millennium onwards and which intensify throughout the Bronze Age, the extensive use of cut stone in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean is taken as one of the main indications of knowledge transfer within the region. The precise form of this transfer remains unclear, however. Although hints at shared building practices between different areas are suggested on the basis of similarities in the tool kits, extraction methods or general structural and formal features (Hult 1983; Wright 1985; Küpper 1996; Palyvou 2005, 2009; Seeher 2008; Shaw 2009; Bachmann 2009; Phylokyprou 2013; Blackwell 2014), no obvious filiation between cut stones building techniques can be traced. Furthermore, detailed technical case-studies, the prerequisite for any comparative study, are few. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the materiality of cut stone masonry in the different regions of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, in order to provide data that will lay the foundations for a meaningful discussion on transfer of architectural knowledge.
International workshop organized by AEGIS (UCLouvain‐INCAL‐CEMA) and the ARC 'A World in Crisis' ... more International workshop organized by AEGIS (UCLouvain‐INCAL‐CEMA) and the ARC 'A World in Crisis' LOUVAIN‐LA‐NEUVE, 8 TH ‐9 TH OF MARCH 2018 First Circular – Call for papers Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean (Harmanşah 2007; Knapp 2009; Broodbank 2013; Fisher 2014). Ashlar walls and orthostat lining indeed mark a considerable increase in energy investment in architecture, as well as the mobilisation of a large and skilled workforce necessary for its construction in the 3 rd and 2 nd millennium BC Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria and Levant. Seen against the backdrop of long‐distance interactions that connect these regions from the 3 rd millennium onwards and which intensify throughout the Bronze Age, the extensive use of cut stone in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean is taken as one of the main indications of knowledge transfer within the region. The precise form of this transfer remains unclear, however. Although hints at shared building practices between different areas are suggested on the basis of similarities in the tool kits, extraction methods or general structural and formal features, no obvious filiation between cut stones building techniques can be traced. Furthermore, detailed technical case‐studies, the prerequisite for any comparative study, are few. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the materiality of cut stone masonry in the different regions of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, in order to provide data that will lay the foundations for a meaningful discussion on transfer of architectural knowledge. For doing so, we welcome contributions of two types: 1. Comparative studies that focus on the following questions: When and under what form(s) did cut stone masonry appear in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean? What are the specific technical and formal traits of cut stone masonry, and do these remain stable or do they evolve throughout the Bronze Age within each region? What is the production process associated with cut stone masonry in each region of the Eastern Mediterranean? For what purposes were ashlars and orthostats used and is it possible to point out synchronic or diachronic differences in their cultural significance? Are there any indications that the builders tended to adopt foreign architectural traits in stone masonry, and if yes, how did they adapt them to the specificities of the building materials available locally? Or, on the contrary, does cut stone masonry in each region reflect resistance to external influences, and if so, what is the impact of tradition and physical determinism? 2. Case‐driven investigations of ashlar and orthostat use. These contributions should address the stone‐working technologies and construction techniques that were practiced as well as the functional, social and symbolic roles cut stone masonry played in the spaces and structures it adorned. Other topics might include, but are not limited to: the development of ashlar and orthostat use in a site over time; a comparison between the techniques used for the production of cut stone architecture and stone statuary; the assessment of the skill involved in producing cut stone architecture in regard to the use of other building materials; the impact of the development of cut stone architecture on local and long‐used building materials. A Preliminary title and an abstract of minimum 500 words should be sent to the organisers (maud.devolder@uclouvain.be) by the 30 th of September 2017. The number of speakers will be limited and priority will be given to contributions related to the objectives described above. Travel and hotel expenses are not covered by the organisers but lunches will be taken care of. Each presentation will be 30 minutes, and the conference proceedings will be published in the AEGIS collection.
Les recherches menées en 2024 dans le cadre du projet de publication des anciennes fouilles et de... more Les recherches menées en 2024 dans le cadre du projet de publication des anciennes fouilles et des sondages au Palais de Malia ont porté sur les Maisons Sud. Il s’agit d’un habitat fouillé en 1931 et 1932 sous la direction de Fernand Chapouthier et généralement attribué à la fin de la période prépalatiale et au début de la période protopalatiale (fin 3ème – début 2ème mill. av. J.-C.). L’aile et la façade sud du Palais empiètent en partie sur ces Maisons Sud, marquant ainsi l’extension de l’édifice palatial lors de sa reconstruction à la période néopalatiale, vers 1600 av. J.-C. Remblayées immédiatement après la fouille, les Maisons Sud n’ont fait l’objet que d’une présentation de quelques pages dans le Quatrième Rapport des anciennes fouilles au Palais de Malia. Nous souhaitons désormais fournir une publication plus détaillée de cet ensemble. Ce projet doit nous permettre de mieux appréhender la céramique des phases du Minoen Ancien III et du Minoen Moyen IA et B encore trop peu connues à Malia ; d’établir la séquence de l’occupation domestique puis palatiale sous l’aile sud du Palais et immédiatement à l’extérieur de celui-ci ; et de nourrir l’état des connaissances sur l’habitat de la fin du Prépalatial et du début du Protopalatial en Crète.
Au printemps 2017 les travaux au Palais de Malia se poursuivent pour la quatrième année consécuti... more Au printemps 2017 les travaux au Palais de Malia se poursuivent pour la quatrième année consécutive, sous la direction de Maud Devolder. Les recherches s’organisent en trois volets : l’étude architecturale des ruines, le relevé photogrammétrique et par scanner laser des murs de l’édifice et l’étude de la stratigraphie et du matériel des sondages menés par Olivier Pelon. Elles visent à rassembler les informations et la documentation graphique nécessaires en vue de la publication finale de l’édifice. La mission 2017 bénéficie du soutien de l’École française d’Athènes, de la Fondation Onassis, de la Fondation Gerda Henkel, de l’Institute for the Study of Aegean Prehistory et du groupe de recherche AEGIS (UCLouvain/INCAL/CEMA). Available online at : https://www.efa.gr/index.php/fr/recherche/activites-de-l-efa/1141-activites-de-terrain-de-l-efa-palais-de-malia-2017
Summary of the ongoing research project dealing with the study and publication of the Palace at M... more Summary of the ongoing research project dealing with the study and publication of the Palace at Malia. English version soon available on the French School website.
Summary of the research project (2012-2015) dealing with the study and publication of the Dessenn... more Summary of the research project (2012-2015) dealing with the study and publication of the Dessenne Building in Malia. English version soon available on the French School website.
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Papers by Maud Devolder
Before letting the reader enter the core of the volume and explore the range of approaches to ashlar offered by contributors specialized in different geographical areas and sites, it bears upon the editors to provide a terminological and contextual framework in this introductory chapter. Characterizing the forms, techniques and building processes associated with cut-stone masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age is a daunting task. Data are spread over an extensive geographical and chronological context – the latter often debated – and the description of ashlar components and masonries is often provided with varying degrees of details and a loose terminology. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to provide a reminder of the terminology of cut-stone building components and masonry, to describe the specific techniques related to its production, and to provide a synopsis of ashlar use in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. This regional synopsis is followed by a presentation of the challenges addressed during the workshop, and which fashioned the research questions addressed in the different, focused, contributions to this volume. These and the present introductory chapter address the research questions through varying case studies, datasets and methodologies, thus providing an in-depth understanding of the use of ashlar in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, and providing a sound basis for discussion and comparison pertaining to this elaborate building technique.
Résumé - Est envisagée ici la pauvreté du corpus funéraire néopalatial (1650/1640 - 1440/1430 av.J.-C.), en même temps que les différents facteurs, naturels et culturels, susceptibles d’en être la cause. On suggère l’exposition des corps ou leur dépôt sommaire dans des cavités naturelles, dans le prolongement de pratiques crétoises anciennes, à l’origine de leur rareté dans le paysage archéologique au Néopalatial. La sphère palatiale semble désormais offrir un cadre rituel plus adapté aux besoins de la population et participe au désintérêt pour des cadres funéraires monumentaux caractéristiques des époques pré- et protopalatiale. Parallèlement à la pauvreté du corpus, les pratiques funéraires néanmoins identifiées sont explorées. On met en exergue la diversité des cadres funéraires, leur contenu matériel et les pratiques rituelles dont ils faisaient l’objet.
Les deux campagnes d’étude menées en 2022 dans le cadre du projet d’étude et de publication du Palais de Malia se sont concentrées d’une part sur l’étude du matériel céramique et des données stratigraphiques associés à la séquence de l’occupation néopalatiale au sein de l’édifice (fouilles et sondages 1915-1992), et d’autre part sur la finalisation de l’étude liée à la publication finale du matériel et des données issues des fouilles et sondages dans les pièces au Nord de la cour centrale du Palais (1923-1992).
Résumé – Une série de blocs en calcaire cristallin gris noir et gréseux gris ont été découverts remployés sous la forme d’éléments architectoniques divers (bases de colonnes, seuils, marches ou linteaux par exemple) au sein du palais néopalatial de Malia. Leur observation détaillée a permis de déterminer qu’ils provenaient d’une assise de nivellement dans la façade Ouest du palais détruit à la fin de la période protopalatiale. Les matériaux utilisés et le soin apporté au façonnage des blocs illustrent la qualité du projet architectural. Leur restitution au sein du palais protopalatial de Malia met également en évidence le parallèle avec les façades Ouest des palais de Knossos et Phaistos, et suggère l’existence d’une communauté de pratiques architecturales entre les différents palais crétois au Protopalatial.
Cet article analyse en détails les traces relatives à la présence d’une structure en bois insérée dans les murs principalement érigés en pierre de taille autour de la Cour Nord du palais de Malia au début de la période néopalatiale. Cette analyse reflète l’association étroite entre les jambages qui encadraient les portes d’accès vers les pièces autour de la cour, la structure en bois insérée dans les murs, et les éléments liés au couvrement du portique bordant la cour. L’unité structurelle de l’ensemble est encore renforcée par l’uniformité de son apparence architecturale, et par l’originalité de la maçonnerie au sein du palais de Malia. Les traits des murs bordant le portique de la Cour Nord reflètent ainsi le soin apporté par des constructeurs apparemment soucieux de l’efficacité structurelle et de l’harmonie de l’ensemble, des bâtisseurs dont il n’est pas exclu qu’ils aient également travaillé au palais de Knossos.
This approach is based on a quantitative method of estimating the time needed to build a structure. It relies on
standard costs empirically established through experiments, observations and accounts of large building sites. The
volumes of materials of a selection of Neopalatial buildings which offer a suficient degree of architectural precision
are estimated, to which standard costs are hence applied. Based on such application, the strong polarisation
between the costs of Neopalatial simple and complex buildings is obvious, but more pertinently the relationship
between the potential workforce and the costs of simple or vernacular architecture reafirms the involvement of the
inhabitants in the construction of their own homes. This state ment makes it possible to explore the size of a Neopalatial social unit associated with vernacular architecture. Complex or “polite” architecture shows a drastically different scheme. In this case, the manpower needed by far exceeds the capacity of the residents to provide the re quired workforce. Rather, it indicates the privileged access of the commissioners to resources, both human and agricultural. They were able to mobilise many workers, amongst whom were specia lists, thus relying on a totally different kind of workforce, both in terms of availability and nature.
Before letting the reader enter the core of the volume and explore the range of approaches to ashlar offered by contributors specialized in different geographical areas and sites, it bears upon the editors to provide a terminological and contextual framework in this introductory chapter. Characterizing the forms, techniques and building processes associated with cut-stone masonry in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age is a daunting task. Data are spread over an extensive geographical and chronological context – the latter often debated – and the description of ashlar components and masonries is often provided with varying degrees of details and a loose terminology. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to provide a reminder of the terminology of cut-stone building components and masonry, to describe the specific techniques related to its production, and to provide a synopsis of ashlar use in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. This regional synopsis is followed by a presentation of the challenges addressed during the workshop, and which fashioned the research questions addressed in the different, focused, contributions to this volume. These and the present introductory chapter address the research questions through varying case studies, datasets and methodologies, thus providing an in-depth understanding of the use of ashlar in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, and providing a sound basis for discussion and comparison pertaining to this elaborate building technique.
Résumé - Est envisagée ici la pauvreté du corpus funéraire néopalatial (1650/1640 - 1440/1430 av.J.-C.), en même temps que les différents facteurs, naturels et culturels, susceptibles d’en être la cause. On suggère l’exposition des corps ou leur dépôt sommaire dans des cavités naturelles, dans le prolongement de pratiques crétoises anciennes, à l’origine de leur rareté dans le paysage archéologique au Néopalatial. La sphère palatiale semble désormais offrir un cadre rituel plus adapté aux besoins de la population et participe au désintérêt pour des cadres funéraires monumentaux caractéristiques des époques pré- et protopalatiale. Parallèlement à la pauvreté du corpus, les pratiques funéraires néanmoins identifiées sont explorées. On met en exergue la diversité des cadres funéraires, leur contenu matériel et les pratiques rituelles dont ils faisaient l’objet.
Les deux campagnes d’étude menées en 2022 dans le cadre du projet d’étude et de publication du Palais de Malia se sont concentrées d’une part sur l’étude du matériel céramique et des données stratigraphiques associés à la séquence de l’occupation néopalatiale au sein de l’édifice (fouilles et sondages 1915-1992), et d’autre part sur la finalisation de l’étude liée à la publication finale du matériel et des données issues des fouilles et sondages dans les pièces au Nord de la cour centrale du Palais (1923-1992).
Résumé – Une série de blocs en calcaire cristallin gris noir et gréseux gris ont été découverts remployés sous la forme d’éléments architectoniques divers (bases de colonnes, seuils, marches ou linteaux par exemple) au sein du palais néopalatial de Malia. Leur observation détaillée a permis de déterminer qu’ils provenaient d’une assise de nivellement dans la façade Ouest du palais détruit à la fin de la période protopalatiale. Les matériaux utilisés et le soin apporté au façonnage des blocs illustrent la qualité du projet architectural. Leur restitution au sein du palais protopalatial de Malia met également en évidence le parallèle avec les façades Ouest des palais de Knossos et Phaistos, et suggère l’existence d’une communauté de pratiques architecturales entre les différents palais crétois au Protopalatial.
Cet article analyse en détails les traces relatives à la présence d’une structure en bois insérée dans les murs principalement érigés en pierre de taille autour de la Cour Nord du palais de Malia au début de la période néopalatiale. Cette analyse reflète l’association étroite entre les jambages qui encadraient les portes d’accès vers les pièces autour de la cour, la structure en bois insérée dans les murs, et les éléments liés au couvrement du portique bordant la cour. L’unité structurelle de l’ensemble est encore renforcée par l’uniformité de son apparence architecturale, et par l’originalité de la maçonnerie au sein du palais de Malia. Les traits des murs bordant le portique de la Cour Nord reflètent ainsi le soin apporté par des constructeurs apparemment soucieux de l’efficacité structurelle et de l’harmonie de l’ensemble, des bâtisseurs dont il n’est pas exclu qu’ils aient également travaillé au palais de Knossos.
This approach is based on a quantitative method of estimating the time needed to build a structure. It relies on
standard costs empirically established through experiments, observations and accounts of large building sites. The
volumes of materials of a selection of Neopalatial buildings which offer a suficient degree of architectural precision
are estimated, to which standard costs are hence applied. Based on such application, the strong polarisation
between the costs of Neopalatial simple and complex buildings is obvious, but more pertinently the relationship
between the potential workforce and the costs of simple or vernacular architecture reafirms the involvement of the
inhabitants in the construction of their own homes. This state ment makes it possible to explore the size of a Neopalatial social unit associated with vernacular architecture. Complex or “polite” architecture shows a drastically different scheme. In this case, the manpower needed by far exceeds the capacity of the residents to provide the re quired workforce. Rather, it indicates the privileged access of the commissioners to resources, both human and agricultural. They were able to mobilise many workers, amongst whom were specia lists, thus relying on a totally different kind of workforce, both in terms of availability and nature.
Cet ouvrage offre la publication définitive d’un ensemble architectural protopalatial découvert en 1960 par André Dessenne aux abords immédiats du palais de Malia. L’étude architecturale de la ruine et la présentation détaillée du matériel mis au jour par l’archéologue permettent de considérer le rôle du Bâtiment Dessenne au sein de l’établissement au début du IIème millénaire av. J.-C. Complétées par de nouvelles fouilles, les recherches à l’origine de cet ouvrage produisent également des données inédites sur l’occupation de Malia au Prépalatial et sur les grands travaux d’aménagement de la fin du IIIème millénaire qui préfigurent la construction du palais au Protopalatial. Architecture, céramique, vases, poids et outillage en pierre, sceaux et scellés, faune terrestre et marine et restes archéobotaniques sont envisagés par des spécialistes dont les travaux produisent une synthèse importante sur le développement du site à l’Âge du Bronze. L’ouvrage présente ainsi de manière détaillée un édifice minoen d’élite tout en l’insérant dans une perspective historique plus large, en offrant notamment une révision de la séquence pré- et protopalatiale au cœur de l’établissement maliote.
added, modified, or confirmed past ideas on Minoan civilization.
Résumé - Longtemps négligé au profit de matériaux plus ‘nobles’ et certainement plus durables, le bois occupe depuis plusieurs années une place nouvelle dans les études sur l’architecture crétoise de l’Âge du Bronze. Malgré ce regain d’intérêt reflété tant par les études archéobotaniques que par celles traitant des matériaux et techniques de construction, les connaissances sur la place et le rôle du bois dans le bâti minoen restent souvent empiriques. Ceci est en grande partie dû aux objectifs et moyens divers des fouilles et recherches menées sur les différents sites crétois, à la plus grande attention accordée dans les études à l’architecture d’élite où le bois semble avoir occupé une place particulière, et surtout à l’idée prépondérante que l’usage de ce matériau était rendu indispensable par les risques provoqués par les séismes fréquents sur l’île. De l’absence quasiment complète du bois dans les rapports archéologiques, on en est donc progressivement venu à son omniprésence supposée dans l’architecture minoenne. L’objectif de cette communication est de dresser un état des connaissances sur l’exploitation du bois à des fins architecturales en Crète au 2ème millénaire avant notre ère, et ce afin de définir la place de ce matériau dans l’histoire des techniques architecturales minoennes ; d’envisager sa relation avec d’autres matériaux de construction (briques, moellons bruts, pierres de taille) ; et de mettre en évidence les traits voire les particularismes régionaux liés à l’usage du bois, et ce indépendamment du risque posé de manière permanente et uniforme sur l’île par l’activité sismique.
La première présentation (Maia Pomadère, avec la collaboration de Gaëlle Hilbert) s'intéressera aux usages du bois dans des constructions non palatiales, en se fondant sur les indices observés dans le secteur Pi, récemment fouillé (2005-2014). La maçonnerie du bâtiment néopalatial (c. 1700-1450 av. J.-C.) mis au jour dans ce secteur se compose principalement de soubassements de moellons surmontés de briques crues, comme c'est traditionnellement le cas dans l'architecture domestique minoenne. La stratigraphie architecturale, complétée par des comparaisons avec d'autres édifices de l'agglomération maliote, permet toutefois d'illustrer le rôle structurel du bois, notamment dans le renforcement des murs et des ouvertures. L'approche technique peut aujourd'hui être complétée par les résultats d'analyses anthracologiques qui documentent les essences utilisées.
La seconde présentation (Maud Devolder) abordera la question de l'usage structurel du bois dans le palais de Malia. Érigé au début du II ème millénaire av. J.-C., cet édifice monumental a livré des vestiges architecturaux substantiels datés des périodes proto-(c. 1900-1700 av. J.-C.) et néopalatiale (c. 1700-1450 av. J.-C.) marquées par plusieurs destructions par incendie qui ont littéralement 'figé' certains murs, révélant ainsi une grande diversité de pratiques architecturales. Nous allons nous pencher ici sur les pratiques liées à l'insertion du bois dans l'édifice, en sollicitant deux types de sources : d'une part l'observation détaillée de la ruine, et d'autre part les informations produites lors des fouilles du palais au début du XX ème siècle. Cette étude se fonde non seulement sur les traces laissées dans les murs par les éléments en bois aujourd'hui disparus (empreintes, mortaises et autres évidements), mais aussi sur les traits généraux des différents types de maçonneries. En effet, alors que certains murs d'apparence fragile n'ont pas requis de structure en bois intégrée dans la maçonnerie, d'autres qui semblaient structurellement plus puissants font état de l'utilisation soignée du bois. Il semble également que la vocation structurelle d'éléments en bois lors de l'aménagement des niveaux supérieurs du palais ait joué un rôle essentiel dans la configuration du dernier état de l'édifice.
Ces études jettent les bases d'une discussion qui permettra de préciser la méthodologie et d'affiner certaines questions sur les choix opérés dans la construction et l'évolution de l'utilisation du bois à Malia au cours de l'Âge du Bronze.
https://www.efa.gr/index.php/fr/recherche/activites-de-l-efa/1141-activites-de-terrain-de-l-efa-palais-de-malia-2017