in/στο Σταμπολίδης Ν. και Σωτηρακοπούλου Π., Kυκλαδικά και κυκλαδίζοντα Ειδώλια μέσα στην ανασκαφική τους συνάφεια/Cycladic and Cycladicizing figurines within their archaeological context, διεθνές συνέδριο στο Μουσείο Κυκλαδικής Τέχνης...
morein/στο Σταμπολίδης Ν. και Σωτηρακοπούλου Π., Kυκλαδικά και κυκλαδίζοντα Ειδώλια μέσα στην ανασκαφική τους συνάφεια/Cycladic and Cycladicizing figurines within their archaeological context, διεθνές συνέδριο στο Μουσείο Κυκλαδικής Τέχνης 1-2/10/2015, Παν. Κρήτης-Μουσείο Κυκλαδικής Τέχνης, Αθήνα 2017, 133-165
The impressive group fromTekes (modern Ampelokipoi in Herakleion, Crete, on the road from Herakleion to Knossos)comprises five marble Cycladic-type figurines with folded arms (Figs. 1-5), a marble Cycladic-type figurine of a woman sitting on a stool (Fig. 6), a miniature group of two standing female figures of chlorite schist (Fig. 7), two silver daggers – onewith amid-rib (Fig. 9) and anotherwith threemid-ribs (Fig. 10) –, and a boat-shaped object of psammitic limestone
with an elongated notch on the underside and two holes pierced through on the long sides for positioning and securing a shaft (Fig. 8). Spyridon Marinatos reported that the group was found by farmers in the Nisiotis’ field and handed over to the Herakleion Archaeological Museum in 1932; therefore, nothing is known of its archaeological context. This and the fact that the archaeological investigation of the location indicated by the finders produced no results raise questions
concerning both the finds’provenance and authenticity and their possible use and significance. The present paper discusses these questions by examining several parameters.
Most of the objects belong towell-established types known fromsecure archaeological contexts.More specifically, two almost identical figurines (Figs. 1-2) are typical examples of the Koumasa variety, although they do differ slightly in the rendering of certain anatomical features fromfigurines of the same variety from different Cretan sites and each finds
its closest parallel in the other. Two other figurines (Figs. 3-4), which also find their closest parallel in one another, combine elements of the Koumasa variety with features of the Plastiras and precanonical types and features of the Chalandriani variety or the postcanonical type. The fifth figurine (Fig. 5) has all of the typical characteristics of the Dokathismata variety, but differs fromall examples of this variety in its particularly short upper torso. Its closest parallel regarding this
feature is a Dokathismata variety figurine from Trypiti in Melos, which, however, like the Tekes figurine, was handed over to the authorities and has no known archaeological context. The seated female figurine (Fig. 6) has all of the characteristics of other figurines in this typological group, but differs from the min the rendering of the head’s anatomical features, the legs, which are attached throughout, and themixing of elements fromdifferent types and varieties (Plastiras and precanonical types, Spedos and Koumasa varieties). The silver dagger with mid-rib (Fig. 9) has parallels regarding both the type and material in daggers excavated at other Cretan sites, whereas the dagger with three mid-ribs (Fig. 10) is unique. So is the miniature group of two standing figures (Fig. 7), although both figures are typical examples of the Koumasa variety.
Finally, although similar to finds from Early Minoan tholos tombs, which have been interpreted as dagger handles and, in one instance, as the head of a pin, the boat-shaped object (Fig. 8) differs from these in the number of holes, the number, size and shape of the notches, and – with one exception – the rectangular knob on the upper surface. It is unknown whether or not the objects from Tekes formed a closed group, as assumed repeatedly. Their date and interpretation are equally uncertain given the absence of any archaeological records. Scholars have suggested various dates covering a wide time span, ranging from Early Minoan I to the Middle Minoan I period.
The question of the provenance of the Tekes objects is two-fold. Firstly, it is about how many and which objects can be considered the work of Cretan craftsmen imitating Cycladic prototypes, and how many and which of these objects can be regarded as Cycladic objects imported to Crete. Secondly, it is about whether or not the information that these objects were found at Tekes can be archaeologically confirmed. Regarding the first part of the question, the only objects that might be considered Cycladic imports are the Dokathismata variety figurine (Fig. 5) and, possibly, the two
silver daggers (Figs. 9-10) because of their material, although it is equally possible that they were manufactured in Crete using silver imported from Siphnos, which was the main source for silver and lead in Prepalatial Crete. The remaining fig urines (Figs. 1-4, 6-7) and the boat-shaped object (Fig. 8) were probably produced in Crete. Indeed, the fact that the two
figurines that are typical examples of the Koumasa variety (Figs. 1-2) and the two figurines with the unusual typological characteristics (Figs. 3-4) find their closest parallels in one another suggests that each pair was manufactured by the same workshop or craftsman, a hypothesis confirming the information that these figurines were found together. Regarding
the second part of the question, Tekes is likely the find spot of these objects because of its location both in the area of the North Cemetery of Knossos, which was in use from the Late Minoan period to the early Orientalizing period, and near known Early Minoan sites in north-central Crete, such as Poros-Katsambas, Pyrgos, Gournes, Knossos, Phourni at Archanes, Kyparissi Temenous, and Kanli Kastelli, which hadmore or less close contacts with the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age and of which some have been interpreted as Cycladic settlements. Furthermore, an excavation conducted in recent years by the Antiquities Ephorate of Herakleion very close to the Tekes group alleged find spot yielded a very large deposit, whose main phase is dated by the excavator to the Neopalatial period, but pottery of the Middle Minoan period and some Early Minoan finds have also been identified.
The discussion of the objects’ authenticity should take into account firstly the impression produced by the objects themselves and secondly the existing evidence for the manufacture and trade of modern imitations as authentic antiquities both in Crete and the Cyclades. Although at present nothing can certify the authenticity of objects without known archaeological provenance, there is no indication that the objects from Tekes are fake. In this respect, it is worth
mentioning an unpublished figurine of the Koumasa variety, now in the Herakleion Archaeological Museum (Fig. 11), which was confiscated at Krya Vrysi, outside of the village of Zinta, in 1965 and whose overall appearance and remains of intense black colour on the top of the head raise serious doubts concerning its authenticity.
The conclusions drawn from the above discussion support both the objects’ Tekes provenance and their authenticity. As for the function of their alleged find spot, the objects’ high quality, symbolic meaning, state of preservation, and similarity with finds from other sites in central Crete indicate that this was probably a cemetery.
Το εντυπωσιακό σύνολο ευρημάτων από τον Τεκέ, την σημερινή συνοικία του Ηρακλείου Κρήτης με την ονομασία Αμπελόκηποι, αποτελείται από έξι μαρμάρινα ειδώλια κυκλαδικού τύπου, ένα μοναδικό μέχρι στιγμής μικρογραφικό σύμπλεγμα δύο ισταμένων μορφών από χλωριτικό σχιστόλιθο, δύο αργυρά εγχειρίδια, ένα από τα οποία με τρεις ανάγλυφες νευρώσεις επίσης χωρίς γνωστά παράλληλα, και ένα λεμβόσχημο αντικείμενο από ψαμμιτικό ασβεστόλιθο με διαμπερή οπή και εγκοπή για την ένθεση και στερέωση στελέχους, ίσως λαβή εγχειριδίου ή σκήπτρου. Ένα από τα ειδώλια, που τυπολογικά εντάσσεται στην παραλλαγή Δωκαθισμάτων, φαίνεται να είναι απ’ευθείας εισαγωγή από τις Κυκλάδες, ενώ τα υπόλοιπα φαίνεται να κατασκευάστηκαν στην Κρήτη κατ’ απομίμησιν κυκλαδικών προτύπων.
Τα αντικείμενα αποτελούν τυχαία ευρήματα αγροτών στον αγρό Δ. Νησιώτη, τα οποία παραδόθηκαν στο Μουσείο Ηρακλείου το 1932, με συνέπεια τίποτε από τις ακριβείς συνθήκες εύρεσής τους να μην είναι γνωστό. Το γεγονός αυτό σε συνδυασμό με το ότι η ανασκαφική έρευνα που ακολούθησε στο σημείο που υπέδειξαν οι ευρέτες απέβη άκαρπη γεννά ερωτήματα τόσον ως προς την εγκυρότητα της προέλευσης και την αυθεντικότητα των ευρημάτων όσο και ως προς την πιθανή σημασία και την χρήση τους. Τα ερωτήματα αυτά συζητούνται με βάση την εξέταση ποικίλων παραμέτρων, όπως η τυπολογική κατάταξη και χρονολόγηση του συνόλου επί τη βάσει παραλλήλων με ασφαλή ανασκαφική προέλευση, η γεωγραφική θέση του Τεκέ στην περιοχή του βορείου νεκροταφείου της Κνωσού και πολύ κοντά σε σημαντικά πρωτομινωικά κέντρα της βόρειας Κρήτης με σαφείς κυκλαδικές επιδράσεις και οι υπάρχουσες μαρτυρίες για την έναρξη παραγωγής στην Κρήτη σύγχρονων απομιμήσεων αρχαιοτήτων.
Πέγκυ Σωτηρακοπούλου και Γιώργος Γαβαλάς
