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Stirrup jar

Π2906
Clay
Incomplete, mended and restored.
Height: 32 cm.
Palaikastro
Late Bronze Age. Postpalatial period, Late Minoan ΙΙΙ Α2 period.:
1375-1300 BC:
Gallery:
XI
Exhibition thematic unit:
Late Bronze Age - Postpalatial period (1300-1100 BC). Settlements. Sanctuaries. Tombs
Settlements
Description
Large stirrup jars, also known as “false-necked amphorae”, were the main vessels used to transport goods in the prehistoric Aegean in the Late Bronze Age. Particularly at the beginning of Late Minoan III, to which this example from Palaikastro is dated, production increased alongside the variety of types and sizes, both in Crete and in mainland Greece, due to the expansion of commercial activity and the network of exchange across the Mediterranean. The sealed false spout and the narrow true cylindrical spout made the vessel easier to handle and transport, ensuring the safety of its contents, perhaps wine and olive oil. In some cases, the stylised decoration or a written inscription may have functioned as “labels” denoting the type or origin of the contents. The vessel bears decoration typical of the Minoan and Mycenaean vase-painting trends of the time, the main feature being the standardisation of the ornaments and the stylisation of the pictorial themes, some of which survive from earlier periods. The wavy band on the body could be a stylised depiction of octopus tentacles, while the shoulder is decorated with repeated linear motifs in zones.
Bibliography:
Λείπει
Author:
I. N.


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