The Masons’ Marks of Minoan Knossos
by Sinclair Hood and edited by Lisa Bendall
The signs known as ‘masons’ marks’ were carved on blocks of stone in Bronze Age Crete over a period of some 500 years from around 2000 BC until the middle of the 15th century bc. The earliest examples seem to occur at Knossos, dating from the time when the so-called Early Palace was constructed there. Soon thereafter blocks with comparable signs were incorporated in the palatial centres at Phaistos and Malia. In due course, the practice spread elsewhere in Crete and to Akrotiri on the island of Thera, but is only rarely attested on the Greek mainland. By far the greatest number of these signs occurs at Knossos, making this site of unique importance for their study and interpretation. Volume I presents a typology and chronology of the signs, considers their distribution beyond Knossos, examines comparanda in other media and in cultures beyond Crete, and provides a detailed discussion of their purpose. It also offers a full catalogue of some 1600 signs in the Palace of Knossos and surrounding buildings. The commentary provides invaluable evidence for the architectural history of the Palace, drawing on copious unpublished observations made by Evans during the excavations and the work of later scholars. Volume II presents a complete photographic record of the Knossian signs, numerous line drawings, as well as plans and elevations showing their location. Much of the field work for this volume was undertaken from 1978-81, following the realization that many signs were disappearing rapidly, owing to weathering and flaking away of surfaces on which they had been cut. In the years since, further losses have occurred. Thus this monumental study provides crucial documentation, never to be repeated, for the major palatial site of Minoan Knossos and will serve as a key research tool for students and scholars of Bronze Age Crete.
- By (author) Sinclair Hood
- Edited by Lisa Bendall
Other Titles in this Series
Similar Books
Archaeological Excavations at Irmis Rka: An Investigation of a Multi-Layered Settlement in Southwest Georgia
Results from the 2020 Season: Early Bronze Age to Medieval Occupations
Caesar’s Visions and Impact on the Roman Empire
Revisiting the Archaeological and Historical Record of the 40s BC
Volume 2
Catuvellaunia and Rome: Economic and Political Relations during the Final Decades Pre-conquest
The Role of Grain from Southeastern Britain and Its Potential for Maintenance of the Roman Military along the Frontier on the Rhine
Construction Processes in Historical Western Societies (5th c. BC – 10th c. AD)
Case Studies on Techniques, Models, and Costs
Etruscan and Roman Hellenistic Anatomical ex votos
Reassessing Popular Religious Expressions in Central Italy
Volume 8
Invisible Labour in Antiquity
Visualizing Obscure Work in the Ancient Mediterannean and West Asia
Volume 1
Late Antique villae in the Balkans (3rd–7th c. AD): Current Research Questions and Perspectives
HAEMUS Companion to the Late Antique Balkans 1
Volume 4
Making and Meaning in the Bronze and Iron Ages
Chronology, Landscapes and Societies across Europe. Proceedings from the METALAGES2024 Colloquium (Florence, 23 October 2024)
Portraying the Individual in the Roman East
Local–Imperial Entanglements in Sculpture, Mosaics, and Paintings (First–Fourth Centuries AD)
Volume 18
Roman Copies, Collecting, and Culture in the Bay of Naples and Beyond
Papers in Honor of Eugene J. Dwyer
Small Worlds and Relational Agencies: Local Societies in Early Medieval Iberia
Pequeños mundos y Agencias relacionales: Sociedades locales altomedievales en la Península Ibérica
SOMA 2023: Proceedings of the 24th Symposium on Mediterranean Archaeology
Ideas that Travelled by the Sea, Udine, 2-4 February, 2023