Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:36:07.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

NATURAL HISTORY OF A BRONZE AGE JEWEL FOUND IN CRETE: THE MALIA PENDANT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2020

E Charles Nelson Open the ORCID record for E Charles Nelson [Opens in a new window] ,
Georgios Mavrofridis Open the ORCID record for Georgios Mavrofridis [Opens in a new window]  and
Ioannis Th Anagnostopoulos Open the ORCID record for Ioannis Th Anagnostopoulos [Opens in a new window]
E Charles Nelson
Affiliation:
Tippitiwitchet Cottage, Hall Road, Outwell, Wisbech PE14 8PE, Norfolk, UK. Email: [email protected]
Georgios Mavrofridis
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biogeography & Ecology, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100Mytilene, Greece. Email: [email protected]
Ioannis Th Anagnostopoulos
Affiliation:
School of Education, University of Western Macedonia, 53100Florina, Greece. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The unique gold pendant found at Chrysolakkos, Malia, Crete, in 1930 has been variously interpreted, and usually is said to represent a pair of bees. This vague interpretation is discussed, and it is pointed out that the three discs that are suspended from the pendant closely resemble the fruits of a native Cretan herb, Tordylium apulum. Megascolia maculata, a member of the order Hymenoptera, is proposed as the model for the insects. Like a gold toggle pin, also from Chrysolakkos, the pendant demonstrates that Cretan goldsmiths were capable of creating aesthetically pleasing work by paying close attention to the local flora and fauna and used examples as the models for their unique jewellery

Keywords

Tordylium apulumMegascolia maculataRomulea bulbocodiumChrysolakkos (Malia, Crete)Middle Minoan artMinoan gold jewellery
Type
Research paper
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 101 , September 2021 , pp. 67 - 78
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society of Antiquaries of London

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barratt, B I P 2003. Aspects of Reproductive Biology and Behaviour of Scoliid Wasps, DOC Science Internal Ser. 147, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand Google Scholar
Baumann, H, Stearn, W T and Stearn, E R 1993. Greek Wild Flowers and Plant Lore in Ancient Greece, The Herbert Press, London Google Scholar
Bloedow, F E and Björk, C 1989. ‘The Mallia insect pendant: a study in iconography and Minoan religion’, Studi micenei ed egeo-anatolici, 27, 9–67, pls i–xixGoogle Scholar
Branigan, K 1970. The Foundations of Palatial Crete, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London Google Scholar
Crane, E 1983. The Archaeology of Beekeeping, Duckworth, London Google Scholar
Crane, E 1999. The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting, Routledge, London CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davenport, D 1975. ‘The Cretan “hornet”’, Antiquity, 49, 212 Google Scholar
Demargne, J 1930. ‘Bijoux minoens de Mallia’, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique, 54, 404–21CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deubner, O 1937. ‚Mordwespen‘, Archäologischer Anzeiger, 308–10Google Scholar
Dimopoulou-Rethemiotakis, H 2005. The Archaeological Museum of Herakleion, EFG Eurobank, Athens Google Scholar
Evans, A 1935. The Palace of Minos: volume 4, part 1, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Google Scholar
Fielding, J and Turland, N 2005. Flowers of Crete, Kew Publishing, Richmond, Surrey Google Scholar
Grey-Wilson, C and Blamey, M 1993. Mediterranean Wild Flowers, HarperCollins, London Google Scholar
Hood, S 1976. ‘The Mallia gold pendant: wasps or bees?’, in Emmison, F and Stephens, R (eds), Tribute to an Antiquary: essays presented to Marc Fitch by some of his friends, 59–72, Leopard’s Head Press, London Google Scholar
Kataki, E 2012. ‘Trial excavation at the National Stadium in Chania’, in M Andrianakis, Varthalitou, P and Tzachili, I (eds), Archaeological Work in Crete 2: proceedings of the second meeting, Rethymnon, 26–28 November 2010, 537–547, Faculty of Letters Publications, University of Crete, Rethymnon Google Scholar
Kitchell, K F 1981. ‘The Mallia “wasp” pendant reconsidered’, Antiquity, 55, 9–15 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koehl, R B 2011. ‘South Levantine Middle Bronze Age gold-work in the Aegean’, in Andreadaki-Vlazaki, M (ed), Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of Cretan Studies, Chania, 1–8 October 2006, 189–208, Literary Society ‘Chryssostomos’, ChaniaGoogle Scholar
LaFleur, R A, Matthews, R W and McCorkle, D B 1979. ‘A re-examination of the Mallia insect pendant’, Am J Archaeol, 83, 208–12CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osten, T and Arens, W 2004. ‘Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Scoliiden-Fauna Griechenlands (ohne Zypern) (Hymenoptera, Scoliidae)’, Entomofauna, 25, 305–20Google Scholar
Pendlebury, J D S 1939. The Archaeology of Crete: an introduction, Methuen, London Google Scholar
Rackham, O and Moody, J 1997. The Making of the Cretan Landscape, Manchester University Press, Manchester Google Scholar
Richards, O W 1974. ‘The Cretan “hornet” pendant’, Antiquity, 48, 222 Google Scholar
Richards, O W 1975. ‘The Cretan “hornet”’, Antiquity, 49, 213 Google Scholar
Ruttner, F 1980. ‘The golden pendant of Malia, the Congress badge: prehistoric vestige and early evidence of beekeeping’, in Harnaj, V (ed), Proceedings of the 27th International Beekeeping Congress in Athens,Greece, 191–6, Apimondia Publishing House, BucharestGoogle Scholar
Sakellarakis, J A 2003. Herakleion Museum: illustrated guide, Ekdotike Athenon, Athens Google Scholar
Schedl, W 2010. ‘Die Dolchwespen der griechischen Insel Kreta (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)’, Linzer biologische Beiträge, 42 (2), 1029–36Google Scholar
Spradbery, J P 1973. Wasps: an account of the biology and natural history of social and solitary wasps, University of Washington Press, Seattle Google Scholar
Thrasyvoulou, A and Tsirakoglou, B 1998. ‘Observations of Phacelia tanacetifolia as a food plant for honey bees and other insects’, Entomologia Hellenica, 12, 47–53 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turland, N J, Chilton, L and Press, R J 1993. Flora of the Cretan Area, HMSO, London Google Scholar
Vasilakis, N 1999. Herakleion Archaeological Museum Visitor’s Guide, Adam Editions-Pergamos, Peania Google Scholar
Vuts, J, Razov, J, Kaydan, M B and Tóth, M 2012. ‘Visual and olfactory cures for catching parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)’, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 58, 351–9Google Scholar
Waloff, N 1986. ‘Obituary: O W Richards, FRS’, J Animal Ecol, 55, 393–4Google Scholar
Warren, P M 1975. The Making of the Past: the Aegean civilizations, Elsevier Phaidon, Oxford Google Scholar
Warren, P M 1985. ‘The fresco of the garlands from Knossos’, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique, supplément XI, 187–208 CrossRefGoogle Scholar