05-09-2007, 08:43 PM
I just got a few weeks ago the hard to find Early Cretan Armorers, 1972 by Herbert Hoffman. It has 60 something high quality plates, and has a wealth of info on the Afrati and related finds. It is not cheap at $150, but Ancient World Books told me they have several copies. I also found several of the out of print Anthony Snodgrass works.
What I get from Hoffmann and Snodgrass, is that archaic armor styles on Crete derived from two sources, Cyprus and the Greek mainland. Helmets and some body pieces, seem to come with a tradition and artisans, from Cyprus, which seems to be influenced in turn from from Urartu. This archaic Cretan assemblage is sometimes referred to as the "Orientalizing period." Some Sphinx designs on mitra of the 7th century look very Egyptian, however. The several "Argos" style breastplates are more curved in profile, and have less sharp waist edges than the mainland "Argos", which seems to be the immediate design origin. The ultimate origin of the "Argos" might be the Hallstatt culture, however, who got the idea from an earlier Mycenaean design, in a cirquitous route. The "Argos" seems to have no Mid-Eastern counterpart, and is indigenous to the Greek mainland. Some elements of Cretan decoration and metalworking tecnique seem to go to the mainland through Kythera, however.
There are a number of shield bosses from the Idaean Caves in north central Crete indicating a use of a small round shield prior to the introduction of the Aspis, called the Omphalos. It, and and a similar spiked shield originate from Cyprus, also. The transition to the Aspis seems to be slower than on the mainland.
Most of the examples from Axos, Afrati, and the Idaean Caves date from the 7th century.
LYKAON in Greek mood
otherwise:
Ralph Izard
What I get from Hoffmann and Snodgrass, is that archaic armor styles on Crete derived from two sources, Cyprus and the Greek mainland. Helmets and some body pieces, seem to come with a tradition and artisans, from Cyprus, which seems to be influenced in turn from from Urartu. This archaic Cretan assemblage is sometimes referred to as the "Orientalizing period." Some Sphinx designs on mitra of the 7th century look very Egyptian, however. The several "Argos" style breastplates are more curved in profile, and have less sharp waist edges than the mainland "Argos", which seems to be the immediate design origin. The ultimate origin of the "Argos" might be the Hallstatt culture, however, who got the idea from an earlier Mycenaean design, in a cirquitous route. The "Argos" seems to have no Mid-Eastern counterpart, and is indigenous to the Greek mainland. Some elements of Cretan decoration and metalworking tecnique seem to go to the mainland through Kythera, however.
There are a number of shield bosses from the Idaean Caves in north central Crete indicating a use of a small round shield prior to the introduction of the Aspis, called the Omphalos. It, and and a similar spiked shield originate from Cyprus, also. The transition to the Aspis seems to be slower than on the mainland.
Most of the examples from Axos, Afrati, and the Idaean Caves date from the 7th century.
LYKAON in Greek mood
otherwise:
Ralph Izard
