¹ We should like to thank the Managing Committee of the British School at Athens and Gerald Cadogan for permission to study and publish the pottery presented in this article. Additionally, for permission to sample the pottery for analysis, we are most grateful to the Greek Archaeological Service, especially to the 23rd Ephorate in Herakleion and to Sinclair Hood. We are indebted to Gerald Cadogan, Nicoletta Momigliano, Evangelia Kiriatzi, and Vassilis Kilikoglou for the many helpful discussions we have had at Knossos regarding this material. Our thanks also to Stephania Chlouveraki for the pottery drawings, and Carrie Galsworthy and Mark Johnston for help in preparing the final figure and plate illustrations. Major funding for the expenses of field-study for this project in 1992 and 1993 and the preparation of illustrations were provided by a grant from the Institute for Aegean Prehistory in New York with additional support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Analysis of these ceramics was funded by a postdoctoral research fellowship awarded to P. M. Day by the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK (1991 3), while the analytical work has benefitted from comparative material studied by the Production and Exchange of Pottery in Early Minoan East Crete Project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK (T. M. Whitelaw and P. M. Day, co-directors).

Abbreviations in addition to those in standard use:

Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming = Hood, M.S.F. and Gadogan, G., Early Minoan Excavations at Knossos (London, forthcoming)Google Scholar.

Hood and Taylor = Hood, M. S. E and Taylor, W., The Bronze Age Palace at Knossos (London, 1981)Google Scholar.

Momigliano 1991 = Momigliano, N., ‘MMIA pottery from Evans’ (Excavations at Knossos: a reassessment. BSA 86 (1991), 149–271Google Scholar.

Momigliano and Wilson 1996 = Momigliano, N. and Wilson, D. E., ‘Knossos 1993: excavations outside the South Front of the palace’. BSA 91 (1996). 1–55Google Scholar.

PM i = Evans, A. J., The Palace of Minos at Knossos, i (London, 1921)Google Scholar.

Strat. Guide = Pendlebury, J. D. S., Pendlebury, H. W, Eccles, E., and Money-Coutts, M., A Guide to the Stratigraphical Museum in the Palace at Knossos, parts i–iii (London, 1933–1995)Google Scholar.

Wilson 1984 = Wilson, D. E., The Early Minoan II A West Court House at Knossos (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Cincinnati, 1984, University Microfilms no. 84–20922)Google Scholar.

Wilson 1985 = id., ‘The pottery and architecture of the Early Minoan II A West Court House at Knossos’, BSA 80 (1985), 281–364.

Wilson 1994 = id., ‘Knossos before the palaces: an overview of the Early Bronze Age (EM I–III)’. in D. Evely, H. Hughes-Brock, and N. Momigliano (eds), Knossos, A Labyrinth of History: Papers Presented in Honour of Sinclair Hood (London, 1994), 23–44.

Wilson and Day 1994 = Wilson, D. E. and Day, P. M., ‘Ceramic regionalism in Prepalatial Central Crete: the Mesara imports at EM I to EM II A Knossos’, BSA 89 (1994), 1–87Google Scholar.

Abbreviations in catalogue entries:

a. = angular

ave. = average

ext. = exterior

frag. = fragment

indet. = indeterminate

int. = interior

KSM = Knossos Stratigraphical Museum

pres. = preserved

r. = rounded

sa. = subangular

sr. = subrounded

For terminology used to express inclusion frequency, see Kemp, R. A., Soil Micromorphology and the Quaternary (Quaternary Research Association Technical Guides, 2: Cambridge, 1985)Google Scholar.

² For a summary history of ceramic phasing for Prepalatial Knossos and an overview of the Early Minoan pottery phases see Wilson 1994. This article forms part of our larger ongoing study of ceramic development at Prepalatial Knossos.

³ The petrographic analyses presented here form part of a diachronic (Neolithic–Middle Minoan II), analytical study of Knossian pottery by neutron activation analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and thin section petrography by the authors in collaboration with V. Kilikoglou of the Laboratory of Archaeometry, NCSR Demokritos. One aspect of this work has been presented in Wilson and Day 1994.

⁴ Momigliano and Wilson 1996; Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming; and n. 7.

⁵ Wilson 1985; Wilson and Day 1994.

⁶ Wilson and Day 1994: Whitelaw, T. M., Day, P. M., Kiriatzi, E., Kilikoglou, Y., and Wilson, D. E., 1997. ‘Ceramic traditions at EM II B Myrtos. Fournou Korifi’. in Laffineur, R. and Betancourt, P. P. (eds). TEXNH. Craftsmen. Craftswomen and Craftsmanship in the Aegean Bronze Age (Aegaeum 16; Liège, 1997, pp. 265–75Google Scholar.

⁷ fifty-two samples are presented here: 29 from the 1907–8 excavations by Evans and Mackenzie (see below n. 131 and 23 from the 1960 excavations of M. S. E Hood and G. Cadogan (Hood and Cadogan. forthcoming). See Hood and Taylor, palace plan for E-W lino of retaining wall marked by escarpment. Initial tests behind this wall were made by Platon in 1957, when he found EM II B material (AR 1957, 21, the South House mistakenlv called the ‘House of the High Priest’). More extensive excavation of the EM II B fills in this same area was carried out by the Greek Archaeological Service in 1993 under the direction of Dr Alexandra Karetsou.

⁸ Publication of this work includes: Wilson and Day 1994: Day, P M., Kiriatzi, E., Tsolakidou, A., and Kilikoglou, V., ‘Group therapy: a comparison between analyses by NAA and thin section petrography of Early Bronze Age pottery from Central and East Crete’, Journal of Archaeological Science 26 (1999), 1025–36Google Scholar. Research also in progress by P. Tomkms, P. M. Day, and V. Kilikoglou on Early Neolithic pottery from Knossos.

⁹ Scanning electron microscopy and neutron activation analysis have been carried out at the Laboratory of Archaeometry. Institute of Materials Science. NCSR Demokritos, Greece, under the supen ision of Dr V. Kilikoglou.

¹⁰ Wilson 1994, fig. 3; Momigliano and Wilson 1996.

¹¹ This section of the EM II B fills was excavated in 1993 by the Greek Archaeological Service under the direction of Dr Alexandra Karetsou as part of the South House conservation programme.

¹² The South Front House is referred to in earlier plans and publications as the ‘Early Houses’: Hood and Taylor, no. 2, 13; Cadogan, G., Day, P. M., Macdonald, C. F., MacGillivray, J. A., Momigliano, N., Whitelaw, T. M., and Wilson, D. E., ‘Early Minoan and Middle Minoan pottery groups at Knossos’, BSA 88 (1993), 24Google Scholar: ‘Early Houses, Lower Deposit’.

¹³ For results of the 1993 excavations and a summary of earlier investigations in this area see Momigliano and Wilson 1996; for the 1960 excavations see Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.

¹⁴ For the finds in this pit from the 1993 excavations see Momigliano and Wilson 1996.

¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ The retained sherd material from these excavations is now stored in the Stratigraphical Museum at Knossos in boxes H.I.2: 788–803, the concentration of EM II B pottery is in boxes 788 and 791–93. For whole or mended pots from this same deposit see Evans, , PM i, 71, 73–3, 108Google Scholar. fig. 40 and Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.

¹⁷ See Wilson 1994, 32–3. 37–8 and fig. 2 for plan of findspots.

¹⁸ For approximate location see Wilson 1994, fig. 2 and report of finds in Pariente, A., 1994, ‘Chronique des fouilles en 1993’. BCH 118 (1994), 819Google Scholar. Our thanks to Colin Macdonald for permission to make mention of this find here.

¹⁹ Test Pit 3: KSM box B.I.6: 193, Strat. Guide plan 4.B: Test Pit 14: KSM box B.I.17: 307a, Strat. Guide plan 4.B: Wilson 1994, fig. 2.

²⁰ Strat. Guide plan 15.K: Wilson 1984, 39 40: id. 1994. fig. 2.

²¹ Bay 2: KSM boxes K.I.4: 883–885: Bay 3: KSM boxes K.I.5: 887, K.I.6: 897–906.

²² Strat. Guide plan 17: Hood and Taylor plan no. 80; KSM box M.III.3: 1199.

²³ Hood, M. S. F., ‘Stratigraphic excavations at Knossos, 1957–61’. Kr: Chron. 15–16 (1961–1962), 92 8Google Scholar: Hood, M. S. F. and Smyth, D., Archaeological Survey of the Knossos Area (London, 1981)Google Scholar. plan no. 215: Wilson 1984, 205–6: for final publication of the Royal Road North sequence see Hood and Cadogan, forthcoming.

²⁴ Evans, , PM iGoogle Scholar. fig. 40. top. second and bottom rows.

²⁵ Ibid., top and bottom rows.

²⁶ Wilson 1985, P42–46. P107–15, P141.

²⁷ This shape, also referred to as the ‘egg-cup’, has a long history at Knossos continuing into MM II A: Hood, M. S. F., The Minoans (London, 1971)Google Scholar, fig. 14.

²⁸ Rare examples of the same general shape do occur in dark grey burnished ware in the West Court House (e.g. Wilson 1985, P3), but the internally-thickened rim is normally a feature of deeper sewing bowls (e.g. ibid. P1). The shallow bowl P247 (ibid. fig. 27) is from a mixed EM II A–MM I deposit and probably EM II B.

²⁹ For the phenomenon of the shallow bowl in the West Aegean as a possible indicator of social change at the end of EH II/EC II see Wilson, D. E., KEOS IX: Ayia Irini: Periods I–III. The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlements, Part 1: The Pottery and Small Finds (Mainz, 1999)Google Scholar.

³⁰ Wilson 1985. P179–244.

³¹ Hood (n. 27). 37 for ‘anti-splash-rim bowls’.

³² Evans, , P.M i.Google Scholar fig. 40. third and bottom rows.

³³ Ibid., top row middle.

³⁴ Wilson 1985, 312–17 for ‘red or black washed ware’.

³⁵ Ibid., P145 50, P152.

³⁶ Evans, , PM i.Google Scholar fig. 40, second row, second from left.

³⁷ Ibid., top and third rows.

³⁸ Ibid., third row on left.

³⁹ For a detailed analysis of this ware see Betancourt, P. P., Gaisser, T. K., Koss, E., Lyon, R. F., Matson, F. R., Montgomery, S., Meyer, G. H., and Swann, C. P., Vasilike Ware. An Early Bronze Age Pottery Style in Crete (Göteborg, 1979)Google Scholar.

⁴⁰ For distribution in East Crete see Betancourt et al. (n. 39). For Vasilike Ware at Myrtos Fournou Korifi. see Whitelaw et al. (n. 6)

⁴¹ This work combines neutron activation analysis, scanning electron microscopy and thin section petrography in collaboration with V. Kilikoglou of the Laboratory of Archaeometry, NCSR Demokntos.

⁴² Wilson 1994: work in progress by the authors in collaboration with Nota Dimopoulou and Vassilis Kihkoglou.

⁴³ Whitelaw et al. (n. 6): Day et al. (n. 8)

⁴⁴ Myer, G. H. and Betancourt, P. P.. ‘The fabrics at Kommos’. in Betancourt, P. P., Kommos II: The Final Neolithic through Middle Minoan III Pottery (Princeton, 1990), I 13Google Scholar. The transport jars comprise part of a collaborative project between J. B. Rutter, P. M. Day, and V. Kilikoglon.

⁴⁵ See Appendix I; for West Court House see Wilson 1985: analysis in progress of pottery from the Sanoudakis Plot. Poros-Katsambas excavations of 23rd Ephoratc under the direction of Nota Dimopoulou: see Dimopoulou, N., Πόροςκατσαμάς A. Delt. 48 (1998) Chr. 450 9Google Scholar.

⁴⁶ Prepalatial sites sampled include: Phaistos, Agia Triadha, Moni Odigitrias, Trypiti, Agia Kyriaki.

⁴⁷ Whitelaw et al. (n. 6).

⁴⁸ These observations are being investigated further by chemical analyis and micromorphological study by scanning electron microscope (A. Tsolakidou and V. Kilikoglou, work in process).

⁴⁹ But similar base clays with characteristic non-plastics are commonly attributable to a source area. see Day et al. (n. 8).

⁵⁰ Betancourt et al. (n. 39).

⁵¹ Similar distinctive fabrics have been found in two examples of Vasilike Ware sampled from the MM I A rubbish levels at Knossos.

⁵² Day et al. (n. 8). figs 5 and 6. An integrated analytical study of the technology and provenance of Vasilike Ware has been carried out by the authors in collaboration with T.M. Whitelaw, E. Kiriatzi, V. Kilikoglou, A. Tsolakidou, and E. Faber.

⁵³ Wilson 1994, 32–5; for a more detailed treatment of this subject see Hood and Cadogan. forthcoming and the ongoing study by Day and Wilson (n. 2).

⁵⁴ Wilson 1985: id. 1994, 30–2.

⁵⁵ For 1905 test in North-West Portico see KSM E.II.7: Wilson 1985: Wilson 1994. 32 and n. 61. This deposit is now under study by the authors.

⁵⁶ Momigliano and Wilson 1996.

⁵⁷ Ibid.

⁵⁸ See n. 55.

⁵⁹ Id. 1985. P22–41.

⁶⁰ Cf. P84 and P91 with e.g. Wilson 1985, P218 and P221.

⁶¹ Momigliano 1991, 245–8.

⁶² Wilson 1985, 319–30.

⁶³ Momigliano 1991, 253–6.

⁶⁴ Ibid. 258–60.

⁶⁵ e.g. N. David, J. Sterner, and K. Gavua, ‘Why pots are decorated’, Current Anthropology, 29 (1988), 365–79.

⁶⁶ e.g. Miller, D., Artefacts as Categories (Cambridge, 1985)Google Scholar.

⁶⁷ Day and Wilson, work in progress (n. 2).

⁶⁸ Wilson and Day 1994; P. M. Day, D. E. Wilson, and E. Kiriatzi, 1997: ‘Reassessing specialization in Prepalatial Cretan ceramic production’ in Laffineur and Betancourt (eds). (n. 6). 275–89.

⁶⁹ Whitelaw et al. (n. 6).

⁷⁰ Pottery with fabries similar to the dolerite fabric have been analysed from Tylissos and the Mesara, whilst the metamorphic fabric has been found in several locations within Central Crete.

⁷¹ Hamilakis, Y., ‘Wine, oil and the dialecties of power in Bronze Age Crete: a review of the evidence’. OJA 15 (1996), 1–31Google Scholar.

⁷² For the most detailed discussion of this thesis for Minoan Crete see Hamilakis, Y., Strategies for Survival and Strategies for Domination: Wine, Oil, and ‘Social Complexity’ in Bronze Age Crete (University of Sheffield, Ph.D. dissertation, 1995)Google Scholar. See also Hamilakis 1996 (n.71); Wright, J. C., ‘Empty cups and empty jugs: the social role of wine in Minoan and Mycenaean societies’, in McGovern, P. et al. (eds), The Origins and Ancient History of Wine (Luxemburg, 1995), 287–309Google Scholar: R. Palmer. ‘Wine and viticulture in the Linear A and B texts of the Bronze Age Aegean’, in McGovern et al., 269–85. For suggested ritualized drinking at EBA Ayia Irini on Kea see Wilson (n. 29).

⁷³ Hamilakis (n. 71), 25; for the Mycenaean mainland see Wright (n. 72), 224–5.

⁷⁴ Hamilakis (n. 72), 249; Wright, J. C., ‘The archaeological correlates of religion: case studies in the Aegean’, in Laffineur, R. and Niemeier, W.-D. (eds). Politeia: Society and State in the Aegean Bronze Age. (Aegaeum 12: Liège, 1995), 346Google Scholar.

⁷⁵ Day, P. M. and Wilson, D. E., ‘Consuming power: Kamares Ware in Protopalatial Knossos’, Antiquity, 72 (1998), 350–8Google Scholar.

⁷⁶ Abbreviations used in these descriptions are as follows:

a. = angular

c:f:v 10 μm. = coarse:fine:voids proportions of thin section area. 10 μm indicates the cut-off point between coarse and fine used.

PPL = plane polarized light

r. = rounded

sa. = subangular

sr. = subrounded

Tcf = textural concentration feature

XP = cross polars

wr. = well rounded

For terminology used to reflect percentage presence see Wilson and Day 1994, n. 160 and Kemp (n. 1).

⁷⁷ Wilson 1985.

⁷⁸ Analysis in progress of pottery from the Sanondakis Plot, Poros-Katsambas. Excavations of 23rd Ephorate under the direction of Nota Dimopoulou.

⁷⁹ Wilson 1985: for Poros see n. 45.

⁸⁰ For dark grey burnished ware, see Wilson 1985 and Wilson and Day 1994. This fabric has been analysed chemically and used in comparative compositional work, see Day et al. (n. 8).