Affluence in eastern Crete: metal objects from the cemetery of Petras (original) (raw)

The metal objects from this Early to Middle Minoan cemetery, which is located on the eastern side of the Siteia Bay in eastern Crete, belong to various categories and types of metals. The gold pieces consist of small delicate bosses, sheets, and strips that probably once surrounded wooden buttons and were attached to other organic materials. A gold “Tree of Life” pendant was probably once the centerpiece of a necklace. Gold pierced beads probably once belonged to larger bracelets and/or necklaces; one of them is shaped like a flower and contains remnants of lapis lazuli. Several of the copper or bronze objects are miniature tools such as cosmetic scrapers that were equipped with holes in order to be worn as pendants. At least one of these small tools has part of the ivory handle still attached. Other copper/bronze objects include a chisel, awls, tweezers, knife blades, fish hooks, pendants, bracelets, rivets, beads, and strips. The metal objects from the Petras cemetery range in type and style and date from late EM I to MM IIB. They provide important information about the people who were buried in the Rock Shelter and the house tombs. The jewelry and other items of personal adornment, together with the other tools, display a relative level of affluence that was enjoyed by the local population, a level of prosperity that is further supported by the quality of the other categories of objects that came from the tombs.