Minoan three-dimensional anthropomorphic representations. Problems of definition

Céline Murphy Creta Antica 13 (2012) [2013], 61-82

Abstract

As well as devising these new categories, this paper was attentive to the use of religiously laden terms such as the nouns ‘deities’ and ‘adorants’ or the epithet ‘cultic’. It was argued that such terms can only be employed following careful considerations of each artefact’s material and contextual situation alongside its visual appearance. Indeed, focussing on the objects’ physical remains, alongside their representative values, might help limit the scope of speculation based on present-day visual perceptions and aesthetic tastes. Finally, it can be concluded that this contribution, which must not be read as a condemnation of past vocabulary uses, but rather as a presently situated development from earlier research, is intended as a semantic facilitator for research on these various groups of Minoan three-dimensional anthropomorphic representations.

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