In Early Bronze Age Crete, artistic works consisted mainly of minor mediums such as pottery, seal stones and bead jewellery which were unearthed by archaeologists throughout the island. However, exquisite examples of goldwork were also discovered from this time period, most notably the Mallia Bee Pendant which now resides in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Greece.
Royal Tomb: Discovery of the Minoan Bee Pendant
Mallia, eighteen miles east of Knossos, was a provincial palace which was smaller and less elegant than Knossos. A rich necropolis situated 500 yards north of the palace may have been the tomb of a royal family who occupied the palace during the first half of the second millennium BC. The grave site was looted by locals in the late nineteenth century and the name Chrysolakkos or “gold hole” implies that many treasures must have been found there. Fortunately the thieves overlooked the exquisite pendant.
The work presents all the finest qualities of Minoan craftsmanship – originality, control and impeccable taste. It also communicates the importance of nature in everyday Cretan life.
Bees, Wasps or Hornets: The Importance of Nature in Minoan Art
The work dates from approximately the Middle IIB-IIIA period (c. 1800-1600BC). Molded from gold, with the use of filigree and granulation techniques in its decoration, it may originally have been suspended from a necklace, pin or earring. The motif displays a pair of bees or wasp-like insects arched around a granulated disc. Above them, in a cage-like form is a smooth golden bead.
The identification of the insects has been cause for controversy among scholars. They have been referred to as bees(1), wasps (2) and hornets (3). The granulated disc between the insects’ legs has been described as a wasp’s nest (4) and the smooth sphere at the top has been referred to as a drop of honey (5), a berry (6), wood pulp (7), liquefied food (Lafleur, American Journal of Archaeology, 1979) and even the pellet of the sacred beetle (8). The position of the bees could insinuate copulation and if so, reflects a vital Minoan interest in fertility (epitomized by the Snake goddess statue, also a Minoan masterpiece, see image).
Minoans and their Art: A Fusion of Nature and Science
Scholars of Minoan art and culture have debated the question of Minoan art and representation: how much importance did the Minoans place in representing their objects truthfully (i.e scientifically)? Is the pendant meant to be scientifically analyzed in terms of its identification of insect species and behaviour? If so, can the pendant be viewed as a representation of the essential functions of life itself, that is, social behaviour, sharing of food, copulation? It is highly unlikely.
The jewellery worn by Minoans was distinguished from other cultures, not only by its superior quality but by its complete, concise and specialized mode of expression. The objective of the Minoan craftsman was to fuse ornamentation with natural form.
The piece should be accepted as an artistic impression of nature – the essence of all Minoan art. Its simplicity is not due to science but is rather a testament to the Minoan’s delight in organic form and iconography.
The craftsman of the Mallia Bee Pendant shows a creative grasp of the goldworking techniques of his time as well as sensitivity toward his subject matter. This fusion of technical and poetic sensibilities lays claim to one of the masterpieces of Minoan art.
- Hood, S. The Arts of Prehistoric Greece, Norwich, Fletcher and Son, 1978.
- Lafleur, R.A et al, A Re-examination of the Mallia Insect Pendant, American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 83, 1979.
- Higgins, R. Minoan and Mycenaean Art, New York, Praeger, 1967
- Lafleur, p.210
- Von Matt,L. Ancient Crete, New York, 1968
- Branigan, K., The Foundations of Palatial Crete, New York, Praeger, 1970
- Richards, O.W., The Cretan Hornet, Antiquity 49, 1975
- Evans H and Eberhard M.J.W., The Wasps, Ann Arbor, 1970
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