Jar with incised decoration
Life Story
Jars such as these were made from the end of the fourth millennium BCE well into the third millennium. They have been found in grave contexts, settlement contexts, and at the sanctuary on Keros. The fact that this object is intact makes it very likely that it was found in a grave, and the nature of the decoration suggests it was made in the earlier part of the third millennium.
It is difficult to speculate on the uses of these vessels, especially in the funerary sphere. However, the small holes could have been used to suspend the object, or to tie down a lid, which would most probably have been made of stone (many hundreds of small stone discs have been found on Cycladic archaeological sites). They are very similar in form to the Early Cycladic I kandiles, marble versions of this shape.
Michael Boyd, April 2022
Further Reading
Broodbank, C., An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
Provenance
Acquired by the Sainsbury Family in 1973. Donated to the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia in 1973 as part of the original gift.
Not on display
Title/Description: Jar with incised decoration
Born: 3000 c. BC - 2000 c. BC
Object Type: Vessel
Materials: Ceramic, Earthenware
Technique: Incising
Measurements: h. 140 x w. 140 x d. 140 mm
Accession Number: 359
Historic Period: Early Bronze Age, 3rd millennium BC
Production Place: Cyclades, Europe, Greece
Cultural Group: Early Cycladic I or II
Credit Line: Donated by Robert and Lisa Sainsbury, 1973
