Minoan Stone Vases

A descriptive inventory, with numerous drawings and photographs, of more than 3,500 stone vases from the Minoan civilisation of ancient Crete. With few exceptions, Dr Warren has studied the vases in corpore. He arranges them into types, discusses the various stones used and their sources, methods of manufacture, the probable usage and purpose of the vases, and their relation to metal and clay vessels. A special study is made of the famous vases carrying scenes in relief. The final section summarises the history and stylistic development of the vases, and discusses the types, dating and distribution of those that were exported. Dr Warren also records Egyptian and Syro-Palestinian vases imported into Crete, since these are part of the corpus of stone vase material in the island and provide valuable indications of the foreign trade of the Minoans.