Inv. N. Pigorini/ Series W

71979/ HT Wa 1830

The single-hole hanging nodule 71979/ HT Wa 1830 represents a “complex cult scene” (Del Freo 2002-2003, 69; Albertini et alii, 12).

The nodule bears one Linear A on face C

A301/JO?

It often recurs alone on hanging nodules; Its meaning is unknown but has been hypothesized a relation with the administrative organization of the textiles (Weingarten 2017).  

The evidence of the corpus of Linear A suggests that it might refer to palatial personnel. It may also be associated with fractions, but it is uncertain whether it always occurs with the same meaning in differing contexts (TMT  321, Schoep 2003, 138).

The sign also recurs with a syllabic function in sign-groups. A possible identification with B 36/jo (?) has long been postulated on the basis of statistical occurrences and of palaeographic evidence (Duhoux 1978; Facchetti-Negri 2003, 60-62).

This single-hole hanging nodule was discovered in the North-West Quarter, between the Room 13, also known as “Stanza dei Sigilli”, and the Portico 11, like most of the cretulae probably fallen from the upper floor, which collapsed in the fire that destroyed the Villa (Halbherr 1903, 30; Levi 1925, 73; for the provenance of administrative documents See Militello 1988, 1992, 2001, 2011).

Measures 2.25 x 1.5 x 1.25 cm

Scribe Wa 106

The seal impression HT 140 recurs 6 times, once in the “Pigorini corpus”.

The motif represents a cult scene. On the left there are three women with folded skirt moving to the right, towards a shrine; the one in the middle is bigger than the others. From the top of the shrine stands out a tree, while in front of it is a palmette. The ground is represented by an indented line, the sky by wavy lines (Del Freo 2002-2003, 69; Albertini et alii, 12). At the beginning, Levi supposed that the three women were represented in the act of dancing (Levi 1925-26, 141), but Crowley believes they are involved in a ritual (Crowley 2013, 351). In Marinatos’s opinion, the tree could express an epiphanic manifestation of the god or goddess. (Marinatos 1993, 183). The palmette could also be connected to a religious belief, since it can be linked to conception of rebirth, as expressed by its association to altars and horns of consecration (Morgan 1988, 24). 

This scene was probably cut in a gold sealing, and it is considered one of the best examples of Minoan naturalism (Weingartem 1988, 106.).

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