Metallurgy

Making Cycladic figurines – Materials and techniques

Materials

Early Cycladic Cemeteries

Early Cycladic grave types (R.L.N. Barber, The Cyclades in the Bronze Age, London 1987, p. 77) Since the 19th century, archaeologists have been studying the Cycladic culture of the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 BC) by excavating cemeteries and observing differences in the graves and grave goods. The Cycladic people of the EBA did not have a system of writing nor do archaeologists have comprehensive information on their settlements; therefore, scholars must rely on the numerous excavated cemeteries for insight into the organization of their society and their views on death. Overall changes in the distribution and organization of Cycladic cemeteries through time suggest a gradual shift from small and isolated communities to larger, urban centres. The large variety of grave goods found in tombs reflects a society with different levels of wealth. The presence of grave goods might also imply a belief in an afterlife

The use of colour in Cycladic art

Much of the modern admiration for Cycladic figurines and vessels stems from their abstract simplicity, which is greatly enhanced by the almost transparent quality of the white marble. However, we know that Cycladic artisans used to decorate their creations with bright colours, either for practical or for symbolic reasons. Traces of colour have been preserved on a wide variety of artifacts, namely marble figurines and vessels, clay vases, and bone tools. Their detailed study is possible through traditional methods, chemical analysis, and ultra-violet photography.

The human form in Cycladic art

Female figurines

Cycladic and modern art

Cycladic art with its anthropocentric character - expressed through perfection and proportion in form, simplicity, and reduction to the very essential - has often been discussed as an art that has strongly influenced early 20th century sculpture.

Selected artifacts

Spade-shaped figurine

In the Cyclades the Early Bronze Age is termed the Early Cycladic period (EC) and has been divided into three sub-phases on the basis of technological advances and developments in the settlement pattern.

Early Cycladic I   3200-2800 BC  Early Cycladic II    2800-2300 BC  Early Cycladic III   2300-2000 BC

The Early Bronze Age in the Aegean

Towards the end of the fourth millennium BC, profound cultural and social changes took place in the Aegean, signalling the end of the Neolithic way of life. The most important development was undoubtedly the introduction of metallurgy from the Near East. The use of metals substantially improved the quality of the tool kit in almost all sectors of activity (farming, tree-felling, architecture, shipbuilding, etc.) and enabled the production of more effective bronze weapons that altered the nature of warfare. Other changes observed in this period include the introduction of new crops, such as the olive and the grapevine, the rapid increase in maritime contacts, and widening trade networks.

Cyclades location

Location and name

The Cyclades   The Cyclades are a group of small islands in the central-southern part of the Aegean Sea, forming a virtual land bridge between Mainland Greece and Asia Minor. Naxos, with an area of 428 sq. km. is the largest. The name Cyclades is used by Herodotus, Thucydides and several other ancient authors. According to Strabo, the Cyclades included Keos, Kythnos, Seriphos, Melos, Siphnos, Kimolos, Paros, Naxos, Syros, Mykonos, Tenos and Andros, which formed a circle around the sacred island of Delos. Thera, Ios, Sikinos, Pholegandros, Amorgos, Anaphi and some of the modern Dodecanese were included in the south Sporades. We should remember, however, that the earliest recorded use of the term Cyclades dates to the 5th c. BC. Whether the 3rd millennium BC inhabitants of the Cyclades used the same or similar names for their islands is unknown.

The use and meaning of Cycladic figurines

The standard female figures