720 REPORT—1904. 
Crete, as is shown by such masterpieces as the faience relief of the Wild-goat and 
Young. An earlier system of linear script was now in use (Class A). The 
alabaster lid with the name of the Hyksos King Khyan and a monument belonging 
to the close of the XIIIth Dynasty must be ascribed to this historic stratum, 
which may be approximately placed between 1900 and 1700 z.c. 
The ‘Middle Minoan’ Age, which lies beyond the periods enumerated, is 
especially characterised by the development of the polychrome style of vase 
painting on a dark ground. This, too, is the period of the conventionalised picto- 
graphic script which precedes the linear. During the last division of this period— 
Middle Minoan III.—which lies about the end of the third millennium 3.c., we 
see a certain falling off in the polychrome style, accompanied, however, with a 
greater naturalism, as shown in the moulding of reliefs and in the types of gems. 
The second Middle Minoan Period is that during which this polychrome, or 
so-called ‘Kamares’ style, reached its acme, and the beginning of this stage is 
approximately dated by the painted sherds found by Professor Petrie in the 
rubbish-heaps of Kahun, dating from the time of Usertesen II. of the XIIth 
Dynasty. Taking as a mean estimate Lepsius’s calculation, this brings us to about 
2300 B.c. If we accept the chronological calculations of Professor Petrie and 
others, the date would be nearly 2700 B.c. In any case, the Cretan evidence must 
be taken to exclude*the extreme bringing down of the XIIth Dynasty date to the 
borders of the XVIIIth, which has lately found favour. Other proofs of XIIth 
Dynasty contact are found on the seals of this period. ; 
The Kahun deposit includes objects of the simpler style which belongs rather 
to the first Middle Minoan Period, and gives us, therefore, a terminus ad quem for 
this well-marked stratum. The influence of Middle Empire designs is already well 
marked on the seal stones of this time, which, unlike the latter, are almost exclu- 
sively cut on soft material. The ruder class of conventionalised pictographs is 
seen on seal impressions from deposits of thisdate. Allowing some time for the 
gradual development of the fine Middle Minoan polychrome style, the beginning 
of the first period of this great age may be reasonably thrown back at least to the 
middle of the third millennium s.c. Adopting the more liberal chronology, it 
would reach back nearly to the beginning of that millennium. 
Beyond this date lies another long cycle of nascent culture, included in the 
various phases of the Karly Minoan Period. The prevailing decorative style is 
now geometrical, generally dark ornament on a light ground, but the dark glaze 
slip itself goes back to the confines of the Neolithic Period. The surface of the 
clay is often varied by a network of raised lines, irregular protuberances, and 
thorn-like projections—sometimes painted over with geometrical designs—and this 
raised decoration was largely combined with polychrome in the succeeding period. 
The vases have often a high neck, and the hand-moulding of many vessels is 
supplemented by paring with a knife. The old hand-polished, dark-faced ware of 
Neolithic times survives throughout, but is most frequent in the earlier phases of 
this period. We see, moreover, the taking over of incised designs of the older 
class in the painted decoration. 
A section opened below the pavement of the West Court shows a distinct 
stratification of floor-levels belonging to this period. The lowest or sub-Neolithic 
stratum there brought out shows light-ground technique already beginning, as a 
consequence of the introduction of the potter’s oven. The old black-faced hand- 
polished Neolithic class that survives beside this is also now better cooked within, 
The spiral now appears for the first time on steatite vessels and incised pottery, 
whence it is taken over in painted designs during the next period. Its introduc- 
tion appears to be due to Cycladic influences otherwise traceable at this time. 
This Early Minoan Period, like the succeeding, is characterised by its special 
class of seal stones—in this case presenting pictographic designs in their more 
primitive stage. Many seals show the adaptation of motives from a VIth 
Dynasty class of button seals, The forms of certain Minoan stone vases also take 
them back to the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt, and syenite and other vessels 
from the Palace site at Knossos are of Egyptian fabric, belonging to one or other 
of the first four dynasties. Whether or not black hand-painted vases found by 
