Hal Tarxien-fundet og dets forhold til kretisk og ægyptisk ornamentik. 17 
the example best known being the transformation of classical 
foliage into the spiral patterns of Gaul and Ireland. 
The illustrations will show how such a development may 
have taken place in Maltese art. Fig. 1 may be taken to re- 
present the earliest phase, the pattern consisting of two trees, 
each with a main trunk and three branches, which furcate and 
merge into each other. The tendency towards spiral forms is as 
yet very unpronounced. Fig. 2 (left) shows a motive well known 
in later times, that of the undulating plant (or ,alternating 
scroll’). It is very curious to note that this pattern, which has 
not. previously been traced farther back than to Cretan art of 
the Middle or Late Minoan period, is here found several cen- 
turies earlier. A third plant pattern from Malta is mentioned 
by T. E. Peet. Fig. 3 represents the second phase of develop- 
ment of the motive depicted in fig. 1; the trunks have now 
_ degenerated and are placed, not only beneath, but also above 
the branches. In fig. 4 we find the pattern still further de- 
veloped; the trunks have disappeared, and the spiral forms 
have become very conspicuous. Fig. 5 represents the last 
phase, showing that practically speaking the spirals are now 
he only form of decoration left; instead of the branches we 
find a little twig springing forth from each spiral. 
The fragments of pottery found at Hal Tarxien are gener- 
ally decorated with the same branch patterns as on the 
sculptured stones of the earlier period; the phylomorphic origin 
of the ornament depicted in fig. 6 is unmistakeable. 
If the opinion here put forth as to the origin, development 
and date of the Maltese spiral decoration should prove to be 
right, one is inclined to conclude that this system of ornamen- 
tation must form the starting point for the later development 
of spiral decoration in Crete and Egypt. A painted earthen- 
ware cup found at Palaikastro, Crete, seems strongly to sup- 
port this hypothesis. As may be seen from fig. 7, the painted 
decoration of the cup very closely resembles Maltese art and, 
as stated by R. C. Bosanquet, it differs widely from the com- 
mon Cretan pottery. It is therefore not too daring to regard 
it as being of Maltese origin. Granting this hypothesis to be 
correct, we are enabled to establish a very valuable synchronism, 
as the cup was found together with things from the Early 
Minoan period III, which is the late eneolithic period of Crete, 
2 
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