A TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO LATE MINOAN III LARNAKES: CHAÎNE OPÉRATOIRE AND CRAFTSMEN ORGANIZATION

SARAH GEORGEL-DEBEDDE

This paper examines the manufacturing process of Late Minoan III chest- and bathtub-shaped larnakes, based on a technological analysis of the diagnostic features on archaeological specimens. This study provides a detailed reconstruction of the techniques used at each stage of the chaine opératoire, from paste recipes, forming and decorative techniques, to firing conditions, and sheds new light on the organization of producers. The results show that larnakes were manufactured according to the same technical tradition, transmitted and shared during the LM III period, while identifying regional trends in larnax production as well as regional or local workshops. They provide a better understanding of the organization of craftsmen, highlighting the territorial division of this craft and the existence of privileged contacts between these different groups.

Sarah Georgel-Debedde is a PhD graduate, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Full Bibliographic Reference

Georgel-Debedde S., A Technological Approach to Late Minoan III Larnakes: Chaîne opératoire and Craftsmen Organization, SMEA NS 11, 2025, 51-76.

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KEYWORDS

LM III Crete; Larnakes; Chaîne opératoire; Ceramic technology; Craftsmen

FIGURES

tipologia1c1Killen_01 Fig. (1)