Lustral basin
The lustral basin is an architectural form used in Minoan architecture. Consisting of a small sunken room reached by a staircase, they are characteristic of elite architecture of the Neopalatial period (c. 1750-1470 BC).
They are hypothesized to have been used either as shrines, baths, or as part of an initiation ritual. The term was coined by
Description
Lustral basins are small square chambers sunk into the floor of the surrounding room. They are entered via a descending L-shaped staircase and are open at the top, allowing their occupants to be viewed from above.[2][3][4][5]
Lustral basins are found at sites throughout Crete as well as at Akrotiri in the Cyclades. However, no examples have been found on the mainland.[6]
Lustral basins were common in elite buildings such as Minoan palaces and villas. Each palace had at least one lustral basin, with Phaistos having four of them.[3][4][5] At Knossos, one is adjacent to the throne room, while another is located near the north entrance.[7] Although they are commonly associated with palaces, lustral basins were common in other elite buildings. Known examples include the Villa of the Lilies at Amnisos, two houses at Tylissos, and several of the houses surrounding the palace of Knossos.[8]
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Lustral basin at the Throne Room, Knossos
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North Lustral Basin, Knossos
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Palace at Malia
History
Lustral basins are characteristic of the Neopalatial period. One earlier example from the Protopalatial period is known from Building A in Quartier Mu at Malia. This building contains early antecedents of other architectural forms that would become standard in elite architecture of the Neopalatial period.[9]
Lustral basins were added to the palaces during the renovations that marked the beginning of the Neopalatial period (MM III, c. 1750–1700 BC).[10]
Lustral basins fell out of use and were filled in during the LM IB period (c. 1625–1470 BC), simultaneous with an island-wide change in religious practice that also saw the abandonment of
Function
What lustral basins were used for is unknown. They are presumed to have been used for rituals, in particular given that at least some were decorated with religious-themed frescoes. However, their exact function is unknown. The term "lustral basin" was coined by Arthur Evans, who found
When Evans excavated the Throne Room Lustral Basin at Knossos, he initially mistook it for an
See also
Notes
- ISBN 978-0-521-89127-1.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89127-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-0199873609.
- ^ ISBN 978-0199873609.
- ^ ISBN 9780192842084.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89127-1.
- ^ McEnroe, John C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 70, 73, 77.
- ^ McEnroe, John C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 94–96, 100.
- ^ McEnroe, John C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 64–65.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89127-1.
- ^ McEnroe, John C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. 100.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89127-1.
- ^ Kienzle, Peter (1998). Conservation and Reconstruction at the Palace of Minos at Knossos (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of York.