Xeste 3

The fourteen rooms on the ground floor were evidently continued on the first floor. In the east wing Rooms 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the ground floor and 2, 3 and 4 of the first floor were connected by a series of pier-and-door partitions (polythyra) so as to form a single hall, suitable for large gatherings. Like all the buildings so far investigated at Akrotiri, Xeste 3 was provided with two staircases, a main one at the entrance and a service one in the interior (area 8). Room 1 was not included in the initial plan of the building but is a later addition, as a result of which the door and window of the north wall of Room 2 were blocked up. It is not yet clear whether the original plan of Xeste 3 envisaged two entrances - an unusual feature in the architecture of Akrotiri - or whether the present entrance with staircase constitutes a later modification. The monumental aspect of the building is enhanced by the revetment of ashlar blocks on its entire east facade and the eastern section of the north side.

Unique at Akrotiri is the presence of the 'Lustral Basin' familiar from Minoan architecture, which occupies the north-east corner of Xeste 3 (area 3a). Apart from a few storage jars (pithoi), no domestic vessels or utensils, such as cooking pots, millstones, etc., have been recovered from the building. In contrast, it has produced the largest assemblage of wall-paintings located to date. Wall-paintings have been found in areas 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 (?) and 9.

On account of its dimensions, impressive facades and internal arrangement, as well as the 'Lustral Basin', the profuse mural decoration and the virtual absence of every-day objects, Xeste 3 has been interpreted as a public building. From the themes of the wall-paintings found in the vicinity of the 'Lustral Basin' it may be surmised that the building was used for the performance of initiation rituals.

Restoration of the wall-paintings from Xeste 3 is far from complete: only a small part of those from areas 3 and 4 have been conserved. Thus we consider it premature to make any comment on the overall iconographic programme of the building.

VESTIBULE-STAIRCASE

(Area 5)

The impressive entrance at the south east corner of the building leads into a vestibule, which gives access left, along a dark corridor, to the ground-floor apartments, or right, up the staircase, to the first-floor rooms. The south wall of the vestibule and the walls on either side of both flights of stairs were adorned with wall-paintings, the theme of which is not yet known, since conservation of these fragments has not begun. Reference is made in the excavation reports to a mountainous landscape and, more specifically, a life size male figure, described as a huntsman, is attributed to the south wall of the vestibule.

ROOM 2

Though this area is referred to as Room 4 in the excavation report, it is clear from the description of the wall-paintings and the published plan that the report is in fact describing Room 2, from which fragments of a 'large purely decorative composition' have been recovered. It is deduced from the motifs of this composition, which include rosettes and a variety of spirals, the edges of the fragments, as well as from the picture of a fully restored subject - a running spiral - that there were friezes above the lintels of the pier-and-door partitions. There are also indications that some of the wall-paintings come from the upper floor of the room.

ROOM 4

Located due north of the vestibule, Room 4 was connected with ground-floor Rooms 2, 3 and 7 via a series of pier-and-door partitions. Rather confusingly, the excavation reports cite Room 2 as communicating directly with the vestibule (5), probably due to an oversight. Thus the wall-paintings attributed to Room 2 actually come from Room 4. The presence of the polythyra restricted the surface available for mural decoration to a narrow strip above them, corresponding with the upper zone. Here the artist painted the main subject with scenes from Aegean and exotic habitats: representations of swallows feeding their still unplumed fledglings in the nest and blue monkeys engaged in human activities. One of the monkeys is shown strumming a stringed instrument, presumably a harp, while another brandishes a sword, evidently drawn from the scabbard he holds in his other hand. The portrayal of monkeys performing human tasks, a subject frequently encountered in the art of the Orient, constitutes yet further evidence of Thera's relations with the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean. Unfortunately our knowledge of these unique themes is still sporadic, due to the tardy pace of their conservation.

ROOM 3

The spacious Room 3 was divided by pier-and-door partitions into two smaller areas: one on the north side of the room (3a) and one on the west (3b). This arrangement, which was repeated on the upper storey, left the east and north wall of 3a and the west wall of 3b available for painted decoration. These walls were indeed lavishly decorated both on the ground floor and the upper storey.

'LUSTRAL BASIN'

(ground floor 3a)

A small flight of five steps leads down to the sunken floor of area 3a on the ground floor, which is arranged as a 'Lustral Basin', an installation known from the Minoan palaces. The lower section of the walls, to a height of approximately 70 cm, is lined with a dado of andesite slabs set between wooden uprights and corresponds with the lower zone of the mural decoration. In the middle zone, which on the north wall extended westwards beyond the 'Lustral Basin', the artist developed the main theme of the wall-painting, while the upper zone was occupied by a broad band. Though there is a window in the north wall, which considerably reduced the height of the middle zone at that point, this does not seem to have been an impediment to the artist, who merely outlined it with the band motif of the upper zone and accommodated the element of the 'particular place' of the narrative - the landscape - in the narrow surface left free below the sill.

The entire composition, as restored, is the following: on the east wall was an architectural structure surmounted by a pair of sacral horns from the tips of which drip red drops, probably blood. Although this painting is in fragmentary condition, there seems little doubt that an altar or shrine is represented, similar to that depicted on the stone rhyton from the palace of Zakros in Crete. The three female figures on the north wall process towards this structure, for which reason they have been dubbed Adorants. Their rich Minoan garments, elaborate coiffures and ornate jewellery of precious metals and rare gems not only bespeak the festive character of the scene but also reveal the status of these women in Theran society.

The first figure from the left, the westernmost, advances towards the altar, proffering in her left hand a necklace of rock crystal beads. She is portrayed with her head in profile, her shoulders en face, her chest in three-quarter pose and the lower body in profile. The curves of her body are readily discernible beneath her diaphanous sleeved bodice, embroidered with crocus stamens, and her breasts are bared. Though the artist so skilfully conveys the allure of the female form through the transparent fabrics, he was unable to render the bosom correctly, presumably because he lacked knowledge of the canons of perspective. So the masterly rendering of the volume of the left breast by simple outline is cancelled by the inept drawing of the right one. The painter tried to offset this weakness by painting the non-diaphanous vertical band framing the bodice in its stead, but all he succeeded in doing was to depict, like his Egyptian colleagues, an elegant young female with just one breast.

The middle figure is shown entirely in profile, sitting on a small knoll and slightly bent over. The outlines of the body are clearly visible beneath her gown with its bodice embroidered with stippled lozenges. In addition to her parure she wears a myrtle branch upon her head, while projecting from her shoulder and behind the luxuriant ringlets is a pin (?) with a pomegranate finial. The disproportionately long right arm is brought across the body and ends at her left foot, the big toe of which is injured and bleeding. The representation of the thumb of the right hand, with which she holds her injured foot, reveals ignorance of the rules of perspective and so, as in Egyptian art, the figure appears to have two left hands. By rendering the figure in profile and placing the arm diagonally, the artist managed to obscure the chest and thus avoid the pitfall of the breasts. The figure's left arm is bent in such a way that her hand supports her head. The entire pose is an innovation in the art of the Aegean and seems to have been borrowed from that of Egypt where lamenting women in the tomb paintings are shown kneeling, with one hand touching the ground and the other brought upon to the forehead. Thus it seems that this conventional Egyptian gesture for denoting sorrow and pain was used by the Theran artist for the same purpose. He further emphasized the expression of distress by showing the half-open lips of the unfortunate maid and drawing attention to its cause: the injured toe.

The third, easternmost, figure is depicted entirely in profile with her arms extended and progressing leftwards, her head turned 180^o and facing backwards. The figure is enveloped in a diaphanous stippled veil, beneath which her sleeved bodice and skirt are painted in detail. With her right hand she draws back her veil to reveal her face and part of the head. Except for two long tresses behind and a small one above the brow, the entire head is painted blue, probably indicating that it is shaven.

The ritual character of the entire composition has been noted by almost all who have studied it. The fact that only female figures are portrayed and that one has a shaven head adds weight to the proposition that a scene of initiation is represented.

ROOM 3b

(groundfloor)

Three corridors led off from the pier-and-door partition. The southernmost connected area 3 with the staircase of area 8 and the other two gave access to area 3b, in the north wall of which there was a large window. The excavation data indicate that the wall-paintings of this area (3b) covered the south half of the west wall, the south wall of the middle corridor and the north wall of the north corridor. Four male figures were depicted participating in some kind of ritual. Three of them - the two in the middle corridor and one in the north - are naked youths with shaven (blue) heads. The fourth figure is of a mature man, clad in a white Minoan loincloth (zoma) and seated. In both hands he holds a large closed vessel, as if about to empty its contents. Positioned at the south end of the west wall, he seems to have been the focus of the entire representation, towards whom the naked youths advanced. The youth in the north corridor holds a one-handled bowl or fire-box in both hands. The foremost of the figures in the middle corridor holds a piece of colourful striped cloth and turns his head backwards. Behind him is a much smaller figure which, in contrast to all male figures known so far, is rendered in yellow ochre. This boy held a small bowl, only the outline of which is faintly visible. The interpretation proposed for the scene of the 'Naked Boys' is that it depicts an initiation rite, during which at least one of the actors will achieve manhood, symbolized by his donning the special polychrome textile, the loincloth.

ROOM 3a

(first floor)

In the upper storey directly above the 'Lustral Basin', only the east and north wall were suitable for mural decoration. This assemblage has been restored and the iconographic programme of the area is now clear. The upper and the lower zone comprised horizontal bands and the main theme, the gathering of crocus, was developed in the middle zone. The women engaged in this task wear a diversity of Minoan costumes and are bedecked with precious ornaments (ear-rings, necklaces - usually three -, bracelets, anklets). In rendering their jewellery the artist used colours appropriate to the materials of which they were wrought (gold, precious stones, rock crystal).

       East Wall      In a rocky mountainous landscape scattered with clusters of crocus, two  female figures are engrossed in collecting this valuable commodity. The jagged rocks depicted between them do not hamper their conversation. The figure on the left is depicted en face, her head turned towards her companion, on whom she gazes with a rather serious air. Her rich black hair, held by a blue band on the forehead, is short and curly, excepting two long ringlets down her back and a smaller forelock. Although the bodice is open at the front, it seems that the artist was unable to show the bare bosom. The maiden is picking the flowers with the fingertips of her right hand and will presumably place them in the basket she holds in her left. The second figure, much younger in appearance and whose head is almost completely shorn (blue), is depicted in profile. She too is trying to pluck crocus blossoms, with her two hands (both of which, incidentally, the artist has depicted as right hands), while gazing at the woman opposite with a lively and impatient expression, as if anxious for reassurance that she is performing the task correctly.

       North Wall      The culmination of this pursuit is shown on the north wall, again in the country-side, in a flat landscape with an abundance of crocuses. The presence of a large window did not prevent the artist from continuing the unitary development of his theme. At the centre of the representation is a majestic female figure seated on a stepped structure. Of her elaborate and precious parure, two necklaces are particularly impressive: the beads of one are in the form of ducks and of the other in the form of dragonflies. The outline of her flowing luxuriant locks is followed by a serpentine band with a row of dots along its outer side. This band, which describes a loop, high up and behind, levels and narrows over the crown and terminates in two spiral tongues. The fact that the band is quite separate from the hair, and the way in which it narrows as it leaves the shoulder, strongly suggest that the artist was attempting to depict a snake, perhaps what S. Marinatos has elsewhere called a Nosehorn viper (Vipera Ammodytes). The snake slithering up the figure's neck has begun moving horizontally on her head, flicking out its forked tongue.

The figure is flanked in the left by a blue monkey and the right by a griffin. Though only fragments of the monkey have survived, this is evidently moving on its hind legs towards the seated female, climbing up the stepped structure. With one forepaw he offers her a small posy of crocuses, which she stretches to receive. Behind the monkey is another female figure, slightly bent over as she empties the crocuses from her basket into a large pannier on the ground. Her gaze is fixed on the seated figure and her hair is short and curly, apart from a long double ringlet behind and a smaller forelock. Although the lower part of the griffin is not well preserved, its pose is clear. It too is presented as if climbing up to the seated figure, its front legs placed on the stepped structure. The animal seems to be tied with a rope which, partially covered by the unfurled wing, terminated in the upper right corner of the representation, presumably attached to something. Observing the established convention for rendering grey, the painter portrayed the animal's plumage in blue. Behind the griffin and beyond the window is another crocus-gatherer, carrying a basket on her left shoulder and supporting it below with the fingers of her left hand. She steadies it by holding the rope tied to the handle high up above her head with her right hand.

These figures are rendered with a freedom of movement and variety of hairstyles, raiment and jewellery, which bespeak an artist of stature. An everyday economic activity, gathering crocus flowers, has acquired the dimensions of a major event, a ceremony which is partially executed in the realm of reality and partially in that of fantasy. The fruit of this activity is offered to the Great Goddess who, perhaps unseen, is shown seated on an imposing and monumental throne, flanked by exotic and imaginary beasts. It is worth noting in this respect that two of her necklaces also have zoomorphic beads (ducks, dragonflies). Thus the goddess is, as it were, in the midst of the animal kingdom: chthonic (snake), terrestrial (monkey) and aerial (birds and insects) creatures, as well as imaginary (griffin) ones, are all represented in the milieu of the figure, which S. Marinatos rightly recognized as the 'Mistress of Animals' (Potnia Theron). Perhaps in the representation of crocus gathering we have the largest representation of the Nature Goddess in the Aegean world.

ROOM 3b

(first storey)

The fragments of wall-paintings with the representation of at least three women and a clump of sedge with aquatic birds, which the relevant excavation reports attribute either to the service staircase (area 8), or to Room 3b, probably come from the upper storey of area 3b. Unfortunately conservation and restoration of this assemblage has not commenced and consequently any attempted interpretation of the composition is pure speculation. Moreover, the possibility that the fragments belonged to two compositions, which respectively decorated each of the areas cited, cannot be ruled out. However, S. Marinatos has written about a procession of women, characterized by their 'Greek profile and coiffure', 'sumptuous garments' and the absence of colour or outline for denoting the lips.

ROOM 9

Restoration of the wall-painting from Room 9 has confirmed that this decorated the walls of the second floor, which fact explains the dispersal of fragments over a wide area inside and outside the building. This wall-painting, unique so far at Akrotiri, is a purely decorative composition, which covered at least two of the walls of the room, now destroyed. A relatively broad expanse of red below and similar triangular surfaces above constitute a kind of neutral ground on which the main theme of the middle zone was developed, while a narrow band above, probably imitating an architectural element, occupies the position of the upper zone. Double undulating relief bands passing through painted rings form a network of lozenges, each enclosing four rosettes. Those within the outer row of lozenges have white stamens and two rings of petals, the inner ones black and the outer blue. The rosettes within the inside row of lozenges have blue tamens, an inner ring of white petals and an outer one of pale yellow ochre. S. Marinatos considered this relief reticulation to be a highly successful imitation of ivory. The plasticity of the moulding, the precision of the design and the alternation of colours in the rosettes make this wall-painting one of the loveliest masterpieces in the art of Akrotiri.

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