Narrative in Aegean Art: A Methodology of Identification and Interpretation

This study continues previous work on identifying narratives and myths that are illustrated in Aegean Bronze Age art. The study first details its aim and evolution; second, it lays out a general methodology for identifying narrative; and, third, the parameters for doing so. I take up the parameters that define Aegean narrative in the following order: In what artistic media will narratives appear ?: all examples of state/formal art: sealstones, fingerrings, wall paintings. What themes can we expect to appear in these state/formal media?: in the Minoan, woman-centered culture, narratives focus on the successful childbirth and survival of the mother; Mycenaean art focuses on the history and the early foundations of the palatial kingdoms. How do we identify a narrative ?: by identifying “strange and unusual” images with people and then linking these images with others whose details overlap. And what is the expected chronological range for Aegean narrative ?: from MM II, when people become central in Aegean art to the end of the 14th century when sealstones and fingerrings are no longer being manufactured. For the above discussions, I first summarize my articles on “Minoan bull-games” as examples of a successful identification of narrative. I then append four more examples of Aegean narratives, two Minoan and two Mycenaean, as departure points for future discussions by future scholars