DISCOVERY OF 'SAFFRON-GATHERER' FRESCO 21

of the material underlying the slabs 1 produced similar chronological results.
In the inter-space, in this case only about 5 cm. wide, between the slabs and
the earliest Palace floor-level of rough cement-covered blocks—immediately
overlying the wall-tops of the Keep—the latest sherds were M. M. 11 and

the deposit underlying a con-
nected patch of ' tarazza' pave-
ment repeated the same story.
This conclusion as to the
date of the paved floor-level of
this area has a special interest
in relation to two discoveries
here made, both apparently be-
longing to this level.

One of these finds was a

Fig. 11. a, b, c, Ivory Bead-seal from Knossos,
U.M.I a (§).

Large

large black steatite vessel 48-5 steatite
cm. in height (Fig. 10) with a ™;^el
spiral decoration in bold relief, spiral

reliefs

This spiral, as will be seen
from its representation in
Fig. 10, differed in two sections
of circumference of the vase.
On one side it is a simple coil.
On the other side it presents
a characteristic inner return,
such as is frequent throughout
the earlier phases of the Middle
M. M. I a ivory bead-seal from

Minoan Age. It is seen already on the
Knossos, Fig. 11, probably of M. M. I a date.2 It recurs on polychrome
pottery of egg-shell type (M. M. II a),3 and is found on jars of the earliest
M. M. Ill fabric (a).4 The jar itself has a somewhat archaic aspect.

The other discovery, made near the S.E. corner of the room, consisted 'Saffron-
of the fragments of the fresco panel representing the naked figure of a boy freSco.
gathering saffron flowers in a rocky landscape, described and illustrated in the
first Volume of this work.5 The unique bluish tint of the figure points to
an Age when the Egyptian colour convention of deep red for males, and

1 Supplementary researches of 1928.

2 Found N.W. of the Palace site : drawn at
the time but now untraceable. The ' tree'
motive of E. M. Ill and M. M. la seals

appears on b.

3 E. g. P. ofM., ii, Pt. I, PI. IX c, 1-2.

4 Seager, Pachyammos, PL VIII (xi, a).

5 P. of M., i, pp. 265, 266, and PI. IV.