World Archaeoprimatology

Urbani, Bernardo; Youlatos, Dionisios; Antczak, Andrzej T.

doi:10.1017/9781108766500.002

Cited by 1 publication

(8 citation statements)

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“…The relationship of the inhabitants of the Mycenaean Greek mainland with primates remains tenuous, particularly when compared with the relatively ample primate imagery of the Minoans (Papageorgiou & Birtacha, 2008; Phillips, 2008a, 2008b; Greenlaw, 2011; Pareja, 2015, 2017; Urbani & Youlatos, 2020a,b, 2022; Binnberg et al, 2021). The only other objects depicting monkeys found on Mycenaean lands are either imports from Egypt or directly influenced by Cypriot or Near Eastern artistic traditions.…”

Section: Primate Imagery In Mycenaean Greecementioning

confidence: 99%

“…XLI.12). In a recent review, Urbani and Youlatos (2022: fig. 10.11m), tentatively identified the monkey as a baboon, based on its long snout, waisted body, and relatively short tail with a tuft at the end.…”

Section: Primate Imagery In Mycenaean Greecementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to rendering physical traits of primates in a relatively naturalistic way (cf. Cameron, 1968; Masseti, 1980; Doumas, 1992; Groves, 2008; Urbani & Youlatos, 2012, 2020a,b, 2022; Binnberg et al, 2021), Minoan images of papionins also include aspects that highlight their perceived similarities to humans (see Greenlaw, 2011; Chapin & Pareja, 2021) and ‘were attributed more anthropomorphic behaviours and depicted in sacred or ritual events’ (Urbani & Youlatos, 2020a: 3). The colour red is universally associated with energy and vitality, and in Aegean wall-paintings is frequently represented as the skin colour of adult males (Morgan, 2020).…”

Section: The Tailed Partial Body Of Tiryns: Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The earliest Bronze Age Mediterranean non-human primate (primates hereafter) representations on frescoes are found at the Aegean sites of Knossos (Crete) and Akrotiri (Thera/Santorini) and date to around 1650–1450 bc (for recent reviews, see Binnberg et al, 2021; Urbani & Youlatos, 2022). Even though they are generally well-known since their early discovery at Knossos (Evans, 1921, 1935), relatively recent and new descriptions of Theran frescoes depicting primates (Vlachopoulos, 2007) have been omitted in major studies concerning Minoan primates, as noted by Urbani & Youlatos (2022). Moreover, no recent review (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, no recent review (e.g. Papageorgiou & Birtacha, 2008; Phillips, 2008a, 2008b; Greenlaw, 2011; Pareja, 2015, 2017; Urbani & Youlatos, 2020a,b, 2022) has reported the existence of any Bronze Age frescoes depicting primates from mainland Greece, where the Mycenaean civilization flourished at that time. This is also the case of other works, such as Cline's (1991, 1995) study on the presence of Egyptian primatomorphic objects on Mycenaean sites, Wolfson's (2018) iconographical analysis on ‘monkeys and simianesque creatures’ from ancient Greece, and Urbani's (2021) recent comprehensive assessment on global archaeoprimatological patterns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Primate on a Fresco from the Mycenaean Acropolis of Tiryns

Youlatos

Urbani

Binnberg³

2023

Eur. j. archaeol

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The earliest Bronze Age Mediterranean primate representations on frescoes are found at the Aegean sites of Knossos (Crete) and Akrotiri (Thera). By contrast, monkeys have so far been missing from Mycenaean frescoes in mainland Greece. A fresco fragment of a cultic scene from Tiryns changes this; it depicts a bipedal partial lower body, with a hanging tail. This image, previously interpreted as a human wearing an animal hide, had already been suggested to represent a monkey. A re-examination of this miniature fresco identified various features that seem to confirm the representation of a monkey, most probably of a baboon-like primate. Assuming that the fresco from Tiryns is part of a cult scene, similar to those from Akrotiri, this adds a further image to a small corpus of Aegean depictions connecting monkeys with important female figures or deities. Furthermore, the Tiryns fresco fragment indicates that primates were not entirely absent from local Mycenaean iconography.

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