Middle and Late Bronze Age Metal Tools from the Aegean, Eastern ...

preserved at Akrotiri than actual implements. Over 80 mason’s marks have been
documented on Thera—the largest collection outside of Crete. Although the Akrotiri
marks display local motifs and designs, the tradition was Cretan and Palyvou concludes
that “their presence at Akrotiri speaks of a direct and privileged connection between
Thera and the palace of Knossos.” 506 Such mason’s marks add to the number of Cretan
architectural traits that appear on the Cycladic Island. 507 Ashlar masonry was common at
Akrotiri, particularly within the so-called “Xeste” houses, a term meaning “cut” that
Marinatos borrowed from Homeric vocabulary to convey dressed stones. 508 Considering
the preservation of the Akrotiri houses with well-cut masonry, the study of implements
that were used at the site is better indicated through its markings than actual tools. The
Cycladic site utilized both malleable and hard volcanic rocks (e.g. ignimbrite, andesite,
and tuff) for ashlar blocks and other needs. 509 Palyvou indicates that two different types
of markings exist: cuttings on visible façades suggest that exposed surfaces were finished
with a fine chisel, while hidden ends and back sides were roughly carved by tools with
broader blades like wide chisels, axes, adzes or gouges. 510
The early LBA represents the period of greater Cretan (Neopalatial) influence on
the islands, while the peak LBA period may reflect a Mycenaean presence. Taking this
assumption into consideration, there are more Mycenaean-period tools (Peak and Late
LBA) on the islands than Minoan types. Given the presence of Minoans and later
Mycenaeans at both Phylakopi (Melos) and Ayia Irini (Keos), it is perplexing that
carpentry/masonry tools were not more common at either site. In fact, no specimens at all
506
Palyvou 2005, 181.
507
Palyvou 2005, 180-181; McEnroe 2010, 114-116.
508
Palyvou 2005, 54.
509
Palyvou 2005, 113.
510
Palyvou 2005, 117, figure 160 (for a detail photograph of an ashlar with chisel marks).
203