Because of their allegedly ‘careless’ production and ‘poor’ appearance, it has been widely assumed that Minoan peak sanctuary figurines were not items made to last. In fact, is has been stated that they were made to be broken as soon as their ritual use was completed, by being thrown into rock crevices or into bonfires. The fact that they were intentionally broken by ritual participants, however, has never been questioned, and the influence of other factors in their fragmentation has never been considered. Drawing upon a direct examination and experimental research on such artefacts, Dr. Murphy will explore in her lecture the implications that the aforementioned statements have on our understanding of human and non-human agency in the context of figurine breakage. Starting with an examination of the material conditions upon which these items’ deposition at peak sanctuaries relied – such as their solid assemblage and their positioning on a base – Dr. Murphy will suggest that they were placed on display at the sites, and, thus, she will argue that they may not have been as immediately broken as is usually believed. In fact, the figurines may not have been uniquely broken by humans, but influence from the wider context in which they were deposited may have contributed to their fragmentation. Indeed, other factors, such as the weather and animal interference, for example, may have been causes. In the light of this observation, it is moreover conceivable that the breakage of peak sanctuary figurines occurred over time, over several generations, and consisted of a long-term process rather than an event isolated in a single moment. Dr. Murphy will, therefore, propose that non-human-provoked material decay can also be considered as a form of fragmentation where Minoan peak sanctuary figurines are concerned.
Cordially,
David Rupp
Director
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