Aegean Bronze Age Art
Meaning in the Making

Offers an innovative theory for ancient art and its creativity, demonstrated through the rich material and visual culture of the protohistoric Aegean.

Carl Knappett (Author)

9781108429436, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 June 2020

350 pages, 89 b/w illus. 1 map
26 x 18.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.8 kg

How do we interpret ancient art created before written texts? Scholars usually put ancient art into conversation with ancient texts in order to interpret its meaning. But for earlier periods without texts, such as in the Bronze Age Aegean, this method is redundant. Using cutting-edge theory from art history, archaeology, and anthropology, Carl Knappett offers a new approach to this problem by identifying distinct actions - such as modelling, combining, and imprinting - whereby meaning is scaffolded through the materials themselves. By showing how these actions work in the context of specific bodies of material, Knappett brings to life the fascinating art of Minoan Crete and surrounding areas in novel ways. With a special focus on how creativity manifests itself in these processes, he makes an argument for not just how creativity emerges through specific material engagements but also why creativity might be especially valued at particular moments.

1. Theorising 'meaning in the making'
2. Modeling
3. Imprinting
4. Combining
5. Containing
6. Fragmenting
7. Meaning on the move? Mobility and creativity.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], History of art: ancient & classical art,BCE to c 500 CE [ACG]