THE HAND, THE MOULD, THE WHEEL AND THE BULL

Abstract

Wheelmade bull figures have been considered by most scholars as an Aegean phenomenon, specific to the end of the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age. This study argues that they should be viewed instead as representing just a stage in the development of hollow animal figures that can be followed in Crete for more than two millennia, in the course of which two other techniques, except for the wheel, were utilized in their production. The factors that affected the technical evolution and popularity of these figures within Crete during this long period, and their dissemination to areas beyond the island are also discussed.