Nanno Marinatos Livres

Nanno Marinatos reexamines Sir Arthur Evans's contributions to Aegean archaeology, challenging the perception of him as merely a flamboyant figure. She posits that Evans was a skilled archaeologist who employed scientific observation and classification in his work. By integrating anthropology, comparative religion, and the analysis of cultic artifacts, he developed an innovative approach termed 'mental anthropology' by Sir James Frazer. This shift in focus from Homeric narratives to a broader Mediterranean context marked a significant evolution in the study of Greek prehistoric archaeology.

This book is about wall paintings and the function they fulfilled in the Bronze Age society of Akrontiri, Thera. The author discusses the frescoes in their architectural setting and in relation to the objects found in the rooms and buildings. This method enables her to explore the symbolism of the art and to reconstruct actual ceremonies. The paintings also reveal attitudes towards religion and the Therans' basic confidence in the permanence and unchanging order of nature. --- from book's cover