Estratto da STUDI MICENEI ED EGEO-ANATOLICI FASCICOLO XLVI/2 - 2004 CNR - ISTITUTO PER GLI STUDI MICENEI ED EGEO-ANATOLICI ROMA, 2004ON THE TERM ‘MINOAN’ BEFORE EVANS’S WORK IN CRETE (1894)* by Nexrarios Karapimas and NicoLer™ MoMicLiaNo “The term “Minoan” is, of course, an invention of Sir Arthur Evans’ (Renfrew 1996, 2) In recent times the term ‘Minoan’, usually employed to describe monuments, objects and people related to the Bronze Age civilization of Crete, has come under attack. Some scholars have argued that this loaded word should be abandoned and. replaced with a more neutral one, because it symbolizes and perpetuates old-fash- ioned attitudes and ideas in Aegean prehistory, such as a culture-historical para- digm and notions of cultural (and even racial or ethnic) homogeneity'. While sym- pathizing with the main thrust of these arguments, we are somewhat sceptical about replacing the term ‘Minoan’ with a more neutral label. Will this switch truly help to liberate Aegean prehistory from lingering culture-historical and essentialist attitudes and paradigms, which are at the heart of the matter? Moreover, is the term ‘Minoan’ actually more loaded than, for example, ‘Prehistoric’, ‘Pre/Proto/ Neopalatial’ or ‘Bronze Age’? What are the different intellectual contexts in which these labels have been produced? How do these labels affect, in turn, the way we ook at the Cretan past? And does the term ‘Minoan’ really need to carry notions of homogeneity and cultural isomorphism? We believe that an overview of the history and uses of the term Minoan could contribute to this wider debate: in this short article we discuss what is probably the least known aspect of the word ‘Minoan’, i.e, its appearance and use in the period before it became closely linked with Sir * Acknowledgements: we are very grateful to Cyprian Broodbank, Gerald Cadogan, WIM. Calder U1, Robert Fowler; Yannis Hamilakis, D-E. Wilson, Marika Zeimbekis and the anonymous referees of 'SMEA for commenting on earlier drafts of this work. Of course they are in no way responsible for any views or mistakes that appear in this paper " Sec, for example, Whitley 2003: ‘the term ‘Minoan’ then is much more than a conventional typological tool it is a concept which sustains a cultural-historical paradigm within Aegean prehis- tory It validates Aegean prehistory as an archaeology of objects, and not as an archacology of contexts and landscapes’ (cf. Morris 1994, on the emphasis given by classical archaeologists to objects at the expense of human beings); Hamilakis 2002, 17; "This process of de-insularization (which involves the re-drawing and reconfiguration of our imagined maps of Minoan social phenomena) makes abun- dantly clear, how restrictive the terms ‘Minoan’ and 'Minioan archaeology’ can be, since they cary connotations of homogeneity and cultural isomorphism throughout the island in the Bronze Age ‘That is why, despite their popularity and convenience, itis worth replacing them with more ‘neutral terms See also Broodbank 2004, 50: [the term Minoanization] is tarred with the same brush that ‘makes “Minoan’ itself so deeply problematic, not only as a term referring to prehistory, but also with regard to its subsequent role in personal, zegional, national and European-wide myth-making” SMEA 46/2 (2004) p. 243-258.Arthur Evans. More specifically, we University of Cambridge, when he was forgetful of what he had writen more Dankwarae ytisch vrai246 Nekaioe Kori pd Nea Mo _ (eh Term Mince’ belo rans Workin Ct (169) 20 with the" Eteocretans)! created a splendid cisilizaion ich in monuments such a deere lubpnth’: ‘The Minoan perd’ Included the ‘Minoan Thalaseocracy aaeeet toby any anclent sours, from Herodotus to Buses. Thisended around Suggested by some ancient sources Claboration of various ideas abou nd248, Neko Karina nd Nicola Memon iewof the cen dcbston eter Minoa meni at she besining of ‘ne sing ‘minoisch’ by Hoeck and Maller ‘minoisch’ and expecially the concept of a ‘minoische (German scholars. For example, Focdrich Weicker, Ma suchas Knossos nthe Ter Minos lore Svan Wor Cte (154) 299 ued to be in use among German scholars, al the term ‘minoiseh’ had gained considerable popularity Es the term ‘Minoan’ fist appear in the English Is translated the ancient Grek aio andthete of Minos’ 1a Crate de Minos’ and er 7 works on alent history by se erm ‘Minoan’ yery simi for oe iM gr than previously supposed = beginning ofthe seventeenth century, Engh | 1899 Edward : s Rhodines i. The frst wae probably the " the Homeric hymns i x European languages are concerned, we ean soe that, under the Cnossos. Some years larship, and of Hoeck in st French and Gresk tse terms atalogous tothe German adjective minoise his 1853 book lle de fa Grice, Lacroix wrote of an ‘epoque pi Dore peelNekerioe Kart 1390) 2s ie Gaistesasinschafle, Pompe Proceedings ofthe Cambridge Pilologial Soca .) 201, Aer Evans Dsl in rte 199618 1 Schlesier (es. 1-17 . 7 3 | = ; i | | /| | | | 254, Neko Karoinas nd Nolet Megane ‘he Tm Mine lore va Wk in Cmte 854) 255 Paes of Homer ond he Homeridae urengle A and Loschcks, 6.1879. Meniche Dongeiese Fess sur Fer de oy enry Sin), Haron Teaglrigcn Bescon der Deutschen Achaclosch nett in Ro Ik age She, 1086, Miike Vas, erence Tonge ae mes im hfrge des Kasserch Deutschen Arshaeoogscien glk ras as nar he i wll London, ete de Priel Grandin de Ft de Chose ana “fhe acetone ofthe ‘chacslogen varie, Monoaron na eV cond Patras, Geos nis Talat tek 187, Catlogue ds masons Seman dea Bibetagu Reeds i Aertel Zerbt isd Amorgo eal Tre! Annas drat de "ah der Gehan Statcaleraer, Freiburg, holo dr Gnachan, fur de ober Classen der Schl und iS iE A Zen guston in Anthology Repro he Si Sth Metin of th Br Sa ei tivenconen a Scie helttLveyol a Setenbe 18, 306 ae aon Frovslonal wap othe excsatons fr the year 901 ton and approximate chronclogy ofthe pe SP Mialhc tothe ay Io hae Kscton for he Aavancement of Parte on of Peunds ton Lescon, Edied by EA. Andes, Revised, Enlarged, adn eat Pe ‘Gator256 ates Karin nd Nets Momiliana (the erm Minn ore Eins Wok nH) 237 ddl, H.G, and Scott R HAD, A GrstsBagh Leseo Based onthe Geman Work of Pevopoulou, A 1956, Roar, Ludwig (1806-1859, De Grummond ed) 983-984 Stolerhip rom 13001030 Onto vinden) Oxford ‘Stun First Books othe nats of Vr Conse on Englishe Met, TH 6,4 rel English Lexicon Based on the German i, tenslted into English Vee, Aheot. 8 Tes Gnuvres de Vege ade on prose enichies de Dictionary ofthe Latin Language, original Explanations Garman dy 11.6. Scr Revi end Ps arial setocentece: KO, Male in Oro Conia laste del mondo antco, Rome ‘Puneet Machen a Cantons Cony ighlader andthe Palace of snp Si hpnur Evans Greckrths and he Minoan inl redatnne ‘fei au XA se gp 1. hees def able RoeEnglish Dictionary, London Wels nnn? A lo rom cast Cre’ BICS 46,213 2 sory f Clase! Scholarship (rated by Al a= aK, hens Foon occas pape, Bane ees a peri es,