User talk:Koutelakis

PREHISTORIC SHIPS IN AEGEAN SEA --Α new suggestion concerning the "akrostolion" on Cycladic ships--

Dr Haris Koutelakis, Archaeologist SUMMARY

According to the list of prehistoric ships publicised by Μ. Wedde out of objects found in excavations, we have 6 types of ships (I - VΙ). Μy personal research leads to the hypothesis that some of the symbols decorating the prow or the stern of these ships (akrostolion) point out not only the inspiration of the craftsmen who used to ornament the vessels with plants and animals (in Egypt initially we have palm trees and subsequently felines or animal-like gods) but also their special use and their origin-- geographically speaking. The so-called "pans" of the Chalandriani Syros (Cyclades) with a tuna fish decorating the stern of the ship, could imply the fishing of this specific fish by the crew (see Koutsouflakis). In the case of the presence of a bird's head, that bird is either a duck οr a swan (see photos) and we can find such in the Medinet - Habu column that represents the battle of Ramses III. The creators of these types of ship (V, VI) probably wanted to remark the affinity between the capability of navigation of the vessel and the capability of floating of these birds. That is exactly why many items of value, or even luxury items, took the shape of a vessel with the head of a duck or swan. Ι claim that these ships with the swan in their stern (akrostolion) as their characteristic symbol, as seen in a skyfos dated 850-800 B.C. at the museum of Eleusis, were probably built in a group of Aegean islands, named "Kyknades" exactly because of that common symbol (kyknos = swan in Greek). The name "Kyknades" may imply that specific geographic area which turned to become "Kyklades" (Cyclades) time passing, since in the linguistic-philological field one can observe the interchange between "ο" and "ι" in many of the words that the population of that group of islands uses. This way it is solved a histοrical and geographical issue regarding the term "Cyclades", since the explanation given i.e. that this group of islands encircle (kyklos = circle in Greek) the sacred island of Delos, does not stand according to the concrete geographical facts (Κοutelakis, Tinos). In Delos island, used to be sent groups of singers and dancers to celebrate Artemis and Apollo, by dancing circularly of the altar. These dancers and singers were residents of the islands where swan-like ships were built (kyknos = swan in Greek). There are many examples, for instance from Engerlstrap, Denmark (11th century B.C.) and from Sicily (10th-8th century B.C.), where in the stern (akrostolion) there was a reindeer or a deer head in order for us to comprehend this practice of the shipbuilders (see photos). The Phoenicians used as their symbol the Pataics i.e. the African Pygmies and others a sea bird just like the ones in the earthenware jars (18th century B.C.) from Aegina, or a horse head, in order to state how fast their vessel was. Nowadays, we use the same practice with symbols found especially in cars, as the jaguar οr the mustang etc. (see : CORPUS 72, June 2005, 57 – 64.