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Mycenaean centaurs at Ugarit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2012

Ione Mylonas Shear
Ione Mylonas Shear
Affiliation:
Princeton, New Jersey
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Abstract

The identification of two Mycenaean terracotta centaurs from the excavations at Ras Shamra-Ugarit suggests a Bronze Age origin for the centaurs known from the historic periods of Greece. The Mycenaean centaurs from Ras Shamra-Ugarit are compared to the later examples from the Greek mainland. No continuous artistic tradition can be identified among the preserved examples. Since writing ceased to be used in Greece in the Iron Age and no artistic trend connecting the different representations of centaurs can be seen, it is suggested here that the concept of centaurs was transmitted by way of the oral tradition.

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Type
Shorter Contributions
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 122 , November 2002 , pp. 147 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 2002

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