The Admiral's Fresco and What It Reveals About Theran Society

AprilNeeley
by AprilNeeley
The Admiral’s Fresco, located in Room 5 of the West House, in Akrotiri was 6 metres long, and classified as a miniature, which depicted a journey of a fleet of various ships, making a journey from one area of land to another. This fresco enables the observer to collect information about key elements of Theran society, such as the island’s inhabitants, and their roles and places in that society, the importance of maritime activity, and the definite class system established in the community. Aspects of the island itself are also revealed, such as the appearance of the landscape and terrain of the area, and the appearance and structure of the man-made settlements.
The Admiral’s Fresco gives insight into the inhabitants of the island, including their clothing, and appearance, which can give indications of their occupations, and status in the society. The fresco shows a coastal settlement, with people inhabiting the area, appearing to be performing everyday activities like working with flocks, and carrying water from a well. The tunics and the large skirts that the men and women are wearing respectively, paired with the fact that the activities they are depicted as doing would be classified as working class jobs, therefore, implies that the lower status/common individual would wear these basic garments in Theran society. There is also a row of people on the north wall frieze, who are presumably marching warriors due to the fact that they are wearing armour. The inclusion of this other type of people furthers our understanding of Theran society as a multi-faceted, diverse community, with specific and various needs, which in this case, would be military requirements. Their ox-hide shields and boar’s tusk helmets also communicates Theran society as proficient in using natural resources to their advantage, and a developing sophistication in elements of armour-making, for example the process of tanning the animals hides. This level of skill is indicative of a society that has established technologies and techniques used for production.
The passengers on the larger ships are primarily wearing tunics and long robes, and do not appear to be involved in any labour-intensive activity. This is indicative of a more upper class type of people, which contrasts with the appearance of a smaller, simpler boat. This boat is more basic in
construction, and its inhabitants are bare chested, which insinuates a lower class of people. The smaller boat has people in it that are actively involved in the propelling of the boat, whereas the larger boat’s occupants are not involved in that strenuous activity, as there appears to be lines of individuals using the oars on the sides of the boats, possibly employees of the upper class robe-wearers, or even slaves. This difference in activity is a clear symbol of the distinction of the upper and lower status groups of people in Thera, and the particular employer-employee relationship between the two groups. These distinctions between different groups’ clothing, activities and appearance of ships, should therefore be noted as indicators of a strong sense of hierarchy in Theran society. The ships depicted throughout the fresco allow the observer to conclude the importance of maritime activity to Theran society. The fresco tells a story of a fleet of ships making a journey, and there have been several theories about the purpose of this journey, and therefore the purpose of the fresco. Some believe it is a cultural or religious ceremony, due to the natural ornamentation on the ships. The ship with 21 oars, for example, is decorated with large floral ornaments, and contains a sun symbol. This could be a suggestion of an event that contains celebrations towards a sun goddess. In a more general sense, the large procession of boats across the fresco alludes to a cultural celebration or a show, as most of the boats, particularly the larger ones, appear to be generously decorated, and the more noticeable occupants of the boats appear to be quite static; relaxed and seated, suggesting a comfortable, safe journey, with no signs of conflict on the water. This activity creates an understanding of Thera as a society which thrives on water, and is involved in a substantial amount of maritime activity. The decoration indicates a strong sense of culture, and celebration, and the large boats themselves shows the society’s understanding of boat construction and skills in carpentry.
In terms of the environment, both natural and man-made, that made up Thera, this fresco provides distinct features of the island, allowing an image of what it physically looked like to be understood. On each end of the fresco are two areas of land, where the two towns are shown. The landscape surrounding the towns are depicted using curves and waving lines which are representative of a mountainous environment. This tells the observer, quite clearly, the type of land that covered Thera. On the left side, there are blue coloured lines following the contours of the land, which are most likely representative of streams of water surrounding the town. This reinforces the idea of water having a large impact on Theran society, as it is shown to be all around them. The two man-made towns depicted in the fresco reveal Theran architecture and other physical elements. Of the two areas, the town on the right appears to be Akrotiri, as it more sophisticated and complex that then town on the left. The representation of Akrotiri in this fresco contains multistoried buildings that are extremely close to one another and have more complex shapes. The buildings have flat roofs, and the use of geometric bricks in the walls is defined. The town looks very structured, with a clear pathway, and a large wall encasing the settlement. This tells us that Theran people were organized in the planning and building of their towns, and it could also be noted that they preferred living in large, connecting building structures that are close together, as to minimise the amount of space used in the area.
The Admiral’s Fresco is an essential archaeological source of information about Thera and Theran society, as it displays a great number of key elements regarding Theran life. It tells us about the people of Thera, the importance of the ocean to their society, and how their society had established a class system, various technologies, and a strong sense of culture. Physical features of the island are also highlighted, and focus is placed on the layout of the towns depicted in the Fresco.
AprilNeeley
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