Current approaches and new perspectives in Aegean iconography

In the archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age our approaches and methods of analysing and interpreting pictorial images have changed throughout recent decades, and the questions we pose to the iconographic material have increased in complexity. As a consequence, the aim of this volume is to present an overview of current trends and individual methodological attempts towards arriving at an adequate understanding of Minoan, Cycladic, and Mycenaean iconography. Scholars active in this field of research have each contributed an article on a specific artistic object, an individual image, or a group of artefacts and their iconography, in order to illustrate the methodology they use in dealing with Aegean images and their wider context. The focus lies on the presentation of new, previously unpublished or neglected material from recent or old excavations, new reconstructions and interpretations of long-known artistic objects as well as superordinate pictorial subjects. The contributions focus on prominent artistic media such as seal images (on seals, signet-rings, and sealings) and mural paintings yet also include other artistic genera such as metal inlay work, relief images, pictorial pottery, and terracotta figurines. This collection of 18 case studies provides a representative cross section that portrays up-to-date research on analysing and interpreting the iconography of the Aegean Bronze Age. This volume therefore makes visible current scholarly approaches and simultaneously provides new perspectives into Aegean iconography.0.