A Marble Engraving of a “Mycenaean” Warrior from Ayia Irini, Kea: Island Iconography and Social Context

ABSTRACT:A marble slab, probably a stele, engraved with the image of a helmeted man was recovered in 1964 at Ayia Irini, Kea. John L. Caskey identified the figure as a “Mycenaean” warrior of Late Bronze Age III date, interpreting it as an indication of Mycenaean cultural domination at Ayia Irini. This article presents the first systematic study of this distinctive example of Keian visual and material culture. An assessment of formal and iconographical comparanda establishes an early Late Bronze Age date and demonstrates strong links between the helmeted figure and Neopalatial Cretan iconography. The localized social context of the slab as “island iconography” within the competitive transcultural environment of early Late Bronze Age Ayia Irini is emphasized.