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A larnax (plural: larnakes; Ancient Greek: λάρναξ, lárnaks, plural: λάρνακες, lárnakes) is a type of small closed coffin, box or "ash-chest" often used in the Minoan civilization and in Ancient Greece as a container for human remains—either a corpse (bent back on itself) or cremated ashes.

History

The first larnakes appeared in the Minoan period of the Aegean civilization, when they took the form of ceramic coffers designed to imitate wooden chests. By the Late Minoan period, they became a standard burial vessel on Crete. They were richly decorated with abstract patterns, octopuses and scenes of hunting and cult rituals.

During the later Hellenistic period, larnakes, in the form of small terracotta sarcophagi, became popular, some of which were painted in similar styles to contemporary Greek vases.

In a few special cases, larnakes appear to have been made out of precious materials, as in the 4th century BC example found at Vergina in Macedonia, of gold, with a sun motif (hence known as the "Vergina Sun" motif) on the lid. Manolis Andronikos, the leader of the archaeological excavation, posited that the larnax most likely contained the remains of King Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

The origins of the larnax is debated, with the main three theories being a development from Middle Minoan coffins of the preceding period, wooden chests from the region (used to store things like household goods), and wooden funerary chests from Egypt. The connection to material from Egypt is made due to both the shape of the larnax, as well as some of the painted motifs that appear, especially scenes that show plants from Egypt (like the papyrus).

Form

Minoan Larnax from the Heraklion Museum

Larnakes generally take two shapes, the so-called "bathtub shape" and the "gabled chest". The bathtub shaped larnakes are often rounded, and sit directly on the ground. The gabled chest shaped larnakes are square-sided, with four feet in the corners, and have a gabled lid.

καὶ τά γε χρυσείην ἐς λάρνακα θῆκαν ἑλόντες
πορφυρέοις πέπλοισι καλύψαντες μαλακοῖσιν.
αἶψα δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐς κοίλην κάπετον θέσαν, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε
πυκνοῖσιν λάεσσι κατεστόρεσαν μεγάλοισι:

"The bones they took and placed in a golden urn, covering them over with soft purple robes, and quickly laid the urn in a hollow grave, and covered it over with great close-set stones."

Decoration

Late Minoan III larnax from Kavrochori, Archaeological Museum of Heraklion

Terracotta Larnax from the Late Minoan IIIB period (mid-13th century BCE). Gabled chest format, with decoration on each side consisting of geometric and vegetal ornaments. Metropolitan Museum of Art 1996.521a, b.

Larnakes are often painted with red and/or black paint using a variety of designs. In his study of Minoan Larnakes, Vance Watrous organized decoration into four groups: abstract designs, ritual figurines and objects, animals and plants sacred to a divinity, and representations of the afterworld. Abstract designs include patterns that are popular in other Minoan Art, including spirals, wavy lines, tri-curved arch nets, rosettes, checkerboard, arcs, wavy borders, lozenges, and crosshatching. The ritual figures or objects category includes female figures performing ritual acts, bulls, bucrania, birds, double axes, horns of consecration, and altars. A famous example of a larnax with ritual figural decoration is the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus. The category of "animals and plants sacred to a divinity" includes marine life such as octopi, dolphins, Argonauts, bivalves, and marine flora. The final group, scenes of the afterworld, has scenes associated with rivers and ships, chariot departures, and the hunting of deer, wild goat and bulls.