Beta Sector
Room 6
The fresco known as ‘The Monkey Fresco’ can be found in Room 6 of the Beta Sector at Akrotiri. This house (Beta Sector) is located on the southern coast of the ringed island of Santorini. The Monkey fresco has only been able to survive and be put together through fragments found in room B6. Within this fresco it can be seen that the monkeys are climbing the rocks in an attempt to escape the two dogs chasing them. Monkeys also appear elsewhere in Theran and Minoan art, and they are often depicted as attendants to priestesses and near sacred altars. This showed that the Theran and Minoan people thought that monkeys held an important role, especially in that of religion. They believed that the monkey was a sacred animal and a servant of God. A fossilized monkey skull has been found on the island on Santorini, suggesting the possibility that monkeys were present on Thera. Possibly monkeys really did help in and around priestesses and sacred altars, this is a possibility now that they have may have actually been on the island at the time. The Blue Monkey Fresco can be closely comparable to a more fragmentary and stylistically somewhat earlier composition found in the palace at Knossos. This means that there could have been a link between the people of Crete and the people of Thera. It is believed that the motif originated in Crete and later was incorporated in art found at Akrotiri.
Room 1
The frescoes known as ‘The Minoan Boxing Boys’ and ‘The Antelope Fresco’ can be found in Room 1 of the Beta Sector at Akrotiri. This house (Beta Sector) is located on the southern coast of the ringed island of Santorini. It was found between the years 1967 an 1974. The fresco known as ‘The Minoan Boxing Boys depicts a fight between two teen boys, these boys have been provided with a belt and loincloth and a glove on their right hands. Within the fresco it can be seen that their hair is long, with tresses and has some shave areas, this is a representation of their youth. Another thing that can be seen within this fresco is that the boy on the left wears a surprising amount of jewellery, he is wearing; a necklace, earrings, bracelets and anklets, whilst his opponent has no jewellery. This suggests that the boy on the left is from a family of greater wealth and is able to afford giving their son jewellery, whilst, the boy on the left wearing no jewellery can be thought to have been from a less fortunate family, in which case they were not able to buy precious things like jewellery. Also in the room is another fresco which is known as ‘The Antelope Fresco’, this fresco depicts a pair of Antelopes together. From the environment seen within Room 1of Beta Sector it can be said that the pair of Antelopes on two or three walls juxtaposes the single pair of boxing boys in one relatively narrow panel. Spyridon Marintos, a Greek archaeologist, suggests that the playful competition of strength mirrors the competing Antelopes who also seem to be facing off on the other walls of the room.
The fresco known as ‘The Monkey Fresco’ can be found in Room 6 of the Beta Sector at Akrotiri. This house (Beta Sector) is located on the southern coast of the ringed island of Santorini. The Monkey fresco has only been able to survive and be put together through fragments found in room B6. Within this fresco it can be seen that the monkeys are climbing the rocks in an attempt to escape the two dogs chasing them. Monkeys also appear elsewhere in Theran and Minoan art, and they are often depicted as attendants to priestesses and near sacred altars. This showed that the Theran and Minoan people thought that monkeys held an important role, especially in that of religion. They believed that the monkey was a sacred animal and a servant of God. A fossilized monkey skull has been found on the island on Santorini, suggesting the possibility that monkeys were present on Thera. Possibly monkeys really did help in and around priestesses and sacred altars, this is a possibility now that they have may have actually been on the island at the time. The Blue Monkey Fresco can be closely comparable to a more fragmentary and stylistically somewhat earlier composition found in the palace at Knossos. This means that there could have been a link between the people of Crete and the people of Thera. It is believed that the motif originated in Crete and later was incorporated in art found at Akrotiri.
Room 1
The frescoes known as ‘The Minoan Boxing Boys’ and ‘The Antelope Fresco’ can be found in Room 1 of the Beta Sector at Akrotiri. This house (Beta Sector) is located on the southern coast of the ringed island of Santorini. It was found between the years 1967 an 1974. The fresco known as ‘The Minoan Boxing Boys depicts a fight between two teen boys, these boys have been provided with a belt and loincloth and a glove on their right hands. Within the fresco it can be seen that their hair is long, with tresses and has some shave areas, this is a representation of their youth. Another thing that can be seen within this fresco is that the boy on the left wears a surprising amount of jewellery, he is wearing; a necklace, earrings, bracelets and anklets, whilst his opponent has no jewellery. This suggests that the boy on the left is from a family of greater wealth and is able to afford giving their son jewellery, whilst, the boy on the left wearing no jewellery can be thought to have been from a less fortunate family, in which case they were not able to buy precious things like jewellery. Also in the room is another fresco which is known as ‘The Antelope Fresco’, this fresco depicts a pair of Antelopes together. From the environment seen within Room 1of Beta Sector it can be said that the pair of Antelopes on two or three walls juxtaposes the single pair of boxing boys in one relatively narrow panel. Spyridon Marintos, a Greek archaeologist, suggests that the playful competition of strength mirrors the competing Antelopes who also seem to be facing off on the other walls of the room.