---
title: Minoan Bronze Shield
author: Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13483/minoan-bronze-shield/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Minoan Bronze Shield

_Authored by Archaeological Museum of Heraklion_

## Image File

[![Minoan Bronze Shield](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/13483.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/13483.jpg)

## Image Caption

[Bronze](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/bronze/) shield, [Crete](https://www.worldhistory.org/crete/), Geometric period, 8th-7th century BCE.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete.

The bronze *[tympanon](https://www.worldhistory.org/Tympanon/)*/shield found in the Idaean Cave is a votive offering from around the 8th century BCE. It is decorated with a bas-relief image of a male [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) climbing on or jumping over a bull, a spectacle of physical prowess seen in the [Minoan](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Minoan/) [wall](https://www.worldhistory.org/wall/)-painting. The god holds a lion above his head and has two winged *daimons* on both sides who shake their *tympana*, perhaps in his praise. Sculpted images of the royal lion hunt and griffin-like deities have gigantic parallels in Assyrian art. The composition, decoration, and iconographic symbolization of [Zeus](https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/) and the *kouretes* in this carving, on the other hand, reflect the local [Greek culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Greek_Culture/) that succeeded, and profoundly absorbed, the [Minoan civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/Minoan_Civilization/) in Crete. Artistic and religious artefacts found in the Idaean Cave, including oil lamps, drinking vessels, altars, and votive gifts of [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/), bronze, faïence, and ivory, link this Cretan location to a range of [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) and Near Eastern influences coming from the Egyptians, Syrians, Palestinians, and [Phoenicians](https://www.worldhistory.org/phoenicia/), among others.

## Bibliography

- [Dizionario Enciclopedico Della Civiltà Fenicia](http://www.decf-cnr.org/ "Dizionario Enciclopedico Della Civiltà Fenicia"), accessed 23 Feb 2021.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Heraklion, A. M. o. (2021, February 26). Minoan Bronze Shield. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13483/minoan-bronze-shield/>
### Chicago
Heraklion, Archaeological Museum of. "Minoan Bronze Shield." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 26, 2021. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13483/minoan-bronze-shield/>.
### MLA
Heraklion, Archaeological Museum of. "Minoan Bronze Shield." *World History Encyclopedia*, 26 Feb 2021, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13483/minoan-bronze-shield/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P1010654bronze_shield.JPG) by [**Archaeological Museum of Heraklion**](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P1010654bronze_shield.JPG). Submitted by [Nathalie Choubineh](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/nathalie.choubineh/ "User Page: Nathalie Choubineh"), published on 26 February 2021. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.