Pedestalled bowls with a central hole in Protopalatial Crete: a ritual and communal function?

In this paper I deal with a peculiar ceramic shape attested on Crete in the First Palace or Protopalatial period (M(iddle) M(inoan) IB-MM IIB: XIX-XVIII cent. BC): the pedestalled bowl. It is composed of a tall, tubular pedestal and a bowl on the top with a hole in the centre, which implies a ritual use of the vase. These vases, known in the literature as fruitstands, compotiers, offering tables, or simply pedestalled vases, drew my attention for the three following reasons: first, the pedestalled bowls attested in the Protopalatial period differ from the earlier examples, i.e. Neolithic and Prepalatial, in their standard shape, which shows a tall and tubular pedestal and an elaborate bowl with a central hole. Second, they mainly occur in palatial centres and major Cretan settlements, and more rarely in funerary and cult settings, in contexts often associated with ceremonial activities. Third, most of them show skeuomorphic features and connections with foreign elements: they may imitate shapes of Egyptian stone vessels, like carinated bowls, and features of the Giali (Dodecannese) obsidians, i.e. the white-spotted appearance. Combining the special features of these vases with the most recent information from their contexts of finding, I will argue that they were especially attributed a ritual use during ceremonial activities and a social function in expressing both the high status and international connections of Minoan elites.