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Botany. Poison. Belief. An illustrated cabinet of curiosities.

WITHIN THE HERBARIUM

Minoan Poppy Iconography

Archaeological interpretations of the Gazi Poppy Goddess figurine, capsule incisions, and Bronze Age Minoan ritual contexts.

THE READING ROOM

Stories in this category Articles 1

Minoan Poppy Iconography 83
Papaver somniferum in Bronze Age Aegean material culture / Archive essay

Clay Vessels and Porphyry Pendants: Poppy Capsule Forms Across the Cycladic Palaces

Across Bronze Age Crete and the Cyclades, artisans cast the globular capsule of Papaver somniferum in terracotta, porphyry, and steatite. Archaeological evidence reveals a complex visual language balancing botanical realism, domestic ritual, and contested claims of narcotic trade.

Herbarium Archive 16 min read

You have reached the last leaf. There is always more to discover.

A NOTE FROM THE ARCHIVE

A darker leaf.
A closer look.

We trace the line between botanical evidence, historical remedies and plant lore. A beautiful specimen deserves a careful reading.

Our approach