Minoan Snake Tube
In the context of domestic shrines snake tubes are believed to have sat on top of or adjacent to a cult bench.
[3] Later discoveries found the tubes in close proximity to statues of goddesses believed to have been worshipped by early Minoans.
[1] Modern scholars, such as Geraldine Gesell, argue that snake tubes played an important role in the construction and function of early Minoan domestic shrines.
Understanding ritual practice in Minoan Crete has been made particularly difficult due to a lack of monumental temples.
[6] Whilst, references to goddesses are most frequently found, there is evidence of male figures depicted as gods in Minoan culture.
The shrines share some common characteristics such as snake tubes, a bench, and figurines with upraised arms believed to be a depiction of a Minoan goddess.
Scholars argue that if this religion was common to Minoans that the majority of living spaces would have a shrine or evidence of personal worship.
[9] Scholars of ancient Minoan religion develop their theories from evidence in archeological finds such as signet rings, seals, paintings, and pottery vessels.
Some excavation sites at Kavousi even have multiple sets of snake tubes consisting of different clays.
Archeologists analyzing the site argue that different types of clay would correspond to a matching set of a goddess figurines and plaques.
[12] More recent excavations have revealed that snake tubes feature multiple other animal imagery symbolic to Minoan religion.
Sir Arthur Evans also discovered the tubes at Crete's most famous archeological site, Knossos.
Other excavations have discovered tubes at sites in Gournia, Koumassa, Kavousi, Gazi, Kannia, Myrtos, Haghida Triada,Kommos Kharpi, Katsamba, and Kephala Khondrou.
[4][1][11] The variety of sites that snake tubes have been discovered at suggests that the objects were important to shrine construction and ritual practice as opposed to theories that describe them as decorative pieces.
Others have suggested that the snake tubes were served as libation vessels allowing for ritual drinking and pouring.
