Sistro romano. Taken at exhibition “Memorie dal sottosuolo. 25 anni di scavi a Roma.”
The Sistrum: Echoes of Egypt in Minoan Civilization
By Jake Maeng
Though the Bronze Age Egyptian and Minoan civilizations each had their own unique elements, they were undoubtedly interconnected. Archaeologists have uncovered the influence of Egypt on the Minoan civilization in surprising ways—one of which is the sistrum, a musical and ritualistic instrument.
Egyptian vs. Minoan Civilization
Egyptian civilization was different from other Mediterranean cultures. Egypt relied on the strength of its bureaucracy and the state’s geography along the Nile River. The distinctive beauty of Egyptian civilization has become immortalized through archaeological sites such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings. Both were grave sites for Egyptian rulers, but they are separated by a thousand years, in the Old and New Kingdom periods, respectively.
The architecture and cultic practices of the Minoans made their civilization unique as well. For example, the Minoan palace at Knossos functioned as a multipurpose venue, its usage ranging from the religious to the administrative. The distinct nature of Minoan cult practices is particularly shown through their veneration of the Horns of Consecration— a key ritual artifact used in religious practices. It is also shown through the famous fresco in the central court at Knossos depicting a bull leaping event and the sacred grove and dance ceremony fresco in the west court of the palace. Despite the differences between Minoan and Egyptian civilizations, one cultural artifact they shared was the sistrum.
The Sistrum
The sistrum is a percussion instrument characterized by a U-shaped frame connected to a handle.1 It contains movable crossbars that make jangling noises when shaken. Although the sistrum is chiefly associated with Egypt, the earliest accounts of this instrument come from a Mesopotamian civilization; according to a seal at the Louve, the instrument existed in Sumer as early as 2600 BC. It is also shown on a plaque adorning one of the lyres in the Royal Cemetery of Ur.2
In Egyptian civilization, the sistrum was commonly associated with the cult of the goddess Hathor — who represented fertility, music, and so much more.3 Used in religious and dance ceremonies, the instrument made a loud rattling sound that enhanced the mystique of the rites. The Egyptian people also shook the sistrum to secure their wellbeing. Specifically, it was often used to avert the flooding of the Nile River.4 This speaks to the power and importance placed upon the sistrum, as the Nile River was essential to Egyptian civilization; it was Egypt’s main source of water and thus also the source of its agriculture.5 The Egyptians also used the sistrum to prevent Set—the god of disorder and violence—from causing disruptions.6
Evidence for Cross-Cultural Interactions
The sistrum adds to the already ample evidence of cross-cultural interactions between Egypt and Minoan Crete. At Mochlos, a small village in Eastern Crete, archaeologists found a bronze sistrum that resembled those of Egypt. In addition, the Harvester Vase, found at Hagia Triada in southern Crete, portrays an individual playing the sistrum in what appears to be a harvest celebration.7 Though these two discoveries indicate Egyptian influence on Minoan civilization, neither the sistrum nor the artifact that depicts a sistrum were actually manufactured in Egypt. One could argue that though Minoan sistra resemble Egyptian sistra, these instruments do not constitute proof of face-to-face interaction between the two civilizations. There are several arguments, however, that can be made against this perspective.
Harvester Vase rhyton, c. 1500 BCE (Minoan) from Hagia Triada. Steatite. Diameter 4.5″ (11.3 cm). Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete.
The use of the sistrum in Egypt precedes Crete’s usage by several centuries. Although other regions may have utilized similar instruments, the sistrum was more ingrained in the musical and cultic tradition of Egypt than any other Bronze Age Mediterranean civilization.8 For these reasons, it makes sense to conclude that the Minoan sistrum likely derived from Egyptian traditions. Another factor to consider is that the first recorded Minoan sistrum appeared in a period of increasing interaction between Crete and the Eastern Mediterranean as well as a rise in Egyptian imports and Egyptian-like objects in Crete.9 These factors suggest that the Minoan sistrum was probably acquired through Egyptian trade. One last factor to consider is that the shapes of the Minoan and Egyptian sistrum are similar. Hypothetically, due to increased interaction between the cultures, Minoans could have witnessed the use of the sistrum in the Egyptian cult of Hathor, inspiring them to create their own sistrum.
Minoan sistrum found in Crete estimated to be from 2100-1900 BC (left). Egyptian sistrum which resembles the one found in Crete (right).
The morphological characteristics of the sistrum as well as the period in which it was found provide strong evidence for the influence of Egypt on Minoan civilization. However, these two factors alone do not provide a conclusive argument for a face-to-face contact between these two civilizations. Studies on the mere exposure effect have found that “when people affiliated with a religious system come into contact with people from a different religious tradition, they relate more quickly and easily to the elements of the foreign tradition that resemble more closely to those with which they are already familiar.”10 With this key human behavioral consideration in mind, it is plausible that—because playing the sistrum is only fully understood when seeing it handled in person—the Minoans saw the performance of the sistrum firsthand prior to adopting it into their own culture. It seems logical that the Minoans had to first be familiar with the sistrum’s usage before they learned to play the instrument and used it in their own rituals. However, when considering this question, it is important to note whether each civilization used the instrument for the same purpose. If they didn’t, the Minoans may have just adopted it for their own uses to accompany a rhythmic dance — as exemplified in the Harvester Vase, which depicts the sistrum being used in a harvest celebration.
The argument of familiarity, however, is further supported by findings about the usage of the sistrum in Minoan funerals. In Crete, the sistrum became a part of the funerary ritual at the same time that it became more important in Egyptian culture.11 The inclusion of the Minoan sistrum as an element of the funerary ritual likely stemmed from a common practice performed by Minoans and Egyptians: they “need[ed] to renew life forces when faced with death and [could do] so through funerary ritual.”12 When analyzing the adoption of the sistrum by Minoans from the human behavioral perspective and the argument of familiarity, it is clear that Egypt had an influence on Minoan civilization.
Archaeologists have made observations through the most unassuming methods—in this case, through their discovery of a musical instrument. The sistrum has provided archaeologists with invaluable knowledge about the ways Egyptian civilization influenced Minoan civilization. There are endlessly meaningful interactions that occur between civilizations through time and space. Music is one of many ways in which different civilizations are linked.
Jake Maeng (’25) is a student at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Philosophy Politics & Economics.
Endnotes
1. Jeffrey Soles, “The Mochlos Sistrum and its Origins,” Metallurgy: Understanding how, learning why, edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Susan C. Ferrence.
2. Marcelle Duchesne-Guillemin,“Music in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt,” World Archaeology, vol. 12, no. 3, (1981): 287.
3. Dawid Borowka, “The Sistrum and its Mistress. Some thoughts about the usage of sistrum on Crete and its Hathoric associations,” Fontes Archaeologici Posnanienses, vol. 56, 2020.
4. Isis and Osiris. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. V.
5. Albert H. Garretson, “The Nile System,” Proceedings of the American Society of International Law at Its Annual Meeting (1921-1969), vol. 54, (1960): 136.
6. Isis and Osiris. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. V.
7. John Forsdyke, “The ‘Harvester’ Vase of Hagia Triada,” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, vol. 17, no. 1/2, 1954, 1.
8. Evi Sikla, “On the Egyptian Origins of the Minoan Sistrum,” Kleronomia: Legacy and Inheritance: Studies on the Aegean Bronze Age in Honor of Jeffrey S. Soles, edited by Joanne M.A. Murphy and Jerolyn E. Morrison, vol. 61, (2022): 201.
9. Evi Sikla, “On the Egyptian Origins of the Minoan Sistrum,” Kleronomia: Legacy and Inheritance: Studies on the Aegean Bronze Age in Honor of Jeffrey S. Soles, edited by Joanne M.A. Murphy and Jerolyn E. Morrison, vol. 61, (2022): 201.
10. Evi Sikla, “On the Egyptian Origins of the Minoan Sistrum,” Kleronomia: Legacy and Inheritance: Studies on the Aegean Bronze Age in Honor of Jeffrey S. Soles, edited by Joanne M.A. Murphy and Jerolyn E. Morrison, vol. 61, (2022): 201.
Works Cited
Borowka, Dawid. “The Sistrum and its Mistress. Some thoughts about the usage of sistrum on Crete and its Hathoric associations.” Fontes Archaeologici Posnanienses, vol. 56, 2020.
Duchesne-Guillemin, Marcelle. “Music in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.” World Archaeology, vol. 12, no. 3, 1981, pp. 287–97. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/124240. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.
Forsdyke, John. “The ‘Harvester’ Vase of Hagia Triada.” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, vol. 17, no. 1/2, 1954, pp. 1–9. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/750129. Accessed 16 Nov. 2022.
Garretson, Albert H. “THE NILE RIVER SYSTEM.” Proceedings of the American Society of International Law at Its Annual Meeting (1921-1969), vol. 54, 1960, pp. 136–44. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25657488. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.
Holland, Leicester B. “A Note on ‘Horns of Consecration.’” American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 21, no. 4, 1917, pp. 417–19. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/497328. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.
Kelder, Jorrit M., Sara E. Cole, and Eric H. Cline. “Memphis, Minos, and Mycenae; Bronze Age contact between Egypt and the Aegean.” Beyond the Nile: Egypt and the Classical World, Los Angeles (2018): 9-17. Plutarch. Isis and Osiris. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. V.
Sikla, Evi. “On the Egyptian Origins of the Minoan Sistrum.” Kleronomia: Legacy and Inheritance: Studies on the Aegean Bronze Age in Honor of Jeffrey S. Soles, edited by
Joanne M.A. Murphy and Jerolyn E. Morrison, vol. 61, INSTAP Academic Press, 2022, pp. 201–10. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv13nb6xx.25. Accessed 16 Nov. 2022.
Soles, Jeffrey. “The Mochlos Sistrum and its Origins.” Metallurgy: Understanding how, learning why, edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Susan C. Ferrence.