You are invited to an IIHSA Online Lecture on Thursday 3rd December at 5pm (Irish time)/ 7pm (Greek time) by Dr Céline Murphy (Trinity College Dublin) entitled "Low-skilled artisans or high-skilled artists? On the perplexing question of who made peak sanctuary figurines".

The question of who made Minoan peak sanctuary figurines has frequently been raised but seldom deeply examined. The broad assumption that the more visually pleasing pieces were carefully made by skilled artists working in well-equipped workshops while the less aesthetically refined ones were rapidly made by low-skilled artisans working in rural areas has consequently largely prevailed. In revisiting these conclusions by exploring the technological and social implications of peak sanctuary figurine production, I argue that a number of different, competing, and often intangible and presently invisible, factors may have influenced who participated in this craft. Different forms of knowledge, skill and experience were necessary for the successful completion of certain stages of the chaîne opératoire and the number of individuals required for specific operations altered. Ultimately, after proposing a more systematic model of analysis, I advance a more nuanced perspective on the question while also demonstrating how far ranging an impact discussions on skill have on the understanding of Minoan crafts more generally.