Abstract
The so-called “Golden Ibex” was discovered at the Bronze Age site of Akrotiri on Thera in 1999. The agrimi (Cretan Wild Goat) is the second most common depicted animal in Minoan and Mycenaean art but are rarely ever identified as agrimi by art historians and archaeologists; scholars tend to present a conservative identification of the animal, referring to it as an ibex, wild goat, or just goat. This thesis argues that the so-called “Golden Ibex” is an agrimi and not an ibex, suggesting a local origin within the Minoan world, but also provides a counter argument that aims to suggest potential influence or origin by a foreign culture, which would suggest the artifact is in fact an ibex. Through scientific, archaeological, zoological, and art historical analysis, the two arguments explore the presence of capridae iconography and their role as both animal and image in cultures from various societies of the ancient world.