Goddess or Adorant
Name/Title
Goddess or AdorantEntry/Object ID
11NE-Mi44-181Description
This female figurine was handmade out of clay. This figurine has an hourglass shape with a triangular base.The head of the figurine is round and it has large round eye sockets and a protruding beak like nose. The figurine's neck is long and it connects to the chest which has two single incised lines that intersect to from a x. The figurine's hands are extended towards the breasts which are not emphasized. The figurine's naval is quite large and clearly emphasized. The figurine's pubic region is marked by a pubic triangle that contains horizontal incised lines. A simple incised line down the length of the legs defines the figurine's legs. There is some substantial wear on the figurine, namely pastiche rejoined from fragments and minor encrustation. The figurines in this period also seem to be mass produced based on the method of design. Figures from this period tend to display incised decoration rather than combining decorationContext
There has been debate among archaeologists as to the use of these figurines. Some scholars suggest these types of female figurines represent a mother type fertility goddess. Other scholars suggest it is merely a representation of females' fertility. This fertility evokes a fertility goddess by means of the naked female body. Both these interpretations directly link these female figurines with fertility and the cult of a goddess (depending on the time period and location this mother/fertility goddess has different names like the goddess Ishtar). Some archaeologists have suggested that these figurines represent a child's toy while other archaeologists suggest that these female figurines represent specific prominent and revered women of a community who have died and these figurines were made to venerate them.Made/Created
Date made
2000 BCE - 2000 BCETime Period
Bronze AgeEthnography
Culture/Tribe
Near Eastern - Syro-Palestine