44802827 a Reconceptualization of Figurines

7/27/2019 44802827 a Reconceptualization of Figurines

1/31


2/31

Introduction:

!igurines as artifacts created 6y ancient and mysterious cultures of the past represent a

defining and interesting aspect of the archaeological record$ !igurines arouse a lot of enthusiasm,

interest, 8uestions and de6ates among archaeologists and sometimes lead researchers into

esoteric formulations in the 8uest to try to ma9e sense of them$ :hese artifacts have al2ays

puled archaeologists 6ecause even though they are so mundane and o6viously easy to grasp,

they enclose a lot of mysteriousness$ #t is their apparent simplicity the aspect that proves most

deceiving at the moment of their study and interpretation$ Such sym6olic representations of the

2orld made 6y past humans, such as figurines 6ut also paintings and carvings, present 6ig

challenges 6ecause of their am6ivalent and undefined nature$

Aspects as such as the material and construction techni8ue of the figurines can 6e 8uic9ly

o6served and descri6ed on great detail$ #t is possi6le to determine the chemical and mineralogical

composition of its fa6rics and the techni8ues employed in their constructions$ :he location and

context in 2hich they 2ere found on the site can 6e recorded and correlated to other elements

identified on the dig, and their distri6ution and num6ers can 6e accounted in minute detail$ Still,

all these elements do not tell us much a6out the most important and particular element of

archaeological understanding, 2hich is the insight on the role and function that these artifacts

played on the societies that created them, 6e it in a large or small scale$ #n other 2ords, 2e can

9no2 ho2 they 2ere made, 2here they ended up and ho2 many 2ere found, 6ut 2e cannot

properly and certainly say 2ho made them, ho2 and 2here they 2ere used and for 2hat purpose

these societies employed them$

Archaeologists have uncovered figurines in many different archaeological locations

6elonging to different periods and societies$ :he contexts in 2hich such finds have 6een made

are varied and even more varied have 6een the interpretations and explanations put for2ard 6y

researchers, all destined to try to explain the presence of such materials$ *iven that figurines are

found on such different cultures, places and times, figurines as scholarly items have 6een given

Raymond !eliciano &

AR*+ '))& Reconstructing 4rehistoric Societies in the 7ear ast

Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


3/31


4/31


5/31


6/31

personal non quantified observation). Sie can vary from very small to relatively large, and

different terms are sometimes employed to create specific divisions of sies$ :he term figurine or

figure is employed to differentiate the smaller tri-dimensional representations from the larger

statues$ :he vast maEority of the figurines identified as such in the archaeological record tend to

6e small o6Eects that do not exceed ) to &cm in height, although some times larger shapes are

included in the definition, as are the statuettes from Aim *haal, 2hich 2ill 6e discussed later$

Shape, and fa6ric do not seem to 6e regarded as determinate aspects involved in the

process of defining a


7/31

related contexts$

Ain Ghazal-

Ain *haal is a 447" site discovered in )@%/ during the construction of a high2ay near

the ar8a River in the northeastern outs9irts of Amman .Rollefson )@1/3$ After a period of

initial inactivity, salvage excavations commenced at the site in )@1&$ Consecutively a second set

of excavations too9 place in )@1/ after unexpected and exiting finds 2ere uncovered in the first

excavations$ Along 2ith the salvage excavations, an extensive pedestrian and electronic survey

.2hich employed the resistivityIconductivity method3 2as performed, documenting an extension

for the site of around 0 acres .i6id$3$ Jarious architectural features 2ere identified on the

distur6ed areas, consisting of plaster floors, 6enches, 2alls, hearts, and pits$

:he artifacts recovered during the excavations consist of the usual assem6lage of

7eolithic artifacts expected for a site of that period, consisting mainly of chipped and ground

stone o6Eects, 6one tools and implements, and 6urial pits containing human remains$ "esides the

6urials, three plaster s9ulls and the remains of three plaster mas9s that once covered the faces of

s9ulls 2ere uncovered 6et2een )@1& and )@11 .Schmandt-"esserat )@@13$ Another category of

artifacts discovered at the site consists of figurines$ :his category 2as the most exiting element

of discovery at the site and the reason it stands out from the rest of the 447" locations

discovered up to date .2ith the exception of Kericho3$

:he figurines found at Ain *haal can 6e 6roadly divided in t2o groups$ :he first group

consists of small clay figurines$ :hese figurines have 6een found to 6e un6a9ed and 6a9ed and

represent animals and anthropomorphic forms$ #n addition, many figurines have 6een identified

and cataloged as having


8/31


9/31

separated 6y at least t2o centuries$ #t have 6een determined that the first &( piece assem6lage is

the oldest dating to around '%( "$C$ 2hile the second smaller cache have 6een estimated to

6elong to '(% "$C$ .i6id$3$

All the statuettes represent anthropomorphic shapes, 6e it of full representations of

human 6odies or 6usts representing heads and shoulders$ :he most stri9ing features of the

statuettes are the sie and the facial features$ #n average, they fluctuate in sie around 0(cm in

height for the 6usts and )cm for the statuettes .i6id$3, 6eing the ones found cache & the largest$

:his large sie contrasts greatly 2ith the much smaller clay figurines discussed earlier, 2hich

2ere much smaller and almost featureless$ :he main attention of the plaster statuettes is centered

on the head and face, 2hich represents a large part of the figurine$ :he facial features are unusual

.!igure /3$ :hey present high foreheads, short upturned noses, thin and minuscule lips, and

disproportionately large, 2ide-open eyes outlined 2ith 6itumen, and in the case of the second

cache, eyes that loo9 almost


10/31

isolation, carefully arranged in pits interred underneath 2hat have 6een descri6ed as a6andoned

6uildings or houses .4arry &&3$ :he statuettes 2ere carefully arranged, and covered$ :his

contrast greatly 2ith the discard treatment to 2hich the clay figurines 2ere su6Eected, suggesting

great differences in the contexts for 2hich the artifacts might have 6een created$ :he presence of

these artifacts have 6een interpreted 6y researchers under many analytical lenses, 6ut all share

the common idea that these statuettes 2ere destined to function on a cult or ritual 6asis of large

scale than the one represented 6y the smaller clay figurines$

atalhyk-

:he site of atalhBy9 2hich dates to the period of %/-' "$C$ .Hodder &%3 2as

discovered in the Anatolian plateau during the )@(=s$ :he archaeologists Kames Mellaart

conducted the first excavations at the site in four separate seasons 6et2een )@') and )@'($

Mellaart=s excavations 2ere concentrated on the ast mound in the south2estern part of the site

.Mes9ell &13 and revealed that the site proved the existence of early settled village life in the

!ertile Crescent of the Middle ast .Hodder &%3$ "eyond this, 6eing the site a very 2ell

preserved example, it represented prove of the great complexity in iconographic expressions of

the near eastern 7eolithic and of the early settlement composition of the 447" in Anatolia$

Mellaart discovered a large amount of mud 6ric9 structures that 2ere interpreted as

6elonging to residential context 6ut also some of them 2ere thought as locations of shrines or

ritual related structures$ :hese interpretations 2ere 6ased on the rich iconography that 2as found

at the site$ :he spaces 2ere interpreted as special locations 6ased on architectural features 2hich

included 6enches, 6ucrania assem6lages, 2all paintings, plaster modeling, and the presence of

various special artifacts and 6urials .Mellaart )@'(3$ Among the most ritually significant artifacts

identified 6y Mellaart, .excluding the paintings or architectural features3 2e find the mention of


11/31


12/31


13/31

the course of ritual$ Among these shifts in interpretation, 2e can account the division of the

figurines on t2o different ritual perspectives, that of the small simpler ones and that of the larger

complex ones .a case of the unimpressive vs$ the impressive3$ Small figurines initially 2ere

interpreted as fertility idols from ancient religious practices, as central pieces of an ancient

religion, 6ut such interpretations have changed under the ne2 light of the evidence$ 7o2adays

they have come to 6e seen as o6Eects used in small scale or personal-household rituals 2hose

function is 6ased on that of homeopathic magic .!raer )@&&3$ #t has 6een argued that these small

to9ens 2ere meant to aid in pregnancy, child-6irth and hunting 6y representing a temporal

magical item 2ith temporary po2er ."anning )@@1, Hodder &', Mes9ell &13$

:he magical po2er they represented has 6een seen as ephemeral, the reason they 2ere

constantly discarded after their purpose 2as achieved, .Hodder &'3 in the same 2ay a 6one is

discarded after a meal$ :he large num6ers in 2hich they are found have 6een interpreted as a

proof of this ephemeral nature, 2hich re8uired constant replacement$ #t has 6een argued that the

decapitation of the figurines 2as an action necessary in the process of their discard$ "y means of

the intentional decapitation, the figurine 2as ritually 9illed releasing the life force, spirit, or

magic that it held, thus rendering it dead or useless after that act too9 place ."anning )@@13$ :his

2ould also explain their deposition in ru66ish deposits among other discarded items, having 6een

stripped of all ritual purposes after decapitation, the figurine 2ould 6ecome an useless item that

could 6e thro2n a2ay 2ithout repercussions$

#nterestingly enough the decapitation process have also 6een lin9ed to the practice of

s9ull removal from corpses, .a ritual practice of un9no2n purpose for the 7eolithic communities

of the 7ear ast3 suggesting an unexplained lin9 6et2een the t2o .Hodder &'3$ :his level of

small-scale practice contrasts greatly 2ith the primary level of ritual represented 6y the other

figurines found in special contexts and the larger and physically different statuettes from Ain

*haal and atalhBy9$

#f the small figurines 2ere meant for small scale or everyday magic, then the special

Raymond !eliciano )0


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


14/31

o6Eects found in


15/31

"eyond the spectrum of the


16/31

that of the archaeological sites discussed previously$ #n addition, among the anthropomorphic

shapes, the tendency to of sex representation is almost identical 6eing most of them figurines

2ithout clearly defined characteristics and in the case that a sex is present, it is mostly dominated

6y female shape figurines$ ;ith all these similarities one 2ould expect that !e29es 2ould

presents us 2ith an explanation of the figurines 6ased on a ritual context, as have 6een suggested

6y the archaeologists$

7othing farther from the truth, having the advantage of actually 6eing a6le to o6serve,

8uestion and record the culture and individuals that created the artifacts, !e29es .)@&0, pp$((@3

descri6es the artifacts as 6eing made 6y children as amusement items to play 2ith and that they

2ere in no 2ay related to any ritual action$ He even goes further and points to the fact that in

South2estern archaeology at the time, similar artifacts 2ere 6eing recovered from mounds and

2ere 6eing interpreted exclusively as fetish items destined for shrines or rituals ignoring such

clear ethnographic evidence .i6id$3$

Lathryn Lamp, also 2or9ing 2ith the 7avaEo, more recently .&), pp$/0'-//%3 has

descri6ed the same pattern of figurine production 6y children as >toys?, 6ut also has pointed out

the fact that sometimes they serve dou6le or triple functions$ !or example, they serve as teaching

aids in the process of ceramic craft production or as fertility idols that are reused as toys 2hen

the rituals are finished$ Fn the other hand different ethnographic evidence attest to the full ritual

use of small clay figurines in some cultures, as in the case of the uNi=s solstice rituals descri6ed

6y 4arsons .)@)@, pp$ &%@-&1'3 in 2hich small clay figurines 2ere create and destined

specifically for use in a similar ritual fashion as suggested 6y the archaeologists$

An alternative approach to conceptualizing the objects:

Raymond !eliciano )'


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


17/31

;ith such a panorama, it is clear that there is a multitude of functions that a figurine can

serve$ :hen the pro6lems of interpretation 2e are faced 2ith might not 6e directly lin9ed to the

actual physicality or context of the figurines themselves$ :he o6Eects seem to 6e 8uite simple to

identify and descri6e, 6ut the interpretation is difficult 6ecause of the am6ivalent meaning and

also 6ecause of the conceptualiation and definition of 2hat a figurines constitutes in the mind of

the archaeologists, .the collective consciousness3$

!igurines are defined physically 6y their sie and shape, 2hich is the primary 2ay of

identifying them in the field, 6ut also 6y default they are heavily 6urden 2ith the definition of

ritualism$ :hese three elements unconsciously define figurines and catalogue them apart from

other similar o6Eects that are considered to 6e different$ :hus, a figurine cannot 6e considered to

have 6een a toy, 6ecause the function of a toy is for play .fun3 and a figurine is for ritual

.seriousness3, although the t2o of them might 6e very similar or in some cases physical

homologous$ A figurine also cannot 6e a teaching tool 6ecause that does not constitute a ritual

practice, even if they might 6e identical artifacts in identical am6ivalent contexts$

:hus, if the possi6le uses of figurines are to 6e explored there has to 6e a redefinition of

the conceptualiation of 2hat constitutes a figurine, not on the physical realm, 6ut in the

conception of it as a thing$ :he essence of the figurine can no longer lie on our preconceptions$

Fne has to accept the fact that perhaps it is possi6le that figurines are Eust a mental construction

of contemporary researchers$ Fne has to argue that perhaps figurines did not exist as a concrete

category in the past in the same 2ay 2e intend to understand them no2$ :rying to define their

meaning and purpose proves difficult 6ecause these are elements that are temporarily assem6led

and experience 6y the people that create them .Ro66 )@@13, and 2hich are outside our sphere of

experience and understanding$

;hat 2e 6ul9y and generally conceive as figurines actually seems to constitute o6Eects

2ith different functions 2hich have 6een 6rought together as a single category 2hen in fact they

might not have 6een$ Suspecting that this is the case, 2e should realie that 2hat 2e see9 as

Raymond !eliciano )%


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


18/31

primary figurine functions should not 6e their uses as ritual or magical o6Eects or tools of

learning and recreation$ # propose that a 6etter conceptualiation of 2hat constitutes a figurine

lies on something larger and more a6stract$ Researchers have centered their attention too much in

trying to define specific purposes 2hile not clearly defining larger general patterns of human

socio-psychological conduct$ #t is possi6le that the reason 2hy the definition of the purpose of

figurines has proved so difficult lies on the fact that 2e are trying to understand something from

the 2rong perspective$

"eyond the varia6le specific functions that can 6e assigned to a figurine .ritual, play,

learning, adornment3, the overall utility of these o6Eects seem to rely on their sie$ :he scale of a

figurine in comparison to the human 6ody seems to ma9e it managea6le, allo2ing the

representations of the 2orld to 6e handled 6y people in 2ays in 2hich the reality can never 6e

grasped$ As "ailey have suggested in his study of figurines from the "al9an 7eolithic, the

miniaturiation of the 2orld in the form of a figurine empo2ers individuals, ma9ing them

omnipotent and omniscient 6y investing them 2ith physical control ."ailey &(3$ :his physical

control of the person over the o6Eect 2or9s on the concept of homology in 2hich control of the

representation translates into po2er over the represented$ :he scaling do2n of a thing 6rings it

under control of the individual 6ut it also 6rings it closer and aids in the understanding of the real

6y means of a6stracting it into an understanda6le and managea6le element that can 6e

completely o6served and analye 6y the person$

;ith a miniature, 9no2ledge of the 2hole precedes 9no2ledge of the parts .i6id$3$ #t

provides a simpler 2ay of dealing 2ith reality 6y scaling it do2n and ma9ing it more accessi6le,

managea6le and less threatening$ !igurines 6ring the larger 2orld into the personal space of the

individual in a safe and controlled 2ay and 6ecause they form part of this personal space, they

can carry sym6olism, meanings and purpose$ :hus, figurines can 6e conceptualied as utilitarian

items, not in the sense of physical 2or9ing tools as 9nifes and grinders can 6e, 6ut as physical

em6odiments of the a6stractions of human cognitions and experiences$ !igurines purposes are to

serve as a tool of interaction 6et2een the physical, concrete 2orld of 6iological and social life

Raymond !eliciano )1


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


19/31


20/31


21/31

"anning, $"$, )@@1$ &he %eolithic !eriod# &riumphs of Architecture' Agriculture and Art.7ear

astern Archaeology, ')./3, pp$ )11-&0%$

"anning, $"$ O "yrd, "rian, !$, )@1/$ &he Architecture of Ain (haal' *ordan$ "ulletin of the

American Schools of Friental Research, &((, pp$ )(-&

atalhBy95 xcavations of a 7eolithic Anatolian HBy9$ Research 4roEect 2e6site$ Availa6le at

http5II222$catalhoyu9$comIPAccessed & May &@Q$

Daems, Aurelie, &/$ On !rehistoric +uman "igurines in ,ran# Current -nowledge and ome

$eflections$ #ranica Anti8ua, 0@, pp$ )-&0$

Darvill, :imothy, &1$ Oxford Concise Dictionary of Archaeology$ Fxford5 Fxford University

4ress$

Dur9heim, mile, )@'@$ :he Division of a6our in Society$ ondon !ree 4ress$

!e29es, ;alter K$, )@&0$ Clay "igurines /ade by %avaho Children. American Anthropologist5

7e2 Series, &(./3, pp$ ((@-('0$

!raer, Kames *eorge, )@&&$ &he (olden 0ough# A tudy of /agic and $eligion$ 7e2 +or95 :he

Macmillan Company$

*ray6ill, K$, Lamp, L$, ind, *$, 7ato2s9y, #$ and :immerman, 7$, )@@@$Discovering

Childhood# 1sing "ingerprints to "ind Children in the Archaeological $ecord$ American

Anti8uity, '/.&3, pp$ 0@-0)($

Hodder, #an, &'$ 2atalh3y45 # &he 6eopards &ale. 6ondon5 :hames and Hudson$

Raymond !eliciano &)


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell
http://www.catalhoyuk.com/http://www.catalhoyuk.com/http://www.catalhoyuk.com/


22/31

, &%$ 2atalh3y45 in the Context of the /iddle 7astern %eolithic$ Annual Revie2

of Anthropology, 0', pp$ )(-)&$

Lamp, Lathryn A$, &)$!rehistoric Children Wor5ing and !laying# A outhwestern Case

tudy in 6earning Ceramics$ Kournal of Anthropological Research, (%./3, pp /&%-/($

LuiEt, #an, &1$ &he $egeneration of 6ife# %eolithic tructures of ymbolic $emembering and

"orgetting.Current Anthropology, /@.&&3, pp$ )%)-)@0$

esure, Richard *$, &&$ &he (oddess Diffracted# &hin5ing About the "igurines of 7arly

8illages.Current Anthropology, /0./3, pp$ (1%-')$

Mellaart, Kames, )@'($7arliest Civiliations of the %ear 7ast$ ondon5 :hames and Hudson$

Mes9ell, , Ling, R$, 7a9amura, C$, O !arid, S$, &1$"igured 6ifeworlds and Depositional

!ractices at 2atalh3y45. Cam6ridge Archaeological Kournal, )1.&3, pp$ )0@-)')$

Mes9ell, ynn, &%$$econfiguring the Corpus at 2atalh3y45. #n Renfre2, C$ O Morley, #$

/aterial 0eginnings# A (lobal !rehistory of "igurative $epresentation$ Cam6ridge5

McDonald #nstitute Monographs$

4arry$ Rachel Ann, &&$$eligion and $itual in the %eolithic %ear 7ast9 Ain (haal# A Case

tudy. M$A$ Manchester5 University of Manchester$

4arsons, lsie C$, )@)@$,ncrease by /agic# A :i;i !attern$ American Anthropologist5 7e2

Series, &).03, pp$&%@-&1'$

Ro66, Kohn $, )@@1$ &he Archaeology of ymbols$ Annual Revie2 of Anthropology, &%, pp 0&@-

0/'$

Raymond !eliciano &&


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


23/31

Rollefson, *ary F$, )@1/$ Ain *haal5 An arly 7eolithic Community in Highland Kordan, near

Amman$ "ulletin of the American School of Friental Research, &((, pp$ 0-)/$


24/31

Appendix A

Raymond !eliciano &/


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell


25/31

QuickTime and adecompressorare needed to see this picture.

Raymond !eliciano &(


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell

!igure )$ xamples of Mother *oddess !igurines$ .222$catalhoyu9$com3


26/31

Raymond !eliciano &'


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell

!igure &$ xamples of !igurines from Cache ) from Ain *haal$ .Schmandt-"esserat, )@@13


27/31

Raymond !eliciano &%


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell

!igure 0$ xamples of !igurines from Cache & from Ain *haal$ .Schmandt-"esserat, )@@13


28/31

Raymond !eliciano &1


Dr$ Stuart Camp6ell

!igure /$ xamples of !igurines from Cache & from Ain *haal$ .Schmandt-"esserat, )@@13


29/31


30/31


31/31

QuickTime adecompressare needed to se QuickTidecomare needed

Raymond !eliciano 0)

!igure %$ xamples of oomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines produced 6y 7avaEo

Children .!e29es )@&03

44802827 a Reconceptualization of Figurines

Documents

Transcript of 44802827 a Reconceptualization of Figurines