Academic literature on the topic 'Clay figurines Research'

Miniature Neolithic figurines in clay are a special topic of research. This especially concerns areas where their representation has so far been poor. While carrying out archaeological excavations in Northern Kurzeme, the north-west coastal dune zone of Rīga Bay, a ritual-like complex was recovered at Ģipka A site belonging to the local Culture of Pit Ceramics. It consists of several large and smaller fireplaces and pits, with the finds of fragmentary clay figurines recovered under the palisade that surrounded the settlement. The head and body of the miniature anthropomorphic figurines in clay have original modelling. It is possible to single out two types of figurine: with rather broad cheekbones, and oval modelling of face. The large amount of ochre found in the settlement and the purposeful breaking of figurines are evidence of their role during a rite. Clay figurines have a symbolic meaning, and the signs depicted on them, incised walking stick-shape and other motifs, are the symbols of early farmers.

Clay Dolls, which means a doll made of earth, was excavated from the Silla area, mainly in Gyeongju. Accordingly, research on clay figurines in Silla has been carried out actively and it would not be too much to say that it was mostly Silla’s clay figurines which have been mostly studied so far. The study of clay figurines of Gaya has been relatively slow, probably due to the fact that the cases of excavations are very limited. Recently, various types of clay figurines have been excavated from the presumed royal palace site of Geumgwan Gaya under the excavation and investigation by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. Earlier in Gimhae, a variety of clay figurines, including character clay figurines, were excavated in an excavation to create a site for a hanok living experience center. Based on these new data, this paper tries to infer the different characters, roles and significance of clay figurines in Gaya society, by studying various kinds of clay figurines excavated from Geumgwan Gaya territory. Bonghwang-dong, which is believed to be the center of Geumgwan Gaya, is a complex of relics including living facilities, hospitality facilities, trading facilities, workshop sites and earthen fortresses. Various clay figurines were excavated at the main sites of Bonghwang-dong s historical site, from which that the people of Gaya used clay dolls to perform ceremonial acts there can be inferred. In Bonghwang-dong sites other than the presumed royal palace ruins, horse shaped clay dolls and the clay dolls resemble utensils used in rituals are usually found. human figured clay dolls, animal figured clay dolls, house figured clay dolls have been excavated around the presumed royal palace ruins within Bonghwang-dong site which differentiates this region from the rest of the site. Along with the presumed royal palace ruins, there is a tendency of various clay figurines being found in the other ruin in the hanok living experience center with multiple purpose relics. In conclusion, there is a possibility that clay dolls had been used to wish for the well-being of the family members by the ruling group, or the well-being of the community at importance areas like the presumed royal palace ruins and the hanok living experience center ruins. This kind of tendency is found in many ruins around the Ancient Gimhae Bay(Gogimhae-Man), which leads to an assertion that various rituals and ceremonial acts had been carried out using clay dolls throughout that area.

Sculpted clay figurines were widespread in Stone Age Europe. Theywere common in the hunter-gatherer communities in the territoriesof Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Western and NorthwesternRussia. In these territories they were mainly associated with theComb, Pitted and Pit-Comb Ware cultures, ca 4000–2000 yearscalBC. This paper examines clay sculptures from the Jägala JõesuuV Comb Ware culture settlement site in northern Estonia, where 91fragments of figurines were found, making it the most abundantdeposits of clay figurines and their fragments in the eastern Baltic.Among them, three different types of image were distinguished:one zoomorphic (harbour porpoise) and two anthropomorphic. Allthe figurines were fragmented intentionally in ancient times, asdetermined by microscopic and experimental research. Most of thefragments were situated in the filling of a pit-house, which indicatesthat the dwelling had a sacral as well as a habitational dimension.During the research process, Stone Age clay figurines from nine moreComb Ware culture sites of Estonia and Ingria were catalogued. Thecatalogue contains 13 previously published and 21 newly discoveredinstances and radiocarbon dates taken at the sites, some of whichare being published for the first time.

Abstract In spite of renewed scholarly interest in the religion of Judeans living on the island of Elephantine during the Persian period, only one recent study has addressed the religious significance of the fired clay female figurines discovered there. The present article seeks to place these objects back on the research agenda. After summarizing the history of research, it also makes a new appraisal of the role of these objects in the religious life of Elephantine Judeans. Two factors prompt this reevaluation: first, newly found examples of the same figurine types; and second, Bob Becking’s recent research on Elephantine Aramaic texts attesting the phenomenon of “lending deities.”

The object of this research is the clay figurine of an owl discovered in the course of archaeological excavations in the Yurtobor 9 hillfort on the right bank of the Tobol River. The goal lies in introduction of in the scientific discourse of the new unique sample of small clay plastic, as well as in preliminary determination of the functional purpose of the item. The following tasks were set: morphological and stylistic description of the item; description of the context of discovery of the figurine; establishment of the chronological framework of existence of the item, its cultural affiliation; familiarization with the history of studying the regional clay figurines in the Russian archaeological science; search for analogies in the archaeological sites of Siberia and other territories; assessment of the semantic connotation of the image of an owl in the traditional culture of Ob Ugrians (Khanty and Mansi). To article employs the traditional methods, such as comparative-historical, typological, comparative-typological, formal-stylistic, semantic methods, as well as method of analogies. As a result of the conducted research, the clay figurine of an owl is attributed to the Yudinskaya archaeological culture and dated within the framework of the XI – XII centuries. It is established that it is the only item in Western Siberian region depicting a bird in the technique of small clay plastic. Based on the analysis of ethnographic literature and medieval archaeological finds, it is established that for a long period of time, the image of an owl had positive semantic connotation due to its high sacred status. The author assumes on the use of figurine of an owl in religious rites associated with hearth and home.

AbstractAt the pinnacle of Eastern Woodlands’ prehistoric cultural development, Cahokia has been interpreted as a political and economic power participating in prestige-goods exchanges and trade networks stretching from the Great Plains to the South Atlantic. Among the more spectacular of the Cahokian elite artifacts were stone pipes and figurines made from a distinctive red stone previously identified as Arkansas bauxite. In this research, we used a combination of X-ray diffraction, sequential acid dissolution, and inductively coupled plasma analyses to establish the source of the raw material used in the manufacture of the red figurines and pipes that epitomize the Cahokian-style. Our research demonstrates that these objects were made of locally available flint clays. This finding, in conjunction with other evidence, indicate Cahokian exploitation of many mineral and stone resources focuses on the northern Ozark Highlands to the exclusion of other areas. These findings indicate that we must reassess the direction, extent, and role of Cahokian external contacts and trade in elite goods.

This paper reports the use of experimental archaeology and imaging methods—X-ray computed tomography (CT) and radiography—that were employed to decipher the manufacturing techniques of Eneolithic clay artefacts. This study was triggered by the archaeological research conducted in some tell settlements in Southeastern Romania that belong to the Kodjadermen-Gumelniţa-Karanovo VI culture (c. 4500–3900 BC). The findings reported here represent the first accounts of a recently started research project, which has as its main goal the re-creation of Eneolithic clay artefacts and the identification of the chaîne opératoire used for manufacturing these objects. In particular, X-ray imaging techniques were used as complementary methods to help understand the structure of intact Eneolithic artefacts. In a subsequent step of this research, these techniques will be employed to check for similarities between the archaeological items and modern pottery replicas created in experimental archaeology workshops.

Dispilio is the only excavated Neolithic lakeside settlement in Greece. Archaeological research provided evidence that the site was continuously used from the Early Neolithic (∼6000 BC) to the Late Chalcolithic period (∼1200 BC, Mycenaean period). During several archaeological campaigns, a portion of the settlement has been excavated that enabled a sufficient understanding of the architectural layout of homes, the building materials, and the organization of space, while the finds (fragments of pottery, stone and bone tools, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay figurines, miniature representations of objects also on clay, animal and fish bones, charred cereal grains, and other fruits) provided information on the everyday lives of the Neolithic inhabitants. A series of charcoal and wood samples, originating mostly from the Middle and Late Neolithic layers of the site, were radiocarbon dated and their dates range from ∼5470 to 4850 BC. The most unexpected of the finds, a wooden tablet from the lake bearing engraved symbols, was 14C dated to 5260 ± 40 BC. In addition, clay tablets and pottery vessels engraved with similar symbols were also unearthed from layers dated to the same period. If this proves to be a primary source of written communication, the history of writing should be reconsidered and Neolithic societies should not be considered “societies without writing.”

Dispilio is the only excavated Neolithic lakeside settlement in Greece. Archaeological research provided evidence that the site was continuously used from the Early Neolithic (∼6000 BC) to the Late Chalcolithic period (∼1200 BC, Mycenaean period). During several archaeological campaigns, a portion of the settlement has been excavated that enabled a sufficient understanding of the architectural layout of homes, the building materials, and the organization of space, while the finds (fragments of pottery, stone and bone tools, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay figurines, miniature representations of objects also on clay, animal and fish bones, charred cereal grains, and other fruits) provided information on the everyday lives of the Neolithic inhabitants. A series of charcoal and wood samples, originating mostly from the Middle and Late Neolithic layers of the site, were radiocarbon dated and their dates range from ∼5470 to 4850 BC. The most unexpected of the finds, a wooden tablet from the lake bearing engraved symbols, was14C dated to 5260 ± 40 BC. In addition, clay tablets and pottery vessels engraved with similar symbols were also unearthed from layers dated to the same period. If this proves to be a primary source of written communication, the history of writing should be reconsidered and Neolithic societies should not be considered “societies without writing.”

The basis of the study is the work of N. M. Kravchenko and G. O. Pashkevych in 1985 with the addition of the author’s observations. The author analyzed options for the penetration of palaeoethnobotanical materials into the moulding compound as well as their value for interpreting these findings. The reasons for penetration of materials to molding compound, groups of clay products and their informative value, advantages and disadvantages of this method of information gathering and further perspectives of research and interpretation were reviewed. Plant impurities were found in most categories of clay products. Conventionally they include utensils, probable architectural details and / or «stationary» utensils, tools as well as figurines, and other products that have no practical application. According to the scheme proposed by N. M. Kravchenko and G. O. Pashkevych four factors of the penetration of plant residues into the molding compound were identified. Factor 4 «The use of vegetable impurities as a backing between the stand and the crude billet of clay product (pot, vessel)» is of the less informative value. Its value could lie in the possibility to establish the season of manufacturing of pottery due to the backing. Factor 2 «Adding grain to a molding compound for ritual purpose» now can be significantly expanded due to ordinary household items, such as large pots for grain storage, firepans / pans and even furnaces. Factor 1 «Technological technique, in which crushed plant mass was added to reduce shrinkage of products during their drying and firing» also usually does not add information about palaeoethnobotanical materials. The only factor important for statistical surveys and the establishment of the grain economy is factor 3 «Accidental ingress of grains or seeds into the molding compound during the manufacture of pottery».

Folk religiosity during High Middle Ages and Early Modern times as reflected in material culture (the example of small ceramic sculpture) This work focuses on study of religious practice and urban everyday life of urban folk groups in Prague Towns from High Middle Ages till Early Modern times. The most common archaeological artifacts reflecting religious practice are small clay figurines found both in urban and in rural environment. These figurines made of fired clay depict in most cases Madonna with Christ-child and various saints, nevertheless profane figurines and various zoomorphic artifacts can be found too. This work is focused mainly on findings of clay figurines obtained during the large archeological excavation on Republic Square in Prague, which offered a unique collection of artifacts dated from 1250 to 1600. Analogies from the Central Europe will be considered in the process of evaluation of the assemblage mentioned above. It is not known exactly what the purpose of these artifacts was and it is still a subject of discussion, into which we will try to bring some new light. Right iconographic interpretation requires a comparation with some other objects of folk religiosity and urban everyday life (such as medallions and other small holy objects, pilgrim signs, pilgrimage pictures,...