EMERGENCE AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARLY NEOLITHIC ANTHROPOMORPHIC FIGURINES IN THE NEAR EAST

Date

2024-1-15

Author

Vurdu, Buse

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This thesis focuses on the investigation of early anthropomorphic figurines in the Near East. While traditional assertions suggested that anthropomorphic figurines symbolized gods or goddesses, recent studies have cast doubt on these interpretations. To understand the function of Epipaleolithic and early Neolithic figurines in the Near East, this study explores changes in typology, raw material, archaeological context, breakage patterns, and firing properties over time and space. It also considers features such as thematic variation, standardization, and abstraction. In a broader context, the thesis ascribes meaning to the figurines by incorporating temporal and spatial transformations of buildings, anthropomorphic sculptures, zoomorphic imagery, and burial practices in relevant settlements into the interpretation processes. The findings reveal that anthropomorphic figurines played a crucial role at various stages of Neolithization in the Near East, seamlessly integrating into the complex tapestry of changes, transformations, and fluctuations characterizing this overarching process. They emerged as integral components intricately connected to the evolving dynamics of this transformative journey. The study proposes that figurines are not static visual media; they possess the potential to facilitate dialogue and negotiation, conveying various levels of social differentiation through the manipulation of images, materials, and craftsmanship. In essence, anthropomorphic figurines were dynamic agents within the intricate web of Neolithic societal shifts, contributing significantly to the multifaceted nature of this transformative period.

Subject Keywords

Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Anthropomorphic, Figurine, Near East

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/108288

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis