Deepenings

Museum of: Wien

Name of the artefact: Spoon with pictograph from Wetzleinsdorf

The combination of rhombus, spiral and meander represents abstract spiritual contexts which seem to have been well understood even outside the Lengyel area. with a view to similar finds the ideogram seems to be a product of western Lengyel groups. From the beginning of the 6th millennium similar characteristics concerning pictograms on ceramics probably used in rituals can be detected in the Stracevo-culture, the older phase of Linear Pottery Period, Precucuteni, Cucuteni-Tripolje, Gumelnitsa, Theiß, younger phase of Vinca and typical Lengyel.

WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

STATE

Department:

Prehistory

Preservation:

Very good

Inventory number:

92.282

Restauration:

Restored

Name of the artefact:

Spoon with pictograph from Wetzleinsdorf

Completeness:

Complete

Object type:

Tool

Material:

Ceramic

Methof of manufacture:

Burnt clay

Decoration type:

No decoration

Distinctive mark:

DIMENSIONS

PERIOD OF USE

Length (mm):

Epoque:

Neolithic

Heigth (mm):

Culture:

Painted Pottery

Diameter (mm):

Period:

Middle neolithic

Width (mm):

Face:

MOG

Thickness (mm):

Absolute chronology:

4500 bc

Weight (g):

DISCOVERY

Date:

Between 1950 and 1990

Country:

Austria

District:

Wolkersdorf

Town hall affiliation:

Village:

Wetzleinsdorf

Discovery findspot:

Condition of discovery:

Chance Discovery

Discovery type:

Deposit

ANALYSES – DETERMINATIONS

FILLED IN BY

Type:

Name:

Walpurga Antl

Laboratory:

Institution:

Natural History Museum Vienna

No./Code:

Date:

20/02/2006

DEEPENINGS

Morphology of the object:

Ceramic spoon with socketed handle and decoration at the back

Decoration:

Incised pictograph combining spiral, rhombus and meander

Inscription:

Analogies:

The same pictograph is used on a Vessel from Strelice together with stylized blessing or adoring human figures. With a view to similar finds the ideogram seems to be a product of western Lengyel groups.

Interpretation:

Sign which might have been commonly understood in a bigger regional context. From the beginning of the 6th millennium similar characteristics concerning pictograms on ceramics probably used in rituals can be detected in the Stracevo-culture, the older phase of Linear Pottery Period, Precucuteni, Cucuteni-Tripolje, Gumelnitsa, Theiß, younger phase of Vinca and typical Lengyel.

Bibliography:

RUTTKAY,E. (1997: Ein Lengyel-Löffel mit ideogramm aus Wetzleinsdorf, Niederösterreich. SPFFBU M2, 49-64