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