Museum of: Wien
    Name of the artefact: Female figurine from Pazardzik
   
Female figurine seated on a chair ot throne. Incised decorations on a naked body probably representing tattoes. the incisions include spiralic endings an rhombus. The figurine was often regarded as an early representation of a fertility goddess.
                                 
 
WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
  
STATE
Department:
Prehistory
Preservation:
 Very good
Inventory number:
20.461
Restauration:
 Restored
Name of the artefact:
Female figurine from Pazardzik
Completeness:
 Complete
Object type:
Human figurine
  
Material:
Ceramic
Methof of manufacture:
Burnt clay
Decoration type:
No decoration
Distinctive mark:
-
DIMENSIONS
  
PERIOD OF USE
Length (mm):
19cm
Epoque:
Neolithic
Heigth (mm):
-
Culture:
-
Diameter (mm):
-
Period:
Middle neolithic
Width (mm):
-
Face:
-
Thickness (mm):
-
Absolute chronology:
4500 bc
Weight (g):
-
DISCOVERY
Date:
1877
Country:
Bulgaria
District:
-
Town hall affiliation:
-
Village:
Pazardzik
Discovery findspot:
Maritza valley
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:
The naked figurine has a flat stylized face and is sitting on a round chair or throne.

Decoration:
Incised spirals and rhombus.

Inscription:
-

Analogies:
The pictograms can be compared to those on the spoon from Wetzleinsdorf. She is contemporeanous to Painted Pottery settlements in the East of Austria.

Interpretation:
The figurine as well as similar figurines is thought to have been used in rituals. She is seen as an early representation of a fertility goddess. The incised decoration is interpreted as tattoo. Because of the stylized representation of sex characteristics we can exclude that the incised decoration represent clothes.
Bibliography:
TODOROWA, H. (1982): Das Äneolithikum in Bulgarien. In: Jungsteinzeit in Bulgarien, Wolfenbüttel, 25-29. ANGELI, W. (1976): Kupferzeitliche Idole aus Thrakien in der Prähistorischen Sammlung. Ann. D. Naturhist. Mus. 80, 815-818