Museum of: Bucharest
    Name of the artefact: Miniature sanctuary model
   
Sanctuary models, with different form and size, are specific for the Neolithic civilization
                                 
 
WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
  
STATE
Department:
Archaeology
Preservation:
 Good
Inventory number:
12156
Restauration:
 Restored
Name of the artefact:
Miniature sanctuary model
Completeness:
 Almost Complete
Object type:
Other
  
Material:
Clay
Methof of manufacture:
Shaping, firing
Decoration type:
Incision
Distinctive mark:
-
DIMENSIONS
  
PERIOD OF USE
Length (mm):
510
Epoque:
Neolithic
Heigth (mm):
242
Culture:
Gumelniţa
Diameter (mm):
-
Period:
Eneolithic
Width (mm):
130
Face:
A2
Thickness (mm):
-
Absolute chronology:
4500-4000 BC
Weight (g):
-
DISCOVERY
Date:
1968
Country:
Romania
District:
Călăraşi
Town hall affiliation:
Căscioarele
Village:
Căscioarele
Discovery findspot:
Ostrovel
Condition of discovery:
Archaeological excavation
Discovery type:
Dwelling
 
ANALYSES – DETERMINATIONS
 
FILLED IN BY
Type:
-
Name:
Radian Andreescu, Katia Moldoveanu
Laboratory:
-
Institution:
Romanian National History Museum
No./Code:
-
Date:
23/02/2005
 
DEEPENINGS

Morphology of the object:
This artefact made of grey-yellowish clay is probably a miniature representation of a sanctuary. It consists of a hollow rectangular base perforated by a range of holes. On the top, there are four small houses, each of them having two entrances and being crowned with some elements as horns on the gable and above the four corners.

Decoration:
The base is decorated with ranges of horizontal incisions.

Inscription:
-

Analogies:
In the Neolithic sites there were discovered several sanctuary models, varying as shape and size. Some of them represent a possible projection of a real sanctuary (as at Căscioarele), others represent houses of different size, with wired elements as holes in the walls and roof (as in the case of an artefact discovered at Sultana). In other case is represented the interior of a house with a domestic scene, as in the case of the model discovered at Popudnia, Ukraine, Cucuteni culture.

Interpretation:
The artefact could represent a model of a real sanctuary but it also could be an imaginary representation of a tell-settlement. There weren’t discovered so far remains of such construction in natural size. The ranges formed by three or four holes were often used in the decoration of Gumelniţa civilization’s artefacts. Anthropomorphic figurines have the ears perforated most often with three or four holes. Bone figurines have a specific decoration made most of the times of ranges of three or four small holes. All these suggest a symbolic meaning of the holes ranges related with numerology.
Bibliography:
Author: Dumitrescu, H. Title: Un modèle de sanctuaire découvert dans la station énéolitique de Căscioarele Periodical: Dacia Volume: N.S. XII Place: Bucureşti Year: 1968 2. Author: Gimbutas, Marija Title: The Gods and Goddesses of Old Europe Place: London Year: 1974