Museum of: Berlin
    Name of the artefact: Human depiction
   
The sculpture is of oval-cylindrical shape.
                                 
 
WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
 
STATE
Department:
Museum for Pre- and Early History
Preservation:
Very good
Inventory number:
IVa 2033
Restauration:
No restored
Name of the artefact:
Human depiction
Completeness:
Complete
Object type:
Human figurine
 
Material:
Stone, volcanic
Methof of manufacture:
Engraving
Decoration type:
Incision
Distinctive mark:
Depiction of a face
DIMENSIONS
 
PERIOD OF USE
Length (mm):
-
Epoque:
Neolithic
Heigth (mm):
77
Culture:
Lepenski Vir culture
Diameter (mm):
-
Period:
Early Neolithic
Width (mm):
74
Face:
-
Thickness (mm):
53
Absolute chronology:
7th mil. BC
Weight (g):
556
DISCOVERY
Date:
Maybe at the end of the 19th century
Country:
Serbia
District:
-
Town hall affiliation:
-
Village:
-
Discovery findspot:
Lepenski Vir, not certain?
Condition of discovery:
Unknown
Discovery type:
Other
 
ANALYSES – DETERMINATIONS
 
FILLED IN BY
Type:
Analysis of traces of use
Name:
Dr. Manfred Nawroth
Laboratory:
Rathgenlabor, Berlin
Institution:
Museum for Pre- and Early History
No./Code:
-
Date:
11/11/2005
 
DEEPENINGS

Morphology of the object:

The sculpture is of oval-cylindrical shape. Traces on the side below make it probably that the object was used for rubbing. The upper and lateral sides are picked. On the upper side can be seen the depiction of a face.

Decoration:

The depiction of a face with forehead, eyes and brows and an elliptical mouth is picked into the stone. The space between the eyes can be interpreted as a nose. A diadem is depicted between forehead and parting. Traces of brownish and reddish colour seem to make it clear that the item was originally painted.

Inscription:

-

Analogies:

Because of the details of the head the object can be compared with the statues of the settlement of Lepenski Vir, excavated near the Iron Age in Serbia in the 1960s. These sculptures were used as altars. Because of the uncertain circumstances there have to be some doubts on the origin of the rubber-stone.

Interpretation:

The small rubber-stone could have a cultic-magic meaning comparable to the altars of Lepenski Vir.
Bibliography:
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