Archaeologists Unearth 16,000-Year-Old Goddess Figurine in Turkey

Balkan Travellers ^ | Thursday, August 20, 2009 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A 16,000-year-old clay figurine of a female was found by archaeologists during excavations in southern-eastern Turkey.

The mother goddess sculpture was discovered in the Direklu Cave in the Kahramanmarafl Province, which archaeologists have been excavating since July 15, Gazi University Archaeology Department lecturer Cevdet Merih Erek told national media.

The find suggests that women had a high social status in the region at the time the figurine was made, Erek explained.

In addition, it challenged archaeologists' previous knowledge by suggesting that the method of using fired clay to make figurines was much older than previously thought. Before this recent discovery, the oldest fired clay god or goddess figurines unearthed in Mesopotamia, Anatolia and other Near East regions were made in 5,000 BC.

[brytlea]

I think we call them moo moos. And I’m starting to think I’d look good in one.

[SkyDancer]

Right - no TV or internet stuff ..

[2harddrive]

THAT is a sexy GODDESS????

[Tax-chick]

why can’t it be just an artistic subject

I think it's because, as someone observed above, any naked female figure, no matter how fat, has to be a "sexual thing," at least to a male observer. Whether it's also "artistic" depends on perception of the skill involved in making it, the general visual impression, and so on.

[Tax-chick]

Many of my fellow Wal-mart shoppers should wear muu-muus, but don’t. It’s too bad, because they come in such nice, bright, tropical patterns, and they’re much more comfortable than tight stretch-pants.

[Jabba the Nutt]

"The find suggests that women had a high social status in the region at the time the figurine was made, Erek explained."

Ah, just because a figurine of a woman was made does not mean that women had high status. They also made figurines of deer, gnu and wildebeest. They hunted and killed them.

[SkyDancer]

Yeah, well all those art thingies are always attributed to some sort of sex thing ... oh well .....

[Tax-chick]

“Art” is a complex concept.

[SunkenCiv]

:’D

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, it could easily have been stone-age porn.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

They don’t know. It’s a just a shortcut, to assume that all artifacts that aren’t of obvious practical utility are “religious.”

Don't forget the other default, "It's a "toy"".

Obviously our ancestors spent most of their time praying and playing.

[SunkenCiv]

See, that’s what I get for not reading all the “my comments” page first. :’o

[SkyDancer]

Suppose so ... it’s just that whenever a statue of some sort is found it has to be a ‘sexual’ thing ... guys ......

[Cyber Ninja]

She is the Venus of Willendorf 28kyo

I think she may be the oldest found.

She was found in a cave.

My Ancient Art Prof said the
rock she is made of is not found
any where in Europe.

I saw her at an exhibit in Frisco
in '84 (she was on loan from a
German museum.

She is a babe

[Tucker39]

Don’t let Slick Willie see her.......he’ll be hittin’ on her! Remember the female mummified body they found in the Andes mountains and Slick remarked that he’d like to have met her!

[SunkenCiv]

And it could be the cave man was just a lousy artist. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

She graduated with Helen Thomas.

[count-your-change]

Mother Goddess worship was quite common so finding female fertility figurine is not surprising.

[grey_whiskers]

People have been speaking of Bill Clinton throughout this thread...

but we're forgetting Hillary.

Look at that figurine again.

Now THOSE are what I call CANKLES!

Cheers!

[Ptarmigan]

That finding would support the notion that a civilization existed before Sumeria.