Table Of ContentInterpreting Ancient Figurines
This book examines ancient figurines from several world areas to address recurring challenges
in the interpretation of prehistoric art. Sometimes figurines from one context are perceived to
resemblethosefromanother.RichardG.Lesureaskswhethersuchresemblancesshouldplayarole
inourinterpretations.Earlyinterpretersseizedontheideathatfigurineswererecurringlyfemale
and constructed the fanciful myth of a primordial Neolithic Goddess. Contemporary practice
insteadrejectsinterpretiveleapsacrosscontexts.Dr.Lesureoffersamiddlepath:anewframework
forassessingtherelevanceofparticularcomparisons.Hedevelopstheargumentincasestudiesthat
considerfigurinesfromPaleolithicEurope,theNeolithicNearEast,andFormativeMesoamerica.
Richard G. Lesure is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los
Angeles.HeconductsarchaeologicalfieldworkinMexicoandhasauthoredpapersonprehistoric
figurinesinCurrentAnthropologyandtheCambridgeArchaeologicalJournal.Hismostrecentbookis
SettlementandSubsistenceinEarlyFormativeSoconusco.
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Interpreting Ancient Figurines
Context, Comparison, and Prehistoric Art
Richard G. Lesure
University of California, Los Angeles
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To my parents,
Frank and Nancy Lesure
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Contents
Figures and Tables page ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
One: Universalist Explanation and Prehistoric Figurines 10
Two: Comparison and Context 26
Three: The Questions We Ask of Images 48
Four: A Cross-Cultural Explanation for Female Figurines? 68
Five: Mesoamerican Figurines and the Contextualist Appeal to
Universal Truths 112
Six: Figurines, Goddesses, and the Texture of Long-Term Structures in
the Near East 156
Seven: On Figurines, Femaleness, and Comparison 207
Notes 219
Bibliography 233
Index 251
vii
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Figures and Tables
Figures
1 AndreaMantegna,St.Sebastian,ca.1457–1459 page3
2 PaleolithicfigurinefromWillendorf,Austria 13
3 MarijaGimbutasattheSitagroidighouse,Greece 15
4 Spatiotemporal“macro-units”ofprehistoricfigurinemaking 19
5 NeolithicfigurinefromUmmDabaghiyah,Iraq 20
6 ThehalooffigurinemakingaroundtheFertileCrescent 21
7 FormativefigurineheadsfromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 22
8 FormativefigurinesfromTetelsite,Mexico 23
9 Pre-PotteryNeolithicstatuesfrom‘AinGhazal,Jordan 31
10 Imageonrestroomdoor 32
11 FormativefigurinetorsosfromPasodelaAmadaandnearbysites,Mexico 33
12 FigurinetypesfromTlaxcala,Mexico,900–500B.C. 35
13 VariationinsubjectmatterintheCuatlapangatype,Tlaxcala,Mexico 36
14 FormativefigurinesoftheValdiviaculture,Ecuador 37
15 MapshowingtheFormativefigurinetraditionsdiscussedinChapter2 39
16 Kubler’ssixdimensionsofvisualstyle 50
17 “Map”oftheinterpretationofimages 51
18 Analyticalmodesarrangedinahexagon 53
19 AdriaenvanOstade,TheCottageDooryard,1673 56
20 Legawoodenfigurines,DemocraticRepublicofCongo 57
21 Twoapproachestosynchronicstylisticanalysis 61
22 Guidetocomparisonofimagery 65
23 MapshowingPaleolithicandNeolithicsitesdiscussedinChapter4 70
24 MapshowingFormativesitesdiscussedinChapter4 71
25 Paleolithic“profile-figure”engravingsfromGo¨nnersdorf,Germany,Magdalenianera 74
26 Paleolithic“profile-figure”figurinesfromGo¨nnersdorf,Germany,Magdalenianera 75
27 PaleolithicfigurinesfromMal’ta,Siberia 77
28 ComparisonofanthropomorphicimagesfromfourPre-PotteryNeolithicsites 80
29 TraitsoftheSeatedAnthropomorphthematiccomplex 81
30 IconicsystemoffigurinesfromJarmo,Iraq,interpretedasinvolvingtwodimensions 82
31 PaleolithicimageryfromDoln´ıVeˇstonice,CzechRepublic,Gravettianera 83
32 PaleolithicfigurinesfromKostenkiI,Russia,Gravettianera 85
33 FormativefigurineheadsfromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 86
ix
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FiguresandTables
34 FormativefigurinetypesfromZacatenco,Mexico 87
35 Leroi-Gourhan’sanalysisofthedesignofGravettian-erafigurines 91
36 Pre-PotteryNeolithicfigurinesfoundtogetheratCaferHo¨yu¨k,Turkey 95
37 AnidealizedLaterPre-PotteryNeolithicassemblageofsmall,molded-clayobjects 96
38 Diagramofanactualassemblageofmolded-clayobjects,fromJarmo,Iraq 97
39 ZoomorphicimageryonstonepillarsfromGo¨bekliTepe,Turkey 100
40 ImageofwomanetchedonastoneslabfromGo¨bekliTepe,Turkey 100
41 PaintingsonfloorofPre-PotteryNeolithicresidence,TellHalula,Syria 101
42 CompleximageryonsculpturefromLaVenta,Mexico,Formativeera 102
43 DecoratedpotterycontemporaneouswithCuatlapanga-typefigurines 103
44 CeramicstatuettefromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 104
45 Reliefcarvingsinstonefrom“sanctuary”atLaussel,France,Gravettianera 105
46 MapofMesoamerica,withsitesdiscussedinChapter5 113
47 FormativefigurinesfromTlatilco,Mexico 115
48 CatalogoftypicalpatternsamongFormativefigurines 119
49 FragmentsofhollowceramicfiguresfromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 120
50 Formativefigurinedepictingpersonholdingball,Tetelsite,Mexico 121
51 Masksfromseated,obesefigurines,PasodelaAmadaandothernearbysites,Mexico 122
52 ModeloftextureoffigurinepatterningacrossFormativeMesoamerica 123
53 SpatiotemporaltextureofdeparturesfromtypicalpatternsamongFormativefigurines 124
54 Olmec-styleceramicfigurineheadsfromsitesmorethan500kmapart 125
55 Abstractsignsonhollowfiguresfromdifferentsites,Formative-eraMexico 127
56 Formativefigurinewithelaborategarb,Tlapacoya,Mexico 135
57 SimilaritiesinpainteddesignsonFormativefigurinesfromCentralMexico 139
58 SculpturesfromSanLorenzo,Mexico,withfacialfeaturesinOlmecstyle 143
59 CeramicfigurinesoftheEarlyHorizonfromtheValleyofOaxaca,Mexico 144
60 CeramicfigurinesoftheEarlyHorizonfromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 145
61 HollowfacefragmentinOlmecstylefromPasodelaAmada,Mexico 145
62 GreenstonefigurinesfromLaVenta,Mexico 147
63 FormativefigurinesoftheHuehuetitlatype,Tlaxcala,Mexico 148
64 FormativefigurinesoftheCuatlapangatype,Tlaxcala,Mexico 149
65 CoaxomulcotypecomparedtoCuatlapangaandEhcotypes,Tlaxcala,Mexico 151
66 TheSeatedAnthropomorphcomplex,reprisedfromChapter4 162
67 FigurinesfromTellAswad,Syria 163
68 FigurinesfromC¸ayo¨nu¨,Turkey 165
69 MapofNearEastwithPre-PotteryNeolithicsitesdiscussedinChapter6 166
70 FigurinesfromGanjDareh,Iran 168
71 FigurinesfromNevalıC¸ori,Turkey 169
72 FigurinesfromGilgalI,Israel 171
73 FigurinesfromMureybet,Syria 173
74 FigurinesfromSarab,Iran 174
75 FigurinefromPPNClevelat‘AinGhazal,Jordan 175
76 FigurinesfromMezraaTeleilat,Turkey 177
77 MapofNearEastwithCeramicNeolithicsitesdiscussedinChapter6 180
78 Coffee-bean–eyedfigurinesfromSha’arHagolan,Israel 182
79 PebblefigurinesfromSha’arHagolan,Israel 183
80 IncisedpebblesandotherstoneimageryfromSha’arHagolan,Israel 184
x
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