Susan Niditch
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195181142
- eISBN:
- 9780199869671
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181142.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores the ways in which ancient Near Eastern visual representations may shed light on the role and significance of hair in ancient Israel. Critical throughout are the ways in which ...
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This chapter explores the ways in which ancient Near Eastern visual representations may shed light on the role and significance of hair in ancient Israel. Critical throughout are the ways in which artists of various ancient Near Eastern cultures portrayed Israelites and their neighbors. Work with the artistic representations and the material culture of hair underscores critical methodological issues pertaining to the way we see and to the psychological, social, and political dimensions of hair as sign and symbol. The study points further to the complex relationships between hair and identity in cultural and multicultural settings. Important resources include possible depictions of Israelite warriors in the Egyptian relief of Merneptah at Karnak, depictions of Philistines from Medinet Habu, the drawings on storage jars from Kuntillet Ajrud, Judean pillar figurines, the Assyrian depiction of the Israelite king Jehu paying obeisance to Shalmaneser III, and the Assyrian Lachish reliefs.Less
This chapter explores the ways in which ancient Near Eastern visual representations may shed light on the role and significance of hair in ancient Israel. Critical throughout are the ways in which artists of various ancient Near Eastern cultures portrayed Israelites and their neighbors. Work with the artistic representations and the material culture of hair underscores critical methodological issues pertaining to the way we see and to the psychological, social, and political dimensions of hair as sign and symbol. The study points further to the complex relationships between hair and identity in cultural and multicultural settings. Important resources include possible depictions of Israelite warriors in the Egyptian relief of Merneptah at Karnak, depictions of Philistines from Medinet Habu, the drawings on storage jars from Kuntillet Ajrud, Judean pillar figurines, the Assyrian depiction of the Israelite king Jehu paying obeisance to Shalmaneser III, and the Assyrian Lachish reliefs.
JILL MIDDLEMAS
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199283866
- eISBN:
- 9780191603457
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199283869.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Because ancient Israel maintained copious literature that is theological in nature and the Golah community invested much energy in reflection on worship, it is important to consider how the situation ...
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Because ancient Israel maintained copious literature that is theological in nature and the Golah community invested much energy in reflection on worship, it is important to consider how the situation in the homeland impacted theological conceptions of reality. This chapter considers biblical perceptions of what was considered by some as the ‘heterodox’ religiosity of Templeless Judah. Biblical literature about Templeless Judah remains almost exclusively focused on the on-going worship of deities either in distinction to or in addition to Yahweh. The chapter provides an overview of the types of worship practices attributed to the population in the homeland. In conjunction with that discussion, it is noted that the evidence for these practices does not stem from sixth-century Judah itself and tends to serve a greater theological agenda.Less
Because ancient Israel maintained copious literature that is theological in nature and the Golah community invested much energy in reflection on worship, it is important to consider how the situation in the homeland impacted theological conceptions of reality. This chapter considers biblical perceptions of what was considered by some as the ‘heterodox’ religiosity of Templeless Judah. Biblical literature about Templeless Judah remains almost exclusively focused on the on-going worship of deities either in distinction to or in addition to Yahweh. The chapter provides an overview of the types of worship practices attributed to the population in the homeland. In conjunction with that discussion, it is noted that the evidence for these practices does not stem from sixth-century Judah itself and tends to serve a greater theological agenda.
P. R. S. Moorey
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262801
- eISBN:
- 9780191734526
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262801.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter discusses Israelite goddesses, terracotta figurines, and the emergence of free-standing terracottas in Israel and Judah. It then provides two key contexts between Cave 1 (Ophel) in ...
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This chapter discusses Israelite goddesses, terracotta figurines, and the emergence of free-standing terracottas in Israel and Judah. It then provides two key contexts between Cave 1 (Ophel) in Jerusalem (Judah) and area E-257 in Samaria (Israel). Finally it looks at the repertory of Judean terracottas in the 8th and 7th centuries bc.Less
This chapter discusses Israelite goddesses, terracotta figurines, and the emergence of free-standing terracottas in Israel and Judah. It then provides two key contexts between Cave 1 (Ophel) in Jerusalem (Judah) and area E-257 in Samaria (Israel). Finally it looks at the repertory of Judean terracottas in the 8th and 7th centuries bc.
Elizabeth M. Brumfiel and Lisa Overholtzer
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0011
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Several figurine forms—figurine heads, human “mud men,” flat-backed figurines, hand-molded figures attached to braziers, rattle-figurines, animal heads and feet attached to jars, and heads attached ...
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Several figurine forms—figurine heads, human “mud men,” flat-backed figurines, hand-molded figures attached to braziers, rattle-figurines, animal heads and feet attached to jars, and heads attached to flutes—have been found at Xaltocan, a Postclassic site found in the Basin of Mexico. Although these figurines may account for various genres because of their different functions and forms, they are taken together as a single homogeneous artifact category. While Xaltocan's figurines are not recognized in the context of practical use, and as the figurines are often broken, recent thinking regarding embodiment, especially thoughts about how bodily experiences and sensations constitute identity, may aid in our understanding of the artifacts. This chapter argues that Xaltocan people utilized different types of figurines to present the body in various contrasts, and the chapter further looks into how these contrasts represent different aspects of social identity.Less
Several figurine forms—figurine heads, human “mud men,” flat-backed figurines, hand-molded figures attached to braziers, rattle-figurines, animal heads and feet attached to jars, and heads attached to flutes—have been found at Xaltocan, a Postclassic site found in the Basin of Mexico. Although these figurines may account for various genres because of their different functions and forms, they are taken together as a single homogeneous artifact category. While Xaltocan's figurines are not recognized in the context of practical use, and as the figurines are often broken, recent thinking regarding embodiment, especially thoughts about how bodily experiences and sensations constitute identity, may aid in our understanding of the artifacts. This chapter argues that Xaltocan people utilized different types of figurines to present the body in various contrasts, and the chapter further looks into how these contrasts represent different aspects of social identity.
Cecelia F. Klein and Naoli Victoria Lona
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0012
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The most significant and largest temple-pyramid in the Tenochtitlan or the Aztec imperial capital was a ceramic figurine. Although these ceramic figurines were easy to transport and were widely ...
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The most significant and largest temple-pyramid in the Tenochtitlan or the Aztec imperial capital was a ceramic figurine. Although these ceramic figurines were easy to transport and were widely available, they have often been recovered broken from household debris in various villages. These figurines have been found in various places such as in household shrines, wall niches, and even in sweat baths. However, these figurines were excluded from Templo Mayor offerings, probably because the figurines included in such offerings were often made of copal. Copal primarily comes from trees of the species Bursera bipinnata. The resin emits a pleasant-smelling white smoke when burned, and it is often believed that this pleased the gods. This chapter attempts to examine the iconographic and historical relationship between the ceramic figurines and the copal figurines.Less
The most significant and largest temple-pyramid in the Tenochtitlan or the Aztec imperial capital was a ceramic figurine. Although these ceramic figurines were easy to transport and were widely available, they have often been recovered broken from household debris in various villages. These figurines have been found in various places such as in household shrines, wall niches, and even in sweat baths. However, these figurines were excluded from Templo Mayor offerings, probably because the figurines included in such offerings were often made of copal. Copal primarily comes from trees of the species Bursera bipinnata. The resin emits a pleasant-smelling white smoke when burned, and it is often believed that this pleased the gods. This chapter attempts to examine the iconographic and historical relationship between the ceramic figurines and the copal figurines.
Shelia Pozorski and Thomas Pozorski
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813056067
- eISBN:
- 9780813053820
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813056067.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The Sechín Alto Polity, centered in the Casma Valley on the north coast of Peru, constructed the largest mound structures in the New World during the Initial Period (2100–1000 B.C.). The polity ...
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The Sechín Alto Polity, centered in the Casma Valley on the north coast of Peru, constructed the largest mound structures in the New World during the Initial Period (2100–1000 B.C.). The polity united at least six inland sites and three coastal satellites into a political and economically cooperative unit within which different sites and different monumental structures had distinct, but complementary, functions. Prominent among the artifacts that define the Sechín Alto Polity are ceramic figurines. Examples are consistently from domestic or residential contexts; most (more than 350 fragments) were recovered from Sechín Alto site, the polity capital, where they were likely manufactured. Iconography within Andean archaeology of the figurines connects them with warrior figures and victims depicted in the Cerro Sechín stone carvings and by extension with anthropomorphic friezes that adorn the temple mound of Moxeke within the Sechín Alto Polity. These data suggest that the Casma figurines may represent distinct groups of people who in turn reflected sacred vs. secular aspects of Casma Valley society.Less
The Sechín Alto Polity, centered in the Casma Valley on the north coast of Peru, constructed the largest mound structures in the New World during the Initial Period (2100–1000 B.C.). The polity united at least six inland sites and three coastal satellites into a political and economically cooperative unit within which different sites and different monumental structures had distinct, but complementary, functions. Prominent among the artifacts that define the Sechín Alto Polity are ceramic figurines. Examples are consistently from domestic or residential contexts; most (more than 350 fragments) were recovered from Sechín Alto site, the polity capital, where they were likely manufactured. Iconography within Andean archaeology of the figurines connects them with warrior figures and victims depicted in the Cerro Sechín stone carvings and by extension with anthropomorphic friezes that adorn the temple mound of Moxeke within the Sechín Alto Polity. These data suggest that the Casma figurines may represent distinct groups of people who in turn reflected sacred vs. secular aspects of Casma Valley society.
Steven L. Boles
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781683400820
- eISBN:
- 9781683401186
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9781683400820.003.0003
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Discussions on the rise and fall of great cities or nations typically entails a list of contributing factors leading to and from florescence. What is often lacking in broad discussions is the ...
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Discussions on the rise and fall of great cities or nations typically entails a list of contributing factors leading to and from florescence. What is often lacking in broad discussions is the tracking of people to and from such cultural centers. In this article, I focus on Cahokia, the largest prehistoric city north of Mexico, and explore the various types of recognizable Cahokia artifacts found scattered in all directions from the site. While I weigh the pros and cons of using these items, I argue that flint clay figurines and pipes were likely associated with the migration of Cahokian religious leaders. This notion counters the oft-cited trade network or exchange of elite goods theories assumed to account for the disbursal of such items outside greater Cahokia.Less
Discussions on the rise and fall of great cities or nations typically entails a list of contributing factors leading to and from florescence. What is often lacking in broad discussions is the tracking of people to and from such cultural centers. In this article, I focus on Cahokia, the largest prehistoric city north of Mexico, and explore the various types of recognizable Cahokia artifacts found scattered in all directions from the site. While I weigh the pros and cons of using these items, I argue that flint clay figurines and pipes were likely associated with the migration of Cahokian religious leaders. This notion counters the oft-cited trade network or exchange of elite goods theories assumed to account for the disbursal of such items outside greater Cahokia.
Stephen Davies
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199658541
- eISBN:
- 9780191746253
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199658541.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Science
Evolutionary psychologists reduce human beauty to female sexual attractiveness in the context of mate selection. Rather than considering other forms of human beauty, this chapter shows how their ...
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Evolutionary psychologists reduce human beauty to female sexual attractiveness in the context of mate selection. Rather than considering other forms of human beauty, this chapter shows how their account is flawed. After reviewing the evidence and debating whether our ancestors shared similar preferences, it is accepted than many markers of female physical beauty are recognized cross-culturally. The main variable is body mass: the more unreliable the food supply, the higher the weight found attractive. But the main argument is that our interest in beauty typically takes in more than physical appearance. It is concerned with identity, self-presentation, and social performance more generally. As such it is decoupled from mate selection, being implicated in a wider social assessment. This account makes clearer how human physical beauty falls into line with other varieties of human and nonhuman beauty that call forth aesthetic reactions.Less
Evolutionary psychologists reduce human beauty to female sexual attractiveness in the context of mate selection. Rather than considering other forms of human beauty, this chapter shows how their account is flawed. After reviewing the evidence and debating whether our ancestors shared similar preferences, it is accepted than many markers of female physical beauty are recognized cross-culturally. The main variable is body mass: the more unreliable the food supply, the higher the weight found attractive. But the main argument is that our interest in beauty typically takes in more than physical appearance. It is concerned with identity, self-presentation, and social performance more generally. As such it is decoupled from mate selection, being implicated in a wider social assessment. This account makes clearer how human physical beauty falls into line with other varieties of human and nonhuman beauty that call forth aesthetic reactions.
Jessica Pearson and Lynn Meskell
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265758
- eISBN:
- 9780191771965
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265758.003.0013
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The authors attempt a reconciliation of apparently disparate evidence types relating to the body at Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7400–6000 cal BC): palaeodietary reconstruction through stable carbon and ...
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The authors attempt a reconciliation of apparently disparate evidence types relating to the body at Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7400–6000 cal BC): palaeodietary reconstruction through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, and body imagery as represented in the figurines, buildings and burials. Approaches to the body tend to focus upon evidence confined to specific areas of expertise or by specialisation in archaeological practice. While some of these aspects have been socialised through the consideration of human remains as material culture, for example, very little attempt has been made to do so with non-visual skeletal evidence. This is especially true for stable isotopes, which are used to reconstruct diet from food signatures that are imprinted into the skeleton. The authors show that new studies of the anthropomorphic figurines, which now suggest an importance given to ageing and maturity are corroborated by data from stable isotope evidence of diet and the burial assemblage.Less
The authors attempt a reconciliation of apparently disparate evidence types relating to the body at Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7400–6000 cal BC): palaeodietary reconstruction through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, and body imagery as represented in the figurines, buildings and burials. Approaches to the body tend to focus upon evidence confined to specific areas of expertise or by specialisation in archaeological practice. While some of these aspects have been socialised through the consideration of human remains as material culture, for example, very little attempt has been made to do so with non-visual skeletal evidence. This is especially true for stable isotopes, which are used to reconstruct diet from food signatures that are imprinted into the skeleton. The authors show that new studies of the anthropomorphic figurines, which now suggest an importance given to ageing and maturity are corroborated by data from stable isotope evidence of diet and the burial assemblage.
Lauren E. Talalay
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748613199
- eISBN:
- 9780748651016
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748613199.003.0017
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Although women's roles in prehistory have been the subject of debate for well over a century, interest in gender ideology has emerged in the archaeological literature only within the last decade. ...
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Although women's roles in prehistory have been the subject of debate for well over a century, interest in gender ideology has emerged in the archaeological literature only within the last decade. Much of the recent work on these early representations has either revived the nineteenth-century notion that, in early societies, power was initially vested in women, or has sidestepped the issue of gender and women altogether. A well-constructed approach to these figurines that incorporates feminist and/or gender ideologies and sound archaeological arguments has yet to be designed. Some well-known works argue that the abundance of female figurines in prehistoric contexts of Greece and southeastern Europe reflects an early, pan-Mediterranean belief in a Great Mother Goddess, a matriarchal social structure, and a time when women ruled either supreme or at least in partnership with men. In order to better understand the interrelationships among gender studies, prehistoric figurines and the Great Goddess theory, this chapter examines the interpretive history of Greek Neolithic figurines.Less
Although women's roles in prehistory have been the subject of debate for well over a century, interest in gender ideology has emerged in the archaeological literature only within the last decade. Much of the recent work on these early representations has either revived the nineteenth-century notion that, in early societies, power was initially vested in women, or has sidestepped the issue of gender and women altogether. A well-constructed approach to these figurines that incorporates feminist and/or gender ideologies and sound archaeological arguments has yet to be designed. Some well-known works argue that the abundance of female figurines in prehistoric contexts of Greece and southeastern Europe reflects an early, pan-Mediterranean belief in a Great Mother Goddess, a matriarchal social structure, and a time when women ruled either supreme or at least in partnership with men. In order to better understand the interrelationships among gender studies, prehistoric figurines and the Great Goddess theory, this chapter examines the interpretive history of Greek Neolithic figurines.
Jaś Elsner (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- October 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198861096
- eISBN:
- 9780191893063
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198861096.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Non-Classical
This book concerns figurines from cultures that have no direct links with each other. It explores the category of the figurine as a key material concept in the art history of antiquity through ...
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This book concerns figurines from cultures that have no direct links with each other. It explores the category of the figurine as a key material concept in the art history of antiquity through comparative juxtaposition of papers drawn from Chinese, pre-Columbian, and Greco-Roman culture. It extends the study of figurines beyond prehistory into ancient art-historical contexts. At stake are issues of figuration and anthropomorphism, miniaturization and portability, one-off production and replication, substitution and scale. Crucially, figurines are objects of handling by their users as well as their makers—so that, as touchable objects, they engage the viewer in different ways from flat art. Unlike the voyeuristic relationship of viewing a neatly framed pictorial narrative, as if from the outside, the viewer as handler is always potentially and without protection within the narrative of figurines. This is why they have had potential for a potent, even animated, agency in relation to those who use them.Less
This book concerns figurines from cultures that have no direct links with each other. It explores the category of the figurine as a key material concept in the art history of antiquity through comparative juxtaposition of papers drawn from Chinese, pre-Columbian, and Greco-Roman culture. It extends the study of figurines beyond prehistory into ancient art-historical contexts. At stake are issues of figuration and anthropomorphism, miniaturization and portability, one-off production and replication, substitution and scale. Crucially, figurines are objects of handling by their users as well as their makers—so that, as touchable objects, they engage the viewer in different ways from flat art. Unlike the voyeuristic relationship of viewing a neatly framed pictorial narrative, as if from the outside, the viewer as handler is always potentially and without protection within the narrative of figurines. This is why they have had potential for a potent, even animated, agency in relation to those who use them.
S. Rebecca Martin and Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190614812
- eISBN:
- 9780190614836
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190614812.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, History of Art: pre-history, BCE to 500CE, ancient and classical, Byzantine
Miniature and fragmentary objects are both remarkably fascinating and easily dismissed. Tiny scale entices users with visions of Lilliputian worlds. The ambiguity of fragments intrigues us, offering ...
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Miniature and fragmentary objects are both remarkably fascinating and easily dismissed. Tiny scale entices users with visions of Lilliputian worlds. The ambiguity of fragments intrigues us, offering vivid reminders of the transitory nature of reality. Yet, the standard scholarly approach to such objects has been to see them as secondary, incomplete things, designed primarily to refer to a complete and often life-sized whole. This volume offers a series of fresh perspectives on the familiar concepts of the tiny and the fragmented, in chapters ranging in focus from Neolithic Europe to Pre-Columbian Honduras to the Classical Mediterranean and Ancient Near East. Diverse in scope, the volume is united in considering the little and broken things of the past as objects in their own right. When a life-sized or whole thing is made in a scaled-down or partial form, deliberately broken as part of its use, or considered successful by ancient users only if it shows some signs of wear, it challenges our expectations of representation and wholeness. Overall, this volume demands a reconsideration of the social and contextual nature of miniaturization, fragmentation, and incompleteness. These were more than just ancient strategies for saving space, time, and resources. Rather, they offered new possibilities of representation, use, and engagement—possibilities unavailable with things that were life size or more conventionally “complete.” It was because of, rather than in spite of, their small or partial state that these objects were valued parts of the personal and social worlds they inhabited.Less
Miniature and fragmentary objects are both remarkably fascinating and easily dismissed. Tiny scale entices users with visions of Lilliputian worlds. The ambiguity of fragments intrigues us, offering vivid reminders of the transitory nature of reality. Yet, the standard scholarly approach to such objects has been to see them as secondary, incomplete things, designed primarily to refer to a complete and often life-sized whole. This volume offers a series of fresh perspectives on the familiar concepts of the tiny and the fragmented, in chapters ranging in focus from Neolithic Europe to Pre-Columbian Honduras to the Classical Mediterranean and Ancient Near East. Diverse in scope, the volume is united in considering the little and broken things of the past as objects in their own right. When a life-sized or whole thing is made in a scaled-down or partial form, deliberately broken as part of its use, or considered successful by ancient users only if it shows some signs of wear, it challenges our expectations of representation and wholeness. Overall, this volume demands a reconsideration of the social and contextual nature of miniaturization, fragmentation, and incompleteness. These were more than just ancient strategies for saving space, time, and resources. Rather, they offered new possibilities of representation, use, and engagement—possibilities unavailable with things that were life size or more conventionally “complete.” It was because of, rather than in spite of, their small or partial state that these objects were valued parts of the personal and social worlds they inhabited.
Christina T. Halperin, Katherine A. Faust, Rhonda Taube, and Aurore Giguet (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Figurines are among the most abundant class of artifacts known in the vast Mesoamerican culture. This volume examines these figurines from the Olmec to the Aztec civilizations. These small, often ...
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Figurines are among the most abundant class of artifacts known in the vast Mesoamerican culture. This volume examines these figurines from the Olmec to the Aztec civilizations. These small, often ceramic objects are commonly found at many archaeological sites. They appear in the shape of humans, supernatural beings, animals, and buildings. This book brings together many scholars of art history, archaeology, ethnohistory, anthropology, and social theory to analyze these objects by their stylistic attributes, archaeological content, function, and meaning. Because of their variety and number, figurines represent a rich dataset from which ancient Mesoamerican identity and practices can be ascertained, including human body symbolism, materiality, memory and human agency, trade and interaction, and religion.Less
Figurines are among the most abundant class of artifacts known in the vast Mesoamerican culture. This volume examines these figurines from the Olmec to the Aztec civilizations. These small, often ceramic objects are commonly found at many archaeological sites. They appear in the shape of humans, supernatural beings, animals, and buildings. This book brings together many scholars of art history, archaeology, ethnohistory, anthropology, and social theory to analyze these objects by their stylistic attributes, archaeological content, function, and meaning. Because of their variety and number, figurines represent a rich dataset from which ancient Mesoamerican identity and practices can be ascertained, including human body symbolism, materiality, memory and human agency, trade and interaction, and religion.
Katherine A. Faust and Christina T. Halperin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
One of the most notable features of Mesoamerican figurines is that they are not without iconic quality—they are able to portray humans, animals, and supernaturals in small-scale and round forms. ...
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One of the most notable features of Mesoamerican figurines is that they are not without iconic quality—they are able to portray humans, animals, and supernaturals in small-scale and round forms. These figurines should be perceived as much more than iconic referencing since they serve as social process indices of the ancient people who made and utilized them. Also, they are able to heighten the understanding of ancient Mesoamerican political economies, ritual and religion, gendered ideologies, and the various aspects of social practice and change. Examining these figurines draws attention to heterarchical or “bottom-up” models compared to the conventional “top down” models which are often used. As these figurines have rarely become the main focus in scholarship, this book highlights how important these figurines were to the Mesoamerican peopls through presenting case studies regarding different theoretical frameworks and approaches.Less
One of the most notable features of Mesoamerican figurines is that they are not without iconic quality—they are able to portray humans, animals, and supernaturals in small-scale and round forms. These figurines should be perceived as much more than iconic referencing since they serve as social process indices of the ancient people who made and utilized them. Also, they are able to heighten the understanding of ancient Mesoamerican political economies, ritual and religion, gendered ideologies, and the various aspects of social practice and change. Examining these figurines draws attention to heterarchical or “bottom-up” models compared to the conventional “top down” models which are often used. As these figurines have rarely become the main focus in scholarship, this book highlights how important these figurines were to the Mesoamerican peopls through presenting case studies regarding different theoretical frameworks and approaches.
Billie J. A. Follensbee
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material ...
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Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material culture is especially difficult because no ethnohistoric or ethnographic resources, as well as hieroglyphic or pictographic texts, are available. Since the area is a tropical rainforest environment, only the Formative period glyphs that are made of ceramic and stone survive. The handmade ceramic figurines are found to be the most common form of Olmec sculpture, and these have to be thoroughly examined in order to arrive at an adequate understanding of these cultures. Looking into the iconography attributed to these ancient sculptures may help us to gage relevant insights into imagery. This chapter attempts to focus on how the imagery reveals sex, gender, and age groups.Less
Compared to examining gender, age groups, social political structures, and other such concepts of ancient cultures, looking into how these concepts are incorporated in Gulf Coast Olmec material culture is especially difficult because no ethnohistoric or ethnographic resources, as well as hieroglyphic or pictographic texts, are available. Since the area is a tropical rainforest environment, only the Formative period glyphs that are made of ceramic and stone survive. The handmade ceramic figurines are found to be the most common form of Olmec sculpture, and these have to be thoroughly examined in order to arrive at an adequate understanding of these cultures. Looking into the iconography attributed to these ancient sculptures may help us to gage relevant insights into imagery. This chapter attempts to focus on how the imagery reveals sex, gender, and age groups.
David Cheetham
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Looking into the Olmec style of art brings about intense debates among Mesoamerican archaeologists. Certain disagreements are brought about by the meaning of this style particularly in terms of early ...
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Looking into the Olmec style of art brings about intense debates among Mesoamerican archaeologists. Certain disagreements are brought about by the meaning of this style particularly in terms of early Mesoamerican cultures and people since the question arises regarding how this style can be connected to the local emulation or the migration of Gulf Olmecs. This chapter attempts to show how the Olmec-style figurines originated from the Gulf Olmec peoples, and it looks into the fact that some of these figurines were found in areas beyond the Gulf. The links associated with these discoveries are said to be related to extreme colonization.Less
Looking into the Olmec style of art brings about intense debates among Mesoamerican archaeologists. Certain disagreements are brought about by the meaning of this style particularly in terms of early Mesoamerican cultures and people since the question arises regarding how this style can be connected to the local emulation or the migration of Gulf Olmecs. This chapter attempts to show how the Olmec-style figurines originated from the Gulf Olmec peoples, and it looks into the fact that some of these figurines were found in areas beyond the Gulf. The links associated with these discoveries are said to be related to extreme colonization.
Rosemary A. Joyce
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0014
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The three questions raised by the previous chapters are the following: Is there a feasible project that can be referred to as Mesoamerican figurine studies?; What are the necessary elements, and how ...
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The three questions raised by the previous chapters are the following: Is there a feasible project that can be referred to as Mesoamerican figurine studies?; What are the necessary elements, and how can these be supplied?; and Can this project cover the diversity in the various approaches and accommodate contradiction? In this sense, scholars have focused on this particular area have to consider carefully the subject of study and how different interpretations should be handled. This chapter presents an argument for contextual analyses attributed to the life histories of miniaturized representational objects that includes media, representational content, scale, and semiosis forms under the heading of “Mesoamerican figurines.” This final chapter attempts to define figural materialities, miniaturization, and other important aspects of Mesoamerican figurines.Less
The three questions raised by the previous chapters are the following: Is there a feasible project that can be referred to as Mesoamerican figurine studies?; What are the necessary elements, and how can these be supplied?; and Can this project cover the diversity in the various approaches and accommodate contradiction? In this sense, scholars have focused on this particular area have to consider carefully the subject of study and how different interpretations should be handled. This chapter presents an argument for contextual analyses attributed to the life histories of miniaturized representational objects that includes media, representational content, scale, and semiosis forms under the heading of “Mesoamerican figurines.” This final chapter attempts to define figural materialities, miniaturization, and other important aspects of Mesoamerican figurines.
Lincoln Taiz and Lee Taiz
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190490263
- eISBN:
- 9780190868673
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190490263.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
“Plant-Female Iconography in Neolithic Europe” covers the Neolithic transition to agriculture in the Aegean and Europe, which was accompanied by the production of a large corpus of anthropomorphic ...
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“Plant-Female Iconography in Neolithic Europe” covers the Neolithic transition to agriculture in the Aegean and Europe, which was accompanied by the production of a large corpus of anthropomorphic figurines, a genre dominated by images of women. Figurines with cereal grain eyes reminiscent of those at Sha’ar Hagolan, have been found in Greece, and this symbolic association between plants and women tracked the spread of agriculture into Europe. There female figurines appear bearing grain impressions, or incised with plant imagery. The dot and lozenge motif found on some figurines has been interpreted as symbolizing the planted field. Female images from the megalithic era of Malta, including engravings on the base of the monumental statue of a woman at the Tarxian temple, reveal symbols evidencing strong plant-female associations. This association shows continuity throughout the secondary products revolution and the Chalcolithic period and continues into the stratified patriarchal societies of the Bronze Age.Less
“Plant-Female Iconography in Neolithic Europe” covers the Neolithic transition to agriculture in the Aegean and Europe, which was accompanied by the production of a large corpus of anthropomorphic figurines, a genre dominated by images of women. Figurines with cereal grain eyes reminiscent of those at Sha’ar Hagolan, have been found in Greece, and this symbolic association between plants and women tracked the spread of agriculture into Europe. There female figurines appear bearing grain impressions, or incised with plant imagery. The dot and lozenge motif found on some figurines has been interpreted as symbolizing the planted field. Female images from the megalithic era of Malta, including engravings on the base of the monumental statue of a woman at the Tarxian temple, reveal symbols evidencing strong plant-female associations. This association shows continuity throughout the secondary products revolution and the Chalcolithic period and continues into the stratified patriarchal societies of the Bronze Age.
Erica Lehrer
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774730
- eISBN:
- 9781800340732
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774730.003.0018
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter focuses on sculptor Józef Reguła's wooden Jews. It asks why ‘Jewish culture’ is circulating in almost Jewless, post-communist Poland. And, in particular, what does it mean that Poles ...
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This chapter focuses on sculptor Józef Reguła's wooden Jews. It asks why ‘Jewish culture’ is circulating in almost Jewless, post-communist Poland. And, in particular, what does it mean that Poles carve tiny Jewish figurines and that these days Jewish tourists buy them? Secular American Jews who travel to Poland, purchase Jewish figurines, and display them in their homes, show how symbolic, how iconographic a lot of Jewishness is today. But such Jewishness is not the only kind that Jews bring to Poland. For Max Rogers, a hasidic Jew from London who travels to Poland frequently on business, Jewishness is an encompassing matter of daily practice.Less
This chapter focuses on sculptor Józef Reguła's wooden Jews. It asks why ‘Jewish culture’ is circulating in almost Jewless, post-communist Poland. And, in particular, what does it mean that Poles carve tiny Jewish figurines and that these days Jewish tourists buy them? Secular American Jews who travel to Poland, purchase Jewish figurines, and display them in their homes, show how symbolic, how iconographic a lot of Jewishness is today. But such Jewishness is not the only kind that Jews bring to Poland. For Max Rogers, a hasidic Jew from London who travels to Poland frequently on business, Jewishness is an encompassing matter of daily practice.
Frans J. Schryer
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801453144
- eISBN:
- 9780801455124
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801453144.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
This chapter focuses on the craft production that provided the inhabitants of the Alto Balsas with a viable alternative to migrant labor from around 1950 to the mid-1980s. Originally, craft ...
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This chapter focuses on the craft production that provided the inhabitants of the Alto Balsas with a viable alternative to migrant labor from around 1950 to the mid-1980s. Originally, craft production was mainly for home use: women made jars for holding water and pots for straining the lime water used to soak corn. Men made firecrackers used in religious celebrations, or burned wood to make charcoal. Some of these objects were sold or traded in neighboring towns. In the early 1950s, young men in the town of Ameyaltepec started to experiment with painting designs on various surfaces, to create something to sell to outsiders. Other forms of craft production were also initiated or invented; some villages specialized in making masks, others in carving wooden figurines or decorating gourds, clay ashtrays, and bowls.Less
This chapter focuses on the craft production that provided the inhabitants of the Alto Balsas with a viable alternative to migrant labor from around 1950 to the mid-1980s. Originally, craft production was mainly for home use: women made jars for holding water and pots for straining the lime water used to soak corn. Men made firecrackers used in religious celebrations, or burned wood to make charcoal. Some of these objects were sold or traded in neighboring towns. In the early 1950s, young men in the town of Ameyaltepec started to experiment with painting designs on various surfaces, to create something to sell to outsiders. Other forms of craft production were also initiated or invented; some villages specialized in making masks, others in carving wooden figurines or decorating gourds, clay ashtrays, and bowls.