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A newborn's nose from the 6th millennium BC in Catal Hüyük
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 52 (2000) 105 – 107 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijporl
Art and pediatric otorhinolaryngology
A newborn’s nose from the 6th millennium BC in Catal Hu¨yu¨k Wolfgang Pirsig a,*, Metin O8 nerci b b
a ENT-Department, Uni6ersitaets-HNO-Klinik, Prittwitzstrasse 43, D-89075 Ulm, Germany Hacettepe Uni6ersity, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngolgoy, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Received 13 September 1999; received in revised form 22 October 1999; accepted 24 October 1999
Keywords: Newborn; Nose; Archaeology; Art; Stone age
Catal Hu¨yu¨k in Turkey is a large mound to the north of Cumra in the alluvial Konya plain, with archaeological remains of the Neolithic period. After its discovery by James Mellaart in 1958, it was partially excavated in the years 1961 – 1965. Fourteen building levels have been unearthed. The radiocarbon readings show that they cover a period from c. 6250 to 5400 BC. In the houses and so-called ‘shrines’ human bones had been buried, of which the flesh was eaten by vultures [1]. Wall-paintings and plaster reliefs decorated the majority of ‘shrines’ and a number of houses. Furthermore, sculptures in the round in the form of stone and clay statuettes were excavated depicting deities in anthropomorphic or near-anthropomorphic form. While crude clay figurines, mainly of animals and some highly schematized human figures, were never found inside ‘shrines’, a group of smaller cult statuettes was discovered only in
* Corresponding author.
the ‘shrines’. These cult statuettes, varying from 5 to 20 cm in height, were made from terracotta, soft calcite, chalk, pumice, alabaster, limestone, volcanic rocks and white marble [2]. According to recent bibliography it is under discussion whether these types of figurines were definitely found in ‘shrines’. The figurine of the ‘Mother-Goddess’, illustrated here, is displayed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara (79-250-65). The statuette modelled in baked clay (H. 20 cm) was discovered at Catal Hu¨yu¨k in a grain-bin of a Level II shrine and is dated to the first half of the 6th millennium BC. Fig. 1 shows the statuette before the head of the goddess and head of the left leopard were restored (before 1968), while Figs. 2 and 3 show the present state. The Mother-Goddess is seated on a throne. Each of the throne’s arms is formed by a leopard. The leopards’ tails trail up the goddess’ back and curl down over her shoulders. Her hands rest on the leopards’ heads. Thus the tails of the leopards and the arms of the goddess
0165-5876/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 1 6 5 - 5 8 7 6 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 2 8 7 - 6
106
W. Pirsig, M. O8 nerci / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 52 (2000) 105–107
actively enhance the intimate contact achieved by the bodies of the Goddess and the leopards. The Goddess’ pendulous breasts and belly, her buttocks, her hips, thighs and shoulders are enormous (Fig. 2). Half-circles on her knees and belly indicate folds of her obese skin. On the ground between her generous legs we recognize a baby’s head, indicating that the Goddess is giving birth. The statuette was also found with some damage to the newborn’s head and of both feet. But the front, the nose and the eyes of the baby are intact and visible. Comparing the figure before 1968 (Fig. 1) with the present state the contour of the nasal bridge seems to have suffered a little bit (Fig. 3). We have not seen an earlier work of art which depicts a newborn’s nose so naturally, and we hope that this unique document will survive for another 6000 years. In this Early Neolithic period at Catal Hu¨yu¨k, the power of wild life and death seems to have
Fig. 2. Rear view of the restored figurine (photographed by first author).
been symbolized by the leopard, the largest and fiercest wild animal in the region. This terracotta statuette shows the leopards supporting the Goddess in her confinement. A baby is born who is breathing through its nose, protected by the dominating figure of a woman who — some consider to represent the Mother of the World. It is further speculated that this ‘Mother-Goddess’ is also the ‘Mistress of the Animals, the Lady of the Wild Things, who is at one with Nature and can befriend the untamed and dangerous’ [3].
Acknowledgements
Fig. 1. Mother-goddess seated on leopard throne before restoration. Newborn with intact nasal bridge (taken from [4]).
We are very grateful to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara for helping us with archaeological information and for the permission to photograph this statuette.
W. Pirsig, M. O8 nerci / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 52 (2000) 105–107
107
References [1] J. Mellaart, The Medithic of the Near East, Thames and Hudson, London, 1981. [2] J. Mellaart, The Medithic Town in Anatolia, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967. [3] A. Getty, Goddess, Mother of Living Nature, Thames and Hudson, London, 1990. [4] B. Brentjes, Von Schanidar bis Akkad, Urania, Leipzig, Berlin, 1968.
Fig. 3. Detail of the frontal view of the restored figurine: slight damage to the newborn’s nose (photographed by first author).
Art and pediatric otorhinolaryngology
A newborn’s nose from the 6th millennium BC in Catal Hu¨yu¨k Wolfgang Pirsig a,*, Metin O8 nerci b b
a ENT-Department, Uni6ersitaets-HNO-Klinik, Prittwitzstrasse 43, D-89075 Ulm, Germany Hacettepe Uni6ersity, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngolgoy, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Received 13 September 1999; received in revised form 22 October 1999; accepted 24 October 1999
Keywords: Newborn; Nose; Archaeology; Art; Stone age
Catal Hu¨yu¨k in Turkey is a large mound to the north of Cumra in the alluvial Konya plain, with archaeological remains of the Neolithic period. After its discovery by James Mellaart in 1958, it was partially excavated in the years 1961 – 1965. Fourteen building levels have been unearthed. The radiocarbon readings show that they cover a period from c. 6250 to 5400 BC. In the houses and so-called ‘shrines’ human bones had been buried, of which the flesh was eaten by vultures [1]. Wall-paintings and plaster reliefs decorated the majority of ‘shrines’ and a number of houses. Furthermore, sculptures in the round in the form of stone and clay statuettes were excavated depicting deities in anthropomorphic or near-anthropomorphic form. While crude clay figurines, mainly of animals and some highly schematized human figures, were never found inside ‘shrines’, a group of smaller cult statuettes was discovered only in
* Corresponding author.
the ‘shrines’. These cult statuettes, varying from 5 to 20 cm in height, were made from terracotta, soft calcite, chalk, pumice, alabaster, limestone, volcanic rocks and white marble [2]. According to recent bibliography it is under discussion whether these types of figurines were definitely found in ‘shrines’. The figurine of the ‘Mother-Goddess’, illustrated here, is displayed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara (79-250-65). The statuette modelled in baked clay (H. 20 cm) was discovered at Catal Hu¨yu¨k in a grain-bin of a Level II shrine and is dated to the first half of the 6th millennium BC. Fig. 1 shows the statuette before the head of the goddess and head of the left leopard were restored (before 1968), while Figs. 2 and 3 show the present state. The Mother-Goddess is seated on a throne. Each of the throne’s arms is formed by a leopard. The leopards’ tails trail up the goddess’ back and curl down over her shoulders. Her hands rest on the leopards’ heads. Thus the tails of the leopards and the arms of the goddess
0165-5876/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 1 6 5 - 5 8 7 6 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 2 8 7 - 6
106
W. Pirsig, M. O8 nerci / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 52 (2000) 105–107
actively enhance the intimate contact achieved by the bodies of the Goddess and the leopards. The Goddess’ pendulous breasts and belly, her buttocks, her hips, thighs and shoulders are enormous (Fig. 2). Half-circles on her knees and belly indicate folds of her obese skin. On the ground between her generous legs we recognize a baby’s head, indicating that the Goddess is giving birth. The statuette was also found with some damage to the newborn’s head and of both feet. But the front, the nose and the eyes of the baby are intact and visible. Comparing the figure before 1968 (Fig. 1) with the present state the contour of the nasal bridge seems to have suffered a little bit (Fig. 3). We have not seen an earlier work of art which depicts a newborn’s nose so naturally, and we hope that this unique document will survive for another 6000 years. In this Early Neolithic period at Catal Hu¨yu¨k, the power of wild life and death seems to have
Fig. 2. Rear view of the restored figurine (photographed by first author).
been symbolized by the leopard, the largest and fiercest wild animal in the region. This terracotta statuette shows the leopards supporting the Goddess in her confinement. A baby is born who is breathing through its nose, protected by the dominating figure of a woman who — some consider to represent the Mother of the World. It is further speculated that this ‘Mother-Goddess’ is also the ‘Mistress of the Animals, the Lady of the Wild Things, who is at one with Nature and can befriend the untamed and dangerous’ [3].
Acknowledgements
Fig. 1. Mother-goddess seated on leopard throne before restoration. Newborn with intact nasal bridge (taken from [4]).
We are very grateful to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara for helping us with archaeological information and for the permission to photograph this statuette.
W. Pirsig, M. O8 nerci / Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 52 (2000) 105–107
107
References [1] J. Mellaart, The Medithic of the Near East, Thames and Hudson, London, 1981. [2] J. Mellaart, The Medithic Town in Anatolia, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967. [3] A. Getty, Goddess, Mother of Living Nature, Thames and Hudson, London, 1990. [4] B. Brentjes, Von Schanidar bis Akkad, Urania, Leipzig, Berlin, 1968.
Fig. 3. Detail of the frontal view of the restored figurine: slight damage to the newborn’s nose (photographed by first author).