Some remarks on the semantic interpretation of earlyagriculturalists statuettes: Lares et Penates of the Neolithic age?
Abstract
There are a lot of items of statuettes of the European cultures of the Neolithic and the Copper Age (7–3 millennium BC): anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, various models, etc. Many of such items are original art works. Over the 20th century the interpretation of such pieces of art was mainly based on antecedent concept of ties between statuettes and fertility cults and also perceptions of Great Goddess. An analysis of some statuettes sets has revealed that there are female and male figurines, which are organized in stable character groups. It gave a reason to suppose that such sets represented a group of ancestors. The cult of ancestors and ancestor’s images in various forms are represented in the world anthropology and they are important part of spiritual culture of traditional societies. An analysis of antique, particularly Roman material gives close structural analogies to the European statuettes of the Neolithic Age. In extant texts a whole group of gods associated with house and family is mentioned: Genii Familiae, Lares Familiares et Compitales, Penates. As a number of researchers suppose, cults of such gods date back to honor of family or community ancestors. The iconography’s research of “household” gods shows a connection between Lares and house. Figurines and images of Lares are usual placed on “Lararium” — hovel, often framed by a portico — a kind of house model. Some features of Lares and Penates cult and it’s iconography give base to draw a parallel between Lares and Penates and certain groups of the early-agriculturalist statuettes, which can be interpreted as character’s images connected with ancestor’s cult — either a direct ancestors or general mythology ancestors of ethnic group.
Keywords:
prehistoric art, Neolithic and Copper Age figurines, Roman mythology, Lares and Penates
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2014-11-28
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Palaguta, I. V., & Mitina, M. N. . (2014). Some remarks on the semantic interpretation of earlyagriculturalists statuettes: Lares et Penates of the Neolithic age?. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts, 4(4), 80–95. Retrieved from https://artsjournal.spbu.ru/article/view/4533
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