Idol from Ljubljansko barje

The figurine made from black fired clay, from the third millennium BC, was discovered in the nineteenth century at the site of a Copper Age pile dwelling near Ig on Ljubljansko barje. The pile dwellings are prehistoric settlements, known predominantly from the Alpine area of Slovenia, Northern Italy, Southern Austria and Switzerland. They were first investigated here by the natural scientist Karel Dežman between 1875 and 1877. The pile dwellers came here in the third millennium from the Danube basin, seeking copper ore. Many of the vessels found are similar to those in the Vučedol culture (named after Vučedol in Slavonia), giving a clue to their origin. The figurine is hollow. It is a simplified human figure in a long, embroidered dress, because of which it is thought to be a woman. It is imperfectly preserved. Of the head, only the face with a pronounced nose remains. It continues into the neck without any chin, which gives the figure the appearance of a bird. A smooth edge can be seen in the upper part of the face, showing that the figurine originally had an open head above, and was thus similar to a vessel. The idol is thought to be an object of cult ritual and has been associated to date with a female deity of fertility and the earth. A similar world of belief can be found in earlier Neolithic cultures from the fifth millennium BC in the Danube basin, in the southern Balkans and in Greece. There is also a more recent interpretation of the idol, based on the symbolism on vessels from the Vučedol culture. The shape of the figurine vessel has been linked to the image of the constellation Orion in winter, which would suggest an astral or calendar role.