Stone Age anthropomorphic flat figurines from Tamula, Estonia

Le résumé fourni par la source

This article presents for the first time the full collection of anthropomorphic figurines found at Tamula, dating from the 4th to 3rd millennium BC. While some figurines show high levels of craftsmanship, others exhibit poorer execution, suggesting that these objects were made by different individuals, possibly even the owners themselves. The ZooMS results indicate that some figurines were either produced at another location and brought to Tamula or were made from an imported and exotic raw material (goat or reindeer). The deliberate damage to full-body figurines points to ritual practices, potentially linked to shamanistic traditions where figurines repesented spirit aids or shamanic helpers. Despite the challenges in applying modern shamanistic terms to prehistoric cultures, these figurines reflect a broader foragers’ spiritual worldview across the vast territory of Northern and Eastern Europe.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.