Star Gazer Idol

Female figures were made throughout the Aegean basin during the prehistoric period, including in the region of ancient Anatolia (present-day Turkey). This figure represents a highly stylized standing nude female. Her bulbous head, long neck, and flat body are characteristic of the Kilia type of female figurines, named after the village in northwest Turkey where the first examples were found. Carved from translucent white marble, these figures typically have carefully detailed eyes, noses, and ears. Although the ears and nose of this statuette are defined by carving, the eyes originally would have been enhanced with paint. An incised triangle emphasizing the pubic area confirms the statuette’s identity as female. Additional incisions on the front of the figure outline the tops of the thighs, while a horizontal line accents the hips across the back. Although the Kilia type statuettes of women are considerably earlier in date than related figures produced in the Cyclades, they are probably also linked with fertility and the life cycle, a central spiritual concern in the ancient Mediterranean.

The dating of Kiliya idols is somewhat problematic, although it is clear that they belong to the late Chalcolithic Period. The earliest examples known are two fragmentary figures found at Aphrodisias from a context datable to the late 5th millennium B.C.; the latest is a fragmentary head from Troy dating to 2300-2200 B.C. (see Thimme, ed., Art and Culture of the Cyclades, p. 176). A 2000 year time-span seems impossibly long and is difficult to explain. Most scholars disregard the earliest and latest dates and ascribe them to approximately 3300-2500 B.C.