Animal figures, human figures and votive offerings - Homeric World

What types of clay figurines were found and where ?

Many clay figurines of animals and humans have been found in private houses and tombs in Mycenae.

What were these figurines used for ?

• some were toys ( found in children’s tombs )

• Some believed to have religious significance :

  • used in worship

  • offerings to gods to fulfil a prayer.

Phi figurines ϕ

Date : 13th century BC

Location : Mycenae

Material : Clay

Significance :

• evidence of religion

  • votive worship

  • female goddess ( breasts ) - prominent breast shape suggests god of fertility ?

Psi figurines ψ

Date :13th century BC

Location : Mycenae

Material : Clay

Significance

• evidence of religion

  • votive worship - offering

  • female goddess - breasts

Tau figurines τ

Date : 13th century BC

Location : Mycenae

Material : Clay

Significance :

• evidence of religion

  • votive worship

  • male god

• unsure of what it represents

  • offering ?

  • holding basket

What does the material they are made ( clay ) tell us about how common these figurines was ?

• They might have been imported from Crete in the Minoan age

• Clay is cheap :

  • there are thousands of these figurines found

  • suggests mass repetition of worshipping and beliefs ( evidence of cult practice, religion )

What did animal figurines show ?

Animal figures include numerous coiled snakes and miniature pottery cattle which both have religious significance.

Cattle :

• depictions of a type of proto-Greek sacrifice ?

Snake - chthonic goddess figurine

Date : 13th century BC

Location : Mycenae

Material : Clay

Significance :

• evidence of religion

  • belief in afterlife/underworld

  • Snake is a representation of a chthonic goddess

Bull figurine

Evidence of early sacrifice and what was sacrificed perhaps

Sheep

Sheep - perhaps object of sacrifice ? unsure though

Bull

• evidence of early sacrifice again ?

Horse

Horse

Female human figures

• praying

• offering

• holding hands out

evidence of religion

• cult worship perhaps

• forms of worship - actions