Re-figuring the Past. Interpreting Early Halaf Figurines from Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria)

Figurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly as art objects. In recent years there has been a move towards more contextualised research and a move away from universalistic explanations. However, there are still some shortcomings in figurine literature. Site publications often lack synthesis into a larger temporal and geographical framework. Also figurines are sometimes still presented out of context and treated separately, as if they fall into a singular, special category, instead of being part of the artefact assemblage as a whole. New interesting themes in figurine theory have emerged, but these have to be critically reviewed and assessed for their practical use. Turning to other fields like sociology and psychology can lead to interesting viewpoints, but can also result in generalising statements which, in the end, do not help...Show moreFigurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly as art objects. In recent years there has been a move towards more contextualised research and a move away from universalistic explanations. However, there are still some shortcomings in figurine literature. Site publications often lack synthesis into a larger temporal and geographical framework. Also figurines are sometimes still presented out of context and treated separately, as if they fall into a singular, special category, instead of being part of the artefact assemblage as a whole. New interesting themes in figurine theory have emerged, but these have to be critically reviewed and assessed for their practical use. Turning to other fields like sociology and psychology can lead to interesting viewpoints, but can also result in generalising statements which, in the end, do not help with interpreting an individual dataset. In this thesis some of the new themes in figurine theory have been chosen, namely: fragmentation, figurines and fire-related contexts, miniaturisation and schematisation and finally, materiality. The literature on these themes has been reviewed and subsequently the value and usability of these themes has been assessed by applying them on a case study – the (Early) Halaf figurines of Tell Sabi Abyad, Operation III. The case-study showed that these themes can lead to new insights, but only when taking a more contextual and practical approach. Some new research questions were also formulated which can be dealt with in future research.Show less

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Re-figuring the Past. Interpreting Early Halaf Figurines from Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria)