Neolithic artefacts, signs and scenes from Southern Romania

Abstract

There are many artefacts among the discoveries of the Neolithic period decorated with various elements, usually geometrically shaped, and mostly incised. The artefacts are diverse, there are many figurines, vessels, and seldom clay objects such as the tablets from Tărtăria. This article has gathered several artefacts, some of them discovered in recent years, decorated by incision. A first category consists of small clay artefacts that have on their surface incised lines arranged in various combinations. The second category consists of two pieces of clay that are decorated with scenes portraying schematic characters combined with other elements. The discoveries were made in south-central Romania, in the Neolithic settlements of Vădastra, Măgura-Buduiasca and Hotărani and belong to the Starčevo-Criș, Dudești and Vădastra cultures, 6th millennium BC. The meaning of these artefacts, or more precisely the meaning of the signs on them, has been an intensely debated topic for several decades, some researchers identifying in them elements of a Neolithic writing.

Keywords

• neolithic
• signs
• writing
• scenes
• visual message