Folia archeologica 27.

István Ecsedy: Két neolitikus idol Kelet-Magyarországról

48 I. ECSEDY the archaeological material of the Near East is also overwhelming. Regarding these we find a widespread opinion, according to which they would represent the central figure of the fertility cults of southeastern origin, namely the "Corn Goddess", or "Mother Earth-Goddess".

3

9 The flat, extremely stylized, schematized clay figurines of Méhtelek are held by Nándor Kalicz and János Makkay, because of their different characteristics, for works of a local population of an attitude somewhat differring from that of the Balkan-Anatolian population groups; after all, for the products of a local development.

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0 We can accept it as a fact that in an object belonging to an Early Neolithic population group, still displaying Mediterranean characteristics, forerunners of the type of flat figurines, well-known from the Middle Neolithic, came to light.

41 In the case of Méhtelek it may be assumed that the "role" and signification of the idols of different types, found in the same object, mighthave been also different. The theory, mentioned above, according to which the flat statuettes were produced, following preceramic prototypes, by local groups of Mesolithic origin, serving for the ethnic basis of the Linear Pottery culture seems to be, though, not probable.

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2 Taking the later plastic art of idol of the Linear Pottery people in consideration, the flat idols of Méhtelek could be connected with religious ideas of the original population of Mesolithic origin only in the case, if the idol material of the cultures of Mediterranean origin did not display a similar differentation and if we possessed any data concerning the population of the regions beyond the Tisza, in a period previous to the Körös culture. The fact is, nevertheless, that we do not know anything about the preceramic period of Hungary and though we may imagine the Neolithisation process of the northern Alföld evidently on the basis of the diffusion model,

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3 it does not follow that the prototypes of club-shaped figurines, found among the material of the Körös culture, would be made previously of wood by the ancient local population. As for the first notion mentioned, it has to be remarked that in the idol plastic of the Körös culture we can clearly discern the schematized "club-shaped idols" on the one part and the "steatopygic" statuettes on the other part.

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4 A similar division is characteristic for the idol material of the Early Neolithic Tell Azmak, the flat idols found there being good analogies for the club-shaped figurines of Méhtelek.

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5 At Hacilar, beside representation of the "Fertility Goddess", 3

9 Cf. Oberbiiber, K., Sind wir berichtigt, von Muttergottheiten in den Frühkulturen des Alten Orients zu sprechen? FuF 38(1964) 53. (With further literature.) 4

0 Kalicz, N.-Makkay, J., A méhteleki . . . 21-22. 4

1 Ibid. 4

2 Ibid. 4

3 Nandris, ]., Relations between the Mesolithic, the first temperate Neolithic, and the Bandkeramik: the nature of the problem. In: Die aktuellen Fragen der Bandkeramik. 62-67. 4

4 For this it is enough to mention a few examples: Kutzidn, I., The Körös Culture. DissPann 11:23. (Bp. 1947) Pl. VIII. 1-2., XIII. 5, 7-8., XLIII. 1-6.; Cf. ibid. Pl. XLIII. 9-11.; Idole. Katalog Nr. 19., Pl. V. 2.; Ecsedy, I., MAI 3(1973) 154., Pl. LV. 2. Two different kinds of the forming are to be observed also in the later ("C") idol material of Vinca: Höckmann, О., Die menschengestaltige Figuralplastik der südosteuropäischen Jungsteinzeit und Steinkupferzeit. I II. Münstersche Beiträge zur Vorgeschichtsforschung, 3-4. (Hildesheim 1968) 56-57. 4

5 I had the possibility of studying these pieces in the Museum of Stara Zagora by the favour of Mr. M. Dimitrov, whom I owe my sincere gratitude.