SFÂNTU GHEORGHE, ROMANIA—According to a Greek Reporter article, a 2.5-inch Neolithic figurine depicting a woman with extended arms was discovered in central Romania, among traces of dwellings, pottery, and charcoal dated to between 5800 and 5500 B.C. National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians archaeologists Dan Lucian Buzea, Dan Călin Ştefan, and Puskás Jozsef were investigating the site of Arcuş when they uncovered the settlement, which had been built by the early farmers of the Starčevo-Criş culture. The figurine was made with clay tempered with chaff and sand fired at high temperatures to produce a brick red color, but darker areas suggest that the heat had been uneven. The head of the figurine features eyes carved in a V-shape, a small oval nose, and fine incisions resembling long hair tied into a bun. The body of the figurine is slim with protrusions on the torso. The team members think the figurine may have been used as a household amulet, a ritual object, or a symbolic offering. To read in-depth about Neolithic people in Europe, go to "Neolithic Cultural Revolution."
