Miniature vessels from the Neolithic site at Čatež-Sredno polje. Were they meant for every day use or for something else?

Abstract

Archaeologists use models based on ethnographic analogy and theory to recreate the meanings of symbols, but rarely can the archaeological data by itself provide us with a story. The extensive excavation at Neolithic Čatež-Sredno polje provided us with new information concerning Neolithic society in the first half of the 5th millennium B.C. in Slovenia. The abundance of pottery finds offered a huge opportunity to explore several aspects of pottery production. In this article a closer look at one group of pottery finds will be presented. A detailed picture of the symbolic aspects of miniature vessels will be presented in terms of their production, use, function, and distribution.

Tracing Pottery-Making Recipes in the Prehistoric Balkans 6th–4th Millennia BC

“…Many miniature vessels, morphologically almost identical to normal-sized ones, have been found in the context of the Kostolac culture, as well as other prehistoric cultures. They could represent toys, perfume oil containers, or perhaps lamps (Tomaž 2005;Balj 2009). These are mostly small pots, either curved or with an S-shaped profile, often with a loop under the rim.…”

Special Ceramic Figurines from the Late Bronze Age Settlement of Baks-Temetőpart

“…74 While this practice is more common in the Neolithic (e.g., Tomaz 2005), it should also be considered an option in the Bronze Age. As only one miniature vessel came from the pit containing the largest number of special finds (O11/S13), it could have also had some special meaning or function.…”