Anthropomorphic Stele
Artist: Unknown
Fourth Millennium BCE(4000-3000 B.C.E)
The free standing stele sculpture is three feet high and made of sandstone. In this sculpture, there is a particular emphasis on the face, chest, and waist. The trapezoidal head rests on its square head. The small closely-spaced eyes, long thin nose give the sculpture its human-like qualities. On the torso, there is awl (small pointed tool) along with two cords crossing diagonally across the body. The stele was primarily used as grave marker in an open sanctuary, likely associated with religious and burial practices that pre-date Islamic Arabia since human-like art was uncommon after the dawn of Islam. The stele could’ve also been used for dedication, commemoration, and demarcation.
Archaeologists have found these stele sculptures all around the Arabian Peninsula and this has helped provide insight of life in the Arabian world, during the Neolithic Period, a period in which before the discovery of the stele was thought to not contain human life. But now through the evidence of the stylistic influence, scientists are able to confirm that during the Neolithic Period, many objects were circulated and exchange across wide-ranges of this territory.
Citations:
“Anthropomorphic stele.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap/paleolithic-mesolithic-neolithic/a/anthropomorphic-stele. Accessed 29 Sept. 2017.
“Roads of Arabia.” Nelson Atkins, nelson-atkins.org/events/roads-of-arabia/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2017.