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The votive figures typically show a pregnant female goddesses or woman either seated or standing, often with a hand resting on her abdomen. These figures were made exclusively from terracotta and are typically small. Figures were often depicted as veiled with braided coiled hair pinned to either side
246:
The terracotta figures have been divided into three different groupings: those made by hand, those thrown on a potter's wheel, and those produced in a mold. The molded figurines had the greatest outside influence from other cultures. These are used to as votive figures in sanctuaries, as funerary
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The exact role in cult and the purpose of the votive figures is unclear. It has been suggested that the figures represent a mother/fertility goddess, sacred prostitutes, or were charms to protect women during pregnancy. Dea
Gravida figures have occasionally been found together with a statue of a
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appearing in the 6th century. Depictions of pregnancy and motherhood were uncommon in Near
Eastern iconography, as fertility was typically indicated by naked female figures holding their breasts. The most numerous and finest come from Phoenician tombs near
269:, "child nurturer"). These figures are typically presented as women or goddesses holding babies in their arms and they were sometimes shown nursing. However, some figures are show both pregnant and carrying a baby. Kourotrophos was also used to describe
496:
Ulbrich, Anja (2016). "Near
Eastern and Egyptian Iconography for the Anthropomorphic Representation of Female Deities in Cypriote Iron Age Sanctuaries". In Thuesen, Ingolf (ed.).
231:. Some of these figures may have had a function as an anatomical teaching model, as some have been found with a square hole in the abdomen where a model fetus was placed.
187:. Some of these figurines are dedicated in Cyprus from the 6th to the 5th century. On Cyprus, large number of figures have only been found in the city-kingdoms of
380:
Ulbrich, Anja (2016). "Multiple
Identities in Cyprus from the 8th to the 5th century BCE: The Epigraphic and Iconographic Evidence from Cypriot Sanctuaries".
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gods and goddesses whose properties included their ability to protect young people. Numerous gods were called by this adjective, including but not limited to
382:
Transformations and Crisis in the
Mediterranean. 'Identity' and Interculturality in the Levant and Phoenician West during the 12th to the 8th centuries BCE
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199:, where Phoenician language and culture was dominate. Within Kition, these figures have been found within two urban sanctuaries and on the acropolis of
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for "pregnant goddess") was either a goddess or representation of mortal women that were associated with procreation and fertility deriving from
131:. They may have together formed a divine couple, however, it is unclear exactly why they were together or who they are supposed to represent.
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culture and spreading within the
Phoenician circle of influence. Although not much is known about the cult surrounding Dea Gravida, votive
565:
Lampsas
Giannis, Dictionary of the Ancient World (Lexiko tou Archaiou Kosmou), Vol. III, Athens, Domi Publications, 1984, p. 247.
138:, a protective Egyptian goddess of pregnancy and childbirth who was represented as a pregnant hippopotamus. It is possible that
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of the head, which has led to misleading descriptions as the figures having a "cobra-hood" or "horns". A variant was found in
100:, a term that has been applied to these types of figures by modern archaeologists, translates to "pregnant goddess." The term
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Images of Woman and Child from the Bronze Age: Reconsidering
Fertility, Maternity, and Gender in the Ancient World
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in the 8th century BCE. and became widespread during the 6th to 4th centuries with the earliest known examples in
616:
468:
Oggiano, Ida (2015). "The question of "plasticity" of ethnic and cultural identity: the case study of
Kharayeb".
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Kourotrophos was a major figure of cult, appearing in sacrifice groups connected with fertility and child care.
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offerings at cemeteries, and sometimes they have been found in the cargo of transport ships.
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was associated with these figures, however, no definite evidence supports this connection.
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Proceedings of the 2nd
International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
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statues have been found throughout the Mediterranean, most notably in Phoenicia and
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500:. Copenhagen, Denmark: University of Bologna & Eisenbrauns. pp. 289–304.
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is a portrait of a pregnant woman with her hand resting on her abdomen.
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442:. Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 124–125, 159.
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is located. A single figure has also been found in a sanctuary in
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A Cypriot Dea Gravida figure circa 8-5th century B.C.E. (
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figures that hold babies and are not visibly pregnant.
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Bulletin d'Archéologie et d'Architecture Libanaises
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261:Dea Gravida is similar to kourotrophos figures. (
110:and is used to describe a woman who is pregnant.
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553:Childbirth Votives and Rituals in Ancient Greece
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154:A seated Cypriot example circa 600–480 B.C.E. (
414:The Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeology
412:Culican, William (1969). "Dea Tyria Gravida".
167:, showing the figure holding a cake offering.
384:. Rome, Italy: CNR Edizioni. pp. 81–98.
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521:Smith, Amy C.; Pickup, Sadie (2010-03-22).
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555:(PhD). University of Cincinnati.
582:from the original on 2019-04-01
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523:Brill's Companion to Aphrodite
352:Budin, Stephanie Lynn (2014).
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607:8th-century BC establishments
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647:Pregnancy in popular culture
251:Difference from kourotrophos
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525:. BRILL. pp. 177–179.
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240:National Museum of Denmark
156:Metropolitan Museum of Art
106:comes from the Latin word
85:. The figure differs from
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127:bearded male wearing an
47:Phoenician Mediterranean
642:Sculptures of goddesses
617:Archaeology of Lebanon
438:Markoe, Glenn (2000).
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632:Terracotta sculptures
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627:Phoenician mythology
551:Wise, Susan (2007).
16:Phoenician figurines
330:Example of a figure
325:External references
215:, the sanctuary of
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217:Eileithyia Inatia
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420:(2): 35–50.
308:Modern uses
267:κουροτρόφος
98:Dea Gravida
63:Dea Gravida
22:Dea Gravida
601:Categories
586:2019-04-01
339:References
299:Eileithyia
129:Atef crown
79:terracotta
75:Phoenician
476:: 507–28.
332:from the
291:Aphrodite
93:Etymology
580:Archived
197:Amathous
193:Lapethos
108:gravidus
637:Astarte
313:Raphael
295:Artemis
229:Corinth
225:Demeter
213:Lakonia
201:Amthous
165:Tripoli
140:Astarte
136:Taweret
103:gravida
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297:, and
287:Hecate
283:Hermes
279:Apollo
275:Athena
209:Chytri
189:Kition
181:Akhziv
176:Cyprus
83:Cyprus
53:Symbol
263:Greek
221:Crete
112:Tyria
71:Latin
527:ISBN
502:ISBN
444:ISBN
386:ISBN
358:ISBN
195:and
185:Tyre
116:Tyre
315:'s
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
