Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.15176/vol62no218
Birds of Clay: Rethinking Partridges in Eneolithic Landscapes
Maja Pasarić
; Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb
Sažetak
Eneolithic sites in Croatia have yielded a number of animal figurines manufactured from clay. Among them is the bird-shaped vessel from the Vučedol site, which gained the status of possibly the most famous archaeological artifact from Croatia. This zoomorphic representation inspired different prominent interpretations that elaborated the potential symbolic, religious, and mythological values of the artifact. Drawing on recent contributions that encourage focusing on more-than-human societies and different ways in which people relate to material culture, this paper will attempt to move away from strictly symbolic interpretations of this artifact. By considering potential meeting places of birds and humans, partridges as a species, and clay as the material that frames their figural representation, this paper suggests that the famous bird from Vučedol is not merely a symbol or a vessel for a ritual drink, but could represent a bird that humans interacted with in shared landscapes and one that reminded them of their own connection with the ground.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
341693
URI
Datum izdavanja:
19.12.2025.
Posjeta: 498 *