https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J05/D/I/0008.htm

Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5.8

Processed on 2024-11-03

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Category 2008-07-16 sNP clay artifact [Input: S716DL1.j]
Best definition 2008-07-16 !! figurine [Input: S716DL1.j]
Best image 2009-10-01 jW [Input: TX01JW.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Definition 2008-07-16 sNP figurine [Input: S716DL1.j]
Description (summary) 2008-07-16 mO It's female human figure in the famous situation (holding her breast), made in mold. There are jeneral lines refer to legs; there is no importance to show the details of the legs part, and we can see the reason, because there is wide lines in the right said of the right leg but we can note the same lines in the another said, the lines meaning there is address cover the lower part of the figure so, the legs sing as lines because it's under the clothes and we can't note its virgin for the same reason. The upper part is magnified, and they are interested with the hands and breast refers to the importance of this area from the female body. The head is broken but its wideness is 2.2cm while the wideness of the shoulder is 4cm so, they gave the head wide area to ad a decoration or signs for jewels or to show the hair details which we see in the observed said. The limitation of the hands showed as remove some of the clay before firing and sure from its shape by incised limit lines. The fist detail isn't clear, because they focused on the breast and the line of the hair isn't straight so, may by there is a fashion. The perimeter of the breast without hands is 6cm and with hand is 10cm,while the perimeter of the waist is 9cm . The high of the upper part is 4cm and the lower part until the point of the broken is 4cm and broken part about 4cm so to be harmonious as it's the high of the head should be 2.5-3cm. The painted decoration in its said similar to the painted decoration in the top of the rim of the khabor period as three lines and also the color of the decoration. [Input: S718MO2.j]
2008-07-16 sNP Broken figurine of a naked woman, holding her breast with both hands. Head and lower part of legs missing. Traces of colour on the sides of her legs. Reverse almost flat: no rendering of the legs, only the arms are shaped. The pubic area is rendered by two obliqual lines engraved, wich give the shape of both vagina and legs. On the upper part of her back an engraved sign, possibly the lower limits of her hairs or traces of a point of attach to a larger object. [Input: S716DL1.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Locus 2008-07-16 mO k34 [Input: T323JW.j]
Relays (applicable to elements) 2008-07-16 mO r104 (##### ##### - ##### / Relay location: center) [Input: S716DL.R]

Contact Association

Roster Date Author Record
Type of contact: contemporary events/movable items 2008-07-16 mO i8 (figurine) sits in f15 (topsoil) [Input: T323JW.j]

Spatial Aggregation

Roster Date Author Record
q-lot with which item is associated 2008-07-16 mO q19 (pottery) [Input: T323JW.j]

Time Sequencing

Roster Date Author Record
Stratum (to which element belongs) 2012-10-16 !! s20J5B [Input: WX16JW.j]
Phase (to which element belongs) 2012-10-16 !! h9mJ5B [Input: WX16JW.j]

4. TYPOLOGY

Measurements

Roster Date Author Record
Height 2008-07-16 sNP 4.41 [Input: S716DL1.j]
Length 2008-07-16 sNP 7.11 [Input: S716DL1.j]
Width 2 or diameter of body 2008-07-16 sNP 2.29 [Input: S716DL1.j]

Items Field Record

Roster Date Author Record
Field definition 2008-07-16 mO figurine [Input: T323JW.j]
Field height 2008-07-16 mO 8.1 [Input: T323JW.j]
Field length 2008-07-16 mO 4.5 [Input: T323JW.j]
Field width 2 2008-07-16 mO 2 [Input: T323JW.j]
Field ware or material 2008-07-16 mO cl [Input: T323JW.j]
Field color 2008-07-16 mO grey [Input: T323JW.j]
Notes on field record 2008-07-16 mO fragment of human figurine (female) standing, without head and feet. [Input: T323JW.j]

Morphology

Roster Date Author Record
Ware or Material, species 2008-07-16 sNP clay [Input: S716DL1.j]
Color 2008-07-16 sNP very pale brown [Input: S716DL1.j]
Color number (Munsell) 2008-07-16 sNP 10YR 8/2 [Input: S716DL1.j]
Condition 2008-07-16 sNP broken [Input: S716DL1.j]
Notes on items 2014-03-30 rAH    There are a number of notable things about this figurine that require extended thought. This description will be summary and perhaps will contribute to later discussion about this object. First, it is not clear that the figurine is naked. The figure is, I believe, clothed. The details of the body are schematic, as if covered, although the pubic triangle is clearly indicated. This is not unusual for figurines of the period. Second, as seen in dorsal view, the figurine bends slightly to the left forming a curved arc. This is an unusual detail. Third, the figurine is not clasping its breasts, but rather may be holding an object of some sort. This may account for the " limitation of the hands showed as remove some of the clay before firing," as noted by the excavator. That is, the hand is perhaps grasping some sort of rod, as a scepter, but not cupping a breast. Fourth, the figurine is painted. There may be indistinct remnants of paint on the back of the object, although this is not clear from the photograph. What is clear, are the thick parallel lines drawn horizontally to the vertical axis of the figure on the sides of the object. There appear to be 4 of them. It is not clear whether these lines cross the object to the other side. As the excavator notes, the approximate Munsell value of these lines would appear to resemble Khabur pigment. It does not appear to be made from a slip of the terracotta itself.
   To venture further than these observations would be risky. First, the quality of the photography is not adequate for interpretation. Secondly, the form of the figurine is anomalous at Urkesh. It is likely to have been imported. The back of the figurine is particularly striking, resembling for all the world some of the "bed" artifacts from Egypt! Why the articulation of the body through the clothing is rendered in this manner is a mystery. [Input: Y401JW.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
Photo of individual elements (studio)

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]

2008-08-19 dM [Input: J05_VWX.j]
Drawing of individual element (studio)

2013-02-08 kF [Input: J05_VWX.j]
View/drawing of item

p2
2009-03-23 jW [Input: T323JW1.j]

Disposition

Roster Date Author Record
Storage 2009-09-25 !! ZSB 001-004 [Input: J05ZSB.j]