The Prehistoric Anthropomorphons Statuette from Čikat on the island of Lošinj

Abstract

The statuette being an accidental find its original archeological context is wholly undefiend. Because of this the interpretation of the statuette is inevitably based on the procedure of iconographically and stylistically analysing it. Attention, is here given to the comparative investigation of the complete earthenware prehistoric anthropomorphic plastic on the eastern Adriatic. This procedure shows that the statuette does not belong to the circle of neolithic plastic from this area. Likewise it is impossible to establish whether it belongs to the Copper or Bronze Age Adriatic cultures. The figurative concept of the statuette from Cikat contains the aspiration after a clearer concreteness of the anthropomorphic complex. This is done iin a fashion atypical for the period prior to the first stabilization of cultures during the Iron age on the Adriatic. Accordingly, the statuette from Cikat most probably belongs to the Iron age culture. It thusly appears as the only heretofore known specimen of earthenware anthropomorphic plastic from this period on Libur- nian territory. At the same time it represents one of the most outstanding specimens from the entire fund of this type of prehistoric plastic on the eastern Adriatic.