Publication details
Born to be broken? Deliberate fragmentation and its pattern and mechanics in the case of Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines from the settlement site Těšeetice-Kyjovice – Sutny (South Moravia, Lengyel culture, 4800–4500 BCE)
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE: REPORTS |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | stránka časopisu s plným textem |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105928 |
| Keywords | Neolithic; Figurines; 3D and microscopy; deliberate fragmentation; experiment |
| Description | Anthropomorphic figurines represent one of the typical characteristics of Neolithic cultures in Europe and the Near East. In attempting to identify the purpose of their manufacturing and use, scholars also pay attention to the figurines’ fragmentation. Analysis of the largest known collection of figurines from the Lengyel culture, found in Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny and comprising 378 fragments, was based on a set of methods that enable us to overcome the main gaps in fragmentation studies. All fractures were subjected to comprehensive 3D and microscopic analysis. Particular patterns of breakage were analysed considering the inner structure and shaping strategies previously revealed by micro-CT, and these patterns were tested in a fragmentation experiment. Results suggest that the fragmentation of figurines at the studied site was deliberate, carried out individually with various types of tools, and following certain communally shared patterns. Given the spatial data and careful petrographic verification of all refits, further details of fragmentation activity were revealed. |
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