THE ANTHROPOMORPHIC PLASTICS OF PETREŞTI CULTURE. NEW DATA

Abstract

The recent discovery of some Petreşti anthropomorphic statuettes allows us to publish them and discuss again the topic of human plastic in the Petresti area, which is so poorly known. The authors proposed a classification of the artefacts, based on individual elements (head, hands, buttocks, legs), a way that allowed to distinguish some details, easily comparable with the plastic of other neighboring cultures. The ornamentation that reproduces in particular, elements of clothing, which allow the partial reconstruction of the port of the era was also part of the study. It should be noted that the study included not only the anthropomorphic statuettes considered Petreşti, but also those attributed to different cultural groups (Foeni, Foeni-Mintia, Hunedoara), which we consider part of the early phase of Petreşti culture (Petreşti A after Iuliu Paul). The lack of new studies regarding the periodization of the culture on stratigraphic bases also reverberates on the chronological classification of plastics, which is why a three-way periodization was chosen (Petreşti A, Petreşti A-B and B respectively). There were found numerous Vinča C heritages in the early stages and specific canons, transferred to the Transylvanian space, where the Petreşti plastic is actually defined. We observe connections with the cultures of Gumelniţa, Precucuteni, Herpály and Suplacu de Barcău, but also Lengyel traditions.