Tonfigurinen als Marker von Kulturkontakt: ein Fallbeispiel

Abstract

Summary As a key feature of contact between major cities (‘Amman, Tell el-Far‘ah North, Tel Reḥov), three mould-links among the corpus of the female terracotta figurines from the Southern Levant contribute to the understanding of cultural exchange slightly before or at an early stage in the development of distinct political identities in the area (10th/9th century BCE). The existence of several mould-links on the Jordanian high plateau, in the Jordan valley and in the Samarian highlands, respectively, reveals a common interest in the use of such figurines. Against the background of some reminiscences in the biblical tradition, the mouldlinks and especially the modified drummer figurines from the same area testify to elements of ancient transregional votive traditions. The replacement of the drum on these figurines by a baby or the attachment of a baby to the drum provide valuable insight into the function of the female figurines at that time. Further research needs to be done on the use of these figurines...