Kasnoneolitske figurine kao izraz društvene nejednakosti
Late Neolithic Figurines as an Expression of Social Inequality

Summary/Abstract: Building upon the idea of Douglass Bailey that prehistoric figurines representactual individuals, it is suggested here that their makers represented peoplein the manner they perceived them, following the role models familiar fromtheir own society. This further implies that, on the grounds of certain indicators,it may be possible to identify social differences depending on the age,sex/gender, and possibly other modes of inequality. An attempt is made hereto define the criteria identifying the markers – indicators of inequality, such as:representations of hair style and jewellery, size of figurines, as well as the correlationbetween these indicators and the details on the figurines’ bodies pointingto their sex/gender or age. In the assemblage from the site Pavlovac-Čukar, thecorrelation has been established between the representations ascribed as maleand massive bangle bracelets and belts, indicating that adult male individuals ofhigher status were marked out by the number of bangles and the way of wearingthe belt. A similar suggestion is proposed concerning the large-size figurines,marked with incisions perhaps representing tattoo marks, with looser breasts,indicating the possibility that older women obtained higher social status thanthe young ones. It is worth noting that in the case of the Vinča figurines littleattention is paid to the representation of hair style, although it has been establishedthat in the preindustrial societies, hair is an important indicator of socialstatus, even more than jewellery. Hair length, specific hair styles, as well asvarious ornaments placed here, indicate sex/gender and social differences, variousgroup and individual identities, as well as aesthetic ideas. Two heads fromČukar, as well as the one from Predionica, perform specific hair styles – hairshorter, reaching just below ears, and the crown is shaven. Bearing in mind thatthese figurines may show portrait characteristics, it may be suggested that theseindividuals may have achieved higher social status.

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