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54 Mustafa Baltić, Neolitske figurine iz zbirke muzeja “Ras”...

Mustafa Baltic
“RAS” Museum
Novi Pazar

NEOLITHIC FIGURINES FROM THE MUSEUM OF
“RAS” COLLECTION IN NOVI PAZAR

Abstract: The topic of the paper is the three figurines of a sacrificial found during
a gas pipe installation from Kopaonik towards Tutin, at the river mouth of the
Tusimska River, at the atar of the village Pozezina, near Novi Pazar.
The figurines belong to the earlier phase of the Vinca Culture, except of one,
being younger one. All these items are found with the ceramic remains and glue,
and it shows to be found inside of houses, being at the river terrace, and they were
probably exposed to a fire, both when t he hoses they derive from. We assume the
houses were a part of a larger settlement that could be connected to other Neo-
lithic locations in Novi Pazar and broader, due to the nearby river watersheds.
The figurines and the sacrificial both belong to the sphere of a spiritual life of the
Neolithic people, and there are general meanings related to the Cult of Great Mot-
her, or a symbolic of vitality and sustainability through a clearly defined femini-
ne attributes and ram’s horns. The figurines removed into the museum context
also gain their esthetic and ethical dimension, where new meanings depend of an
observer, and they do not necessarily need to contain the elements the figurines
had in the Neolithic community they were modeled to. For studying of the items’
context, it is necessary to conduct the archaeological research of the locality.

Key words: figurines, Neolith, Novi Pazar, museum, meanings