74 i Flora Unveiled
Romania, dating from 5000 bce (Figure 4.5A). Another example is from Neolithic Crete,
ca. 5500 bce (Figure 4.5B). The long necks of these figurines have sometimes been inter-
preted as snake symbols connected to the worship of a snake goddess or as a phallic symbol
indicating the figurine’s androgynous nature. When viewed through the eyes of plant biolo-
gists, however, the elongated neck surmounting a swollen base evokes the style of a flower
attached to its ovary, a stem attached to a ripened fruit, or a persistent calyx above a fruit,
such as the pomegranate. A rattle shaped like a figurine evokes both pregnancy and fruit
because of its pistil- like shape and because of the presence of seed- like stones within the
swollen base (Figure 4.5C). The grid pattern around the swollen base of the upper rattle,
which was found in a grave along with painted bowls, could represent a textile pattern,
further associating this object with female activities.
On the island Malta, some 80 km south of Sicily, a thriving Neolithic society existed
from the sixth to the third millennium bce. A characteristic feature of Maltese Neolithic
society was the elaborate construction of megalithic monuments and architecture, includ-
ing cave sanctuaries, tombs, and “temples.” Altogether, about thirty sculptures representing
females have been found, ranging from figurines 20 cm in length, to statues 3 meters in
length. According to Cristina Biaggi, “Some are nude, others clothed; some seated, some
(a)
(b)
Figure 4.2 Possible plant symbolism from European Neolithic. A. Terracotta figurine from
Vinča culture, Jela, Serbia, 5200 bce. B. Bone plate female figurine from Gaban cave, near Trento,
N. Italy, ca. 4800 bce.
From Gimbutas, M. (1991), The Language of the Goddess. Harper San Francisco, p. 103.