a lapis lazuli female statuette “la déesse-mére” from the jiroft civilization, south-east iran (3rd millennium bce)

South-east iran is a region of great archaeological significance, with diverse physical landscapes and a rich urban phase in the third millennium bce. recent archaeological discoveries in the halil rud valley (kerman province, iran) brought to light a hitherto unknown civilization, the so-called “jiroft or halil rud civilization” which generally dates to the third millennium bce. as a result of the early 2000s’s widespread looting in this region, numerous sites were plundered and severely damaged and thousands of the burial goods ended up on the black market. although illegal digs in the region have been halted, there are still countless ancient objects in the hands of local people far more than those confiscated. the present paper deals with one of these finds from the jiroft civilization. it presents a small bronze age object; a semi-precious stone statuette at present in the property of a villager living in the surroundings of jiroft. the statuette comes from illegal excavations in the halil rud valley (southern kerman, iran) and represents a standing female personage. although the discovery lot of the statuette is unclear, but it probably comes from the plundered cemetery of mahtotabad (second half of the third millennium bce), pertaining to the urban center of konar sandal. it is made of lapis lazuli, a rock notoriously imported from afghanistan, but the evidence indicates that it was manufactured in the jiroft area. this early bronze age statuette is discussed with synoptic reviews of other female sculptures in coeval ancient mesopotamia, elam and egypt. presenting the uncommon iconography of a breastfeeding female, or mother goddess, the statuette hints to an important religious identity, possibly materializing the symbolic role of breast feeding in the adoption of deified kings by goddesses.

a lapis lazuli female statuette “la déesse-mére” from the jiroft civilization, south-east iran (3rd millennium bce)

south-east iran is a region of great archaeological significance, with diverse physical landscapes and a rich urban phase in the third millennium bce. recent archaeological discoveries in the halil rud valley (kerman province, iran) brought to light a hitherto unknown civilization, the so-called “jiroft or halil rud civilization” which generally dates to the third millennium bce. as a result of the early 2000s’s widespread looting in this region, numerous sites were plundered and severely damaged and thousands of the burial goods ended up on the black market. although illegal digs in the region have been halted, there are still countless ancient objects in the hands of local people far more than those confiscated. the present paper deals with one of these finds from the jiroft civilization. it presents a small bronze age object; a semi-precious stone statuette at present in the property of a villager living in the surroundings of jiroft. the statuette comes from illegal excavations in the halil rud valley (southern kerman, iran) and represents a standing female personage. although the discovery lot of the statuette is unclear, but it probably comes from the plundered cemetery of mahtotabad (second half of the third millennium bce), pertaining to the urban center of konar sandal. it is made of lapis lazuli, a rock notoriously imported from afghanistan, but the evidence indicates that it was manufactured in the jiroft area. this early bronze age statuette is discussed with synoptic reviews of other female sculptures in coeval ancient mesopotamia, elam and egypt. presenting the uncommon iconography of a breastfeeding female, or mother goddess, the statuette hints to an important religious identity, possibly materializing the symbolic role of breast feeding in the adoption of deified kings by goddesses.