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Title: Symbolism as Pre-Writing System in Anatolia and Southeast Europe

Symbolism as Pre-Writing System in Anatolia and Southeast Europe

by Sorin Paliga (Volume editor) Lily Bonga (Volume editor)
©2026 Edited Collection XVIII, 260 Pages
History & Political Science
Series: South-East European History, Volume 20

Summary

This volume, the first of its kind, introduces readers to the study of prehistoric symbolism in southeastern Europe. It brings together a range of experts to present case studies, address new data, and critique traditional topics in the literature.
Collectively the authors focus on prehistoric symbolism connected with the pivotal era of human history labelled the Neolithic Revolution, which developed in the ‘fertile crescent’ and spread from Anatolia to southeastern Europe. This process was gradual rather than sudden, developing, spreading and changing sporadically across geographic regions. This volume covers the emergence of symbolism, its first uses as sacral symbolism with and on figurines, tablets, and other artefacts, and its gradual evolution towards pre-writing. It considers and incorporates recent DNA analysis in this context, and addresses themes such as the ‘Mother Goddess’.
This book will be essential reading for those interested in European prehistory and in the emergence of writing systems.

Table Of Contents

  • Cover
  • Half Title
  • South-East European History
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • Foreword
  • 1. Prehistoric symbolism and the Pre-Indo-European heritage (Sorin Paliga)
  • 2. A Neolithic writing in southeastern Europe. An assessment of the research (Marco Merlini)
  • 3. The importance of Burdur and its surroundings in the spread of the Mother Goddess cult (Murat Turgut and Nur Bal)
  • 4. Prehistoric script in the Cyclades in the third millennium BC (Adamantios Sampson and Minas Tsikritsis)
  • 5. Neolithic signs: materialising memory, notation and transmission (Christina Marangou)
  • 6. Prehistoric anthropomorphic vessels and their symbolic messages (Senica Țurcanu)
  • 7. Symbolism of Neo-Eneolithic skeletal finds in Romania (Alexandra Comșa)
  • 8. Through the eyes of the figurines: contemporary legacy of Marija Gimbutas (Franco Enio Todorović and Marcel Burić)
  • 9. Neolithic migrations and their impact on population genetics in the Balkan Peninsula (Mihai Netea)
  • Addenda
  • Glossary
  • Notes on Contributors
  • Index

South-East European History

Edited by Mihai Dragnea

Vol. 20

Piae memoriae Gheorghe Lazarovici (1941–2025)

Contents

  1. List of Figures

  2. List of Tables

  3. Foreword

  4. 1. Prehistoric symbolism and the Pre-Indo-European heritage

    Sorin Paliga

  5. 2. A Neolithic writing in southeastern Europe. An assessment of the research

    Marco Merlini

  6. 3. The importance of Burdur and its surroundings in the spread of the Mother Goddess cult

    Murat Turgut and Nur Bal

  7. 4. Prehistoric script in the Cyclades in the third millennium BC

    Adamantios Sampson and Minas Tsikritsis

  8. 5. Neolithic signs: materialising memory, notation and transmission

    Christina Marangou

  9. 6. Prehistoric anthropomorphic vessels and their symbolic messages

    Senica Țurcanu

  10. 7. Symbolism of Neo-Eneolithic skeletal finds in Romania

    Alexandra Comșa

  11. 8. Through the eyes of the figurines: contemporary legacy of Marija Gimbutas

    Franco Enio Todorović and Marcel Burić

  12. 9. Neolithic migrations and their impact on population genetics in the Balkan Peninsula

    Mihai Netea

  13. Addenda

    A tentative chronology of the main Neolithic cultures

  14. Glossary

  15. Notes on Contributors

  16. Index

List of Figures*

  1. Fig. 1.1. Graphemes inscribed on Turdaș pottery and spindle whorls. Dated ca. 5,000–4,500 BC. Courtesy of The National Museum of Transylvanian History. After Paliga 1993 a.

  2. Fig. 2.1. Haarmann’s repertory of the Old European script: variations of the abstract basic sign X. After Haarmann 1995: fig. 32; Prehistory Knowledge Project online, <http://www.prehistory.it/mappadeisegni1i.htm>, accessed 22 November 2024.

  3. Fig. 2.2. Winn’s inventory of 2004: goddess-identifiers. After Winn 2004 online, <http//www.prehistory.it/ftp/inventory/danube_script/danube_script_01.htm>, accessed 22 November 2024.

  4. Fig. 2.3. Lazarovici’s repertory of sacred signs: gravidity-gestation, mother and child. After Merlini 2009 a: 139 ff.

  5. Fig. 2.4. Merlini’s inventory of the Danube script: the root-sign and its variants from multiplication or application of diacritical markers. After Merlini 2009 a: 454.

  6. Fig. 2.5. Pictographic/ideographic signs depicting items of the material culture (tools, utensils, implements with different functions, vehicles). After Merlini 2009 a: 461–462.

  7. Fig. 2.6. Merlini’s inventory of the Danube script: possible numeric signs. After Merlini 2009 a: 463.

  8. Fig. 2.7. Pattern on the geographical distribution of the Danube script and the Danube civilisation. After Merlini 2010: fig. 2.

  9. Fig. 2.8. Chronological sign distribution of the Danube script. After Merlini 2010: fig. 3.

  10. Map 3.1. The localisation of Kuruçay, Hacılar, Höyücek, Çatalhöyük, Erbaba, Çukurkent and Suberde Mounds.

  11. Fig. 3.1. The Mother goddess figurine from Çatalhöyük (Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Ankara).

  12. Fig. 3.2. Standing mother goddess figurine. Hacılar 5,250–5,000 BC (National Archaeological Museum. Florence).

  13. Fig. 3.3. Höyücek figurines and idols. Sacred Area Period (Duru and Umurtak 2005, Pl. 157).

  14. Fig. 3.4. The group figurines and idols from Höyücek mound (Duru 2016, 146).

  15. Fig. 3.5. Mother goddess figurine from Kuruçay mound (Duru 2016, 152).

  16. Fig. 4.1. Pleistocene and Holocene paleo-climatic diagram.

  17. Fig. 4.2. Symbols in Late Palaeolithic caves of Western Europe (Petzinger 2017).

  18. Fig. 4.3. Neolithic sites in the Balkan area and Ukraine.

  19. Fig. 4.4. The Eleven Vinča symbols.

  20. Fig. 4.5. Astronomical symbols on a clay figurine of cat.

  21. Fig. 4.6. Symbols of Vinča which may indicate houses and which some of them have another symbol may indicate the hearth of the house.

  22. Fig. 4.7. Vinča Symbols designating house spaces.

  23. Fig. 4.8. The Dispilio wooden tablet.

  24. Fig. 4.9. Dispilio. Miniature clay tablet with engraved symbols (Chourmouziadis 2002, fig. 5).

  25. Fig. 4.10. Signs on a Neolithic sherd from Cyclops cave at Youra island.

  26. Fig. 4.11. Incised symbols from the Neolithic settlement of Ftelia on Mykonos.

  27. Fig. 4.12. Mykonos. Signs on a pumice disc.

  28. Fig. 4.13. Bracelets, pendants and beads from Spondylus Gaederopus.

  29. Fig. 4.14. Sarakenos cave. Decorative motives and symbols on matt-painted pottery of the Late Neolithic Ia (5,200–4,800 BC).

  30. Fig. 4.15. Incised symbols at Rivari on Melos (2,500 BC).

  31. Fig. 5.1. LN clay tokens from Eastern and Central Macedonia: a) bottle-shaped’ vase (Dikili Tash), sphere and disc (surface collection); b) fragmentary incised plaque and incised disc (surface collection); c) clay ring, incised disc (Dikili Tash) and conical token/abbreviated figurine (Thermi).

  32. Fig. 5.2. Munich ensemble of baked clay artefacts (selection): a) tallies, b) figurines, c) ‘earplugs’, d) rounded tokens e) coils, and f) rectangular ‘stool-shaped’ tokens.

  33. Fig. 5.3. LN clay artefacts with incised signs from Eastern Macedonia: a) zoomorphic figurine (surface collection); b) anthropomorphic figurine body (surface collection); c) miniature vase (Dikili Tash); d) anthropomorphic figurine head (surface collection) and e) clay spindle whorl with incised signs (Dikili Tash, adapted from Treuil 1992, pl. 155).

  34. Fig. 5.4. a) Cedar artefact from Dispilio (Western Macedonia) just after its discovery (July 1993); b) Incised stone ‘seal’ from LN I Yannitsa (Central Macedonia) (Chrysostomou 2003: 500, fig. 6; reproduced by kind permission of Dr P. Chrysostomou); c) LN clay cylinder from Paradimi (Thrace) with incised both pictographic and abstract signs.

  35. Fig. 6.1. Map of anthropomorphic double-faced vessel discoveries cited in the text. 1, Çatalhöyük; 2, Vinča; 3, Pavlovac; 4, Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2); 5, Bucovăț; 6, Biatorbágy-Tyúberek; 7, Békásmegyer-Gázcsóárok; 8, Alsónyék; 9, Căscioarele; 10, Teiu; 11, Vidra; 12, Pietrele; 13, Țigănești; 14, Ciolăneștii din Deal; 15, Stara Zagora; 16, Voina; 17, Trușești; 18, Drăgușeni; 19, Duruioarea Veche I; 20, Duruitoarea Nouă; 21, Ruginoasa; 22, Bălțați; 23, Brânzeni IV; 24, Ruseștii Noi I; 25, Rădulenii Vechi II; 26, Ștefănești-Stânca Doamnei; 27, Vărvăreuca VIII; 28, Vinnitsa region; 29, Ariușd; 30, Szelevény-Felsőföldek; 31, Odessa region.

  36. Fig. 6.2. 1–3, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, Çatalhöyük; 2, Pavlovac; 3, Vinča. After: 1, Çatalhöyük 2007 archive report. Çatalhöyük research project; 2–3, Schwarzberg 2011.

  37. Fig. 6.3. 1–4, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2); 2–3, Vinča; 4, Bucovăț. After: 1, Ștefan and Petcu 2015; 2, Chapman 2000; 3, Jovanović 1964; 4, Lazarovici, Lazarovici 2006.

  38. Fig. 6.4. 1–3, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, Alsónyék; 2, Békásmegyer-Gázcsóárok; 3, Biatorbágy-Tyúberek. After: 1, Somogyi and Gallina 2013; 2–3, Schwarzberg 2011.

  39. Fig. 6.5. 1–9, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, Țigănești; 2–3, 5–7, Căscioarele; 4, Teiu; 8, Pietrele; 9, Ciolăneștii din Deal. After: 1, 9, Țurcanu 2020; 2–7, Andreescu 2002; 8, Toderaș et al. 2009.

  40. Fig. 6.6. 1–3, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, Voina; 2, Stara Zagora; 3, Ruseștii Noi I. After: 1, Țurcanu 2020; 2, Match 1988; 3, Markevici 1970.

  41. Fig. 6.7. 1–5, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels: 1, 4, Drăgușeni; 2, 5, Trușești; 3, Duruitoarea Nouă. 1, 4, Kovács 2018; 2–3, 5, Țurcanu 2020.

  42. Fig. 6.8. 1–3, 6, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels; 4, double-fronted anthropomorphic vessels (deployed decor); 5, Sumerian cylinder seal depicting a double-fronted character. 1, Ariușd; 2, Ștefănești-Stânca Doamnei; 3, Odessa region; 4, Vinnitsa region; 6, Rădulenii Vechi. After: 1–3, 5–6, Țurcanu 2020; 4, Videiko 2004.

  43. Fig. 7.1. Burial from Izvoarele, Ilfov County, the transition from Boian to Gumelniţa Culture (apud Comşa 1974,, 129, Abb. 7).

  44. Fig. 7.2. Ostrovul Corbului, Eneolithic Burial no. 63 (apud Roman, Dodd-Opriţescu 2008).

  45. Fig. 7.3. Prone skeletons from the necropolis of Cernica (Ilfov county) (apud Comşa and Cantacuzino 2001).

Details

Pages
XVIII, 260
Publication Year
2026
ISBN (PDF)
9783034359146
ISBN (ePUB)
9783034359153
ISBN (Hardcover)
9783034359139
DOI
10.3726/b23753
Language
English
Publication date
2026 (August)
Keywords
Sorin Paliga Lily Bonga Symbolism as Pre-Writing System in Anatolia and Southeast Europe Pre-Indo-European substratum DNA analysis Prehistoric migrations Old Symbols
Published
New York, Berlin, Bruxelles, Chennai, Lausanne, Oxford, 2026. XVIII, 260 pp., 73 b/w ill., 3 tables.
Product Safety
Peter Lang Group AG

Biographical notes

Sorin Paliga (Volume editor) Lily Bonga (Volume editor)

Sorin Paliga graduated from the University of Bucharest in 1980. His research is primarily focused on the cultures and languages of Central Europe, but also on southeast Europe and its fascinating evolution from the Neolithic Revolution down to recent times. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded him its special prize for promoting Czech culture abroad in 2009. Lily Bonga studied at Cornell, Brandeis, and Temple University. She has presented, published, and excavated at several prehistoric sites throughout Greece and specializes in the Neolithic period. Her current independent research is centred on the Early Neolithic period in Western Macedonia.

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Title: Symbolism as Pre-Writing System in Anatolia and Southeast Europe