Plant-Female Iconography in Neolithic Europe

A strong symbolic association between plants and female imagery emerged during the Neolithic transition to agriculture, evident from anthropomorphic figurines across Europe. This link, marked by cereal grain eyes and plant motifs on figurines, tracked the spread of farming into Europe. Notably, megalithic-era symbols in Malta, including engravings on a monumental woman statue at Tarxian temple, reinforce this continuity, spanning from the Neolithic period through the Chalcolithic era and into stratified Bronze Age societies. The study highlights the persistence of plant-female iconography, reflecting deeper cultural and agricultural shifts during Europe's secondary products revolution.

Taiz, L., & Taiz, L. (2018). Plant-Female Iconography in Neolithic Europe. In (Editor), Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190490263.003.0004