A Decorated Bone 'Spatula' from Göbekli Tepe. On the Pitfalls of Iconographic Interpretations of Early Neolithic Art

A decorated bone 'spatula' discovered at Göbekli Tepe in 2011 carries a partially preserved carved depiction featuring two hatched T-shaped forms, one of which is completely intact. This finding initially suggested an iconographic link to the site's iconic T-shaped pillars, a prominent architectural feature. However, the study cautions against overinterpreting such associations due to the fragmentary nature of the artifact and the limitations of early Neolithic art analysis. The research examines the pitfalls of drawing direct parallels between small-scale artifacts and large-scale structures in prehistoric iconography.

Dietrich, O., & Notroff, J. (2017). A Decorated Bone 'Spatula' from Göbekli Tepe. On the Pitfalls of Iconographic Interpretations of Early Neolithic Art. Unknown. https://doi.org/10.17613/M6M662