A DIFFERENT APPROACH OF THE CUCUTENI WOMAN ( Meditative essay- para-archaeological and para-medical)
By Dr. Romeo Dumitrescu M.D. We have been wondering for centuries about the woman’s role, and we could be writing tomes on the topic. The Mystery Woman Salvator Dali
The Deity Woman The Saint Woman Botticelli The Icon
In the modern world the woman occupies different positions: secretary, model, worker, sportif, mother.
What was the woman in Cucuteni culture: Deity? Priestess? Clan ruler? Cook? Warrior? Mother?
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First of all, one must wonder, why so many female representations in Cucuteni culture. If one is to draft a statistical report, one would find 1 male statue in 50 female representations.
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Based on this proportion, it is easy to fall into a trap. Today in the Orthodox churches we find more angels then representations of Christ, The Virgin, or God. The most important are the least represented!
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Over the centuries, the woman’s role encountered major transformations in graphic representation in the pantheon, or in the decorative style of an epoch, and as percentage in different human activities, according to religious canon, tradition, society. Today, it is unlikely to open a book, newspaper, magazine, without having female representations (images).
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Was this statues only the toys for children ?
Why in Cucuteni as well? The report of 50 female representations to 1 male representation, should make us wonder! Why so many female statues? Why so many small chairs? Why are they found both inside and outside dwellings? Why most of them are broken, and only rarely can be found in one piece? Why is the woman’s representation so schematic for the rest of her body, and so descriptive regarding the sexual features (the pubic triangle, the breasts, the hips and the bottom), while there is a total overlooking of the rest of the female body?
As an unexpected present from the Poduri- Dealul lui Ghindaru- Prof. Monah, and from Isaiia- Blata PopiiProf, Ursulescu and Arch. Merlan Vicu, 2 villages approximately 200 km away from each other, 2 “boxes” with 21 female statues and 13 chairs with different signs were discovered. Similar discoveries were made at Sabatinovka and Ofcearovo. But the most relevant discoveries are the ones from Poduri and Isaiia (Romania).
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Other questions arise: why 21 female statues? Why 13 chairs? Why do we find 21 cones and 42 small balls at Isaiia? Why aren’t the statues identical as décor and dimensions? Why do some of them have breasts while others do not?
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Why do some chairs have different signs, and these in their turn come in different dimensions?
Why are the sexual features most extensively described (breasts, pubic features). Why do 7 of these have breasts? While at “Moinesti” site 10 statues have breasts. Why do 3 of them have their belly doted with spots? Why do 4 of them have their legs opened and with spots or incisions on thighs and shanks?
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Nevertheless, it is for the first time that female statues are gathered together with the cones, small balls and chairs, in a box (Moinesti and Isaiia discoveries). We can easily assume that cones and small balls stand for phallic representations. Still, we are left with the chairs and the statues ?
Chairs day 1
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Chair day 13
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I have pondered over my Gynaecology courses from university and read a lot on this issue, and I consequently dare to examine these archaeological discoveries with a doctor’s eye. I would start with a brief lesson of physiology. Medical books say about the woman’s period that it lasts between 21-35 days, during which time the mucous develops and retracts, and then is eliminated for 3 to 5 days (all these events unfold during 21 to 35 days). This is due to certain hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and the luthein hormone. Medical books also say that today the 21 days period is seldom met (especially in Guyana, Central Africa, and isolated populations from mountain areas). This type of period is genetically inherited (a mother with a 21 days period, a daughter with a 21 days period, and the ultra-fertile phase, is between the 13-15 days). This is a schemata of the 21 days period.
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21 day cycle
For a didactical reason, I have attributed each day a statue and a chair. Arranged according to this period calendar, I am suggesting the following groups: - 4 statues with open legs - 9 simples statues with chairs - 7 statues with breasts - 3 statues with incisions on the abdomen, of which 2 belong to the 7 with breasts. I would try to order the statues with opened legs. First, these might describe menstruation (incisions or colour on thighs and shanks). Furthermore, at the statues from Moinesti, even the clothing décor is different at the 4 or 5 statues. I would place on the next 9 chairs the statues without breasts, and finally, the statues with breasts.
Statue no. XIII had an incision on the abdomen and the chair on which the woman is sitting has on the upper side, a sign of the pubic triangle. The next 7 statues have breasts and the first 2 have abdomen incisions. The last statue is extremely small, very much like an embryonic structure.
If I were to overlap the scientific schemata of a monthly period, we might find a somewhat “logical” explanation. Thus, the final arrangement would be the following: the first 4 with opened legs would correspond to the menstrual period. Here we have a chair which is different from all others: the upper side of the chair is a dotted spiral, while the lower side is a XIX design, which is to be found on the upper side of another chair, discovered by chance at Moinesti, which might signify an interdiction. In the Bible we have an absolute interdiction to have sex during this period, followed by a period of non-cleanliness, which could correspond to the next statues.
CONCLUSIONS My medical opinion is the following: 1. In a period when might resides in number, Pre-cucuteni and Cucuteni civilization needed children 2. This assembly of statues represents a schemata of the fertile female period/ cycle. 3. Probably, each young couple received as a gift this “fertility kit” upon getting married. 4. By comparing the menstrual cycle predominant today, of 28 days, with the Cucuteni one, of 21 days, it is likely that Cucuteni’s fertility range was 30% bigger than ours (until the emergence of modern contraception we have today). This might explain the initial demographic explosion in Pre-cucuteni and Cucuteni. 5. Probably, upon menopause or upon the woman’ death, these “fertility kits” were thrown away, and the statues broken in a ritual fashion. 6. I am giving my opinion based on the presence of cones, phalluses corresponding to the 21 statues, and on the signs from the chairs, as well as on the focus on female genitals, and I therefore conclude that these “kits” are a metaphor of sexuality and conception. 7. Even if they lived 6000 years ago, we could joke and say, just as Les Gauloises :”Ils sont pas fous les Cucuteniens!”
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MEDITATION If 3000 years from now, our houses would be researched by an archaeologist, he is likely to find an album with photos of our beloved wife or girlfriend, a package with 21 pills, a condoms box and a pregnancy test, and they will wonder why so many female images in the photo album, why 21 small spheres, and wonder on the use of the other objects, and why our civilization has perished ? Are these cult objects, idols, matriarchy symbols, and why 21 pink small balls ?
All we can do, is to sit and ponder over the world, just as they did, and just as the Tarpesti thinker did 6000 years ago.
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Technical and artistic adviser - A. Pavlu, G. Simon, F. Ionita