Fertile Goddesses Unveiled in Haft Tepe

16 October 2005

(CHN) -- Recent excavations in the historical site of Haft Tepe has led to the discovery of three clay statuettes of fertile goddesses.

The clay statuettes are the flourished art of the ancient times and are evidence of religious and social beliefs shown in an artistic way. Studying the discovered items would help understand some of the mental beliefs of the ancestors.

“The latest excavations in the historical site of Haft Tepe led to the discovery of three clay statuettes. These statuettes are fertile goddesses that were used in religious ceremonies by people of ancient Persia,” says Behzad Mofidi, head of the archaeological excavation team in Haft Tepe.

These statuettes were designed according to the beliefs and social traditions of each period during ancient times. Some of them were quiet simple, but some had lots of ornaments. These statuettes have been found in different places and conditions. Some of them were founded in graves and temples, and others in non-religious places. The ones found in temples were offered by prayers for fulfilling their dreams of increasing agricultural crops, fertility of the land, survival of their generations, and for health. Some were also offered to help strengthen relations between the prayer and God.

These statuettes prove that a temple must exist in the region, Mofidi says, “Regarding these statuettes, most probably there must be a 3500-year-old temple in the region, but more archaeological studies are still needed to prove this claim. The futures excavations will answer a lot of questions.”

Within the previous excavations in different parts of the world, thousands of carved statues and statuettes of mother goddesses, naked or sometimes designed in red color have been found, in some of which the mothering characteristics have been shown in exaggeration. These statues picture women while delivering babies. These statuettes are made of clay, or are carved of bones or stones.

According to Mofidi, none of the discovered statuettes are intact, and all are headless.

The historical site of Haft Tepe is located a few kilometers from Tchogha Zanbil (a World Heritage Site), in Khorasan province. The region which is being called Haft Tepe is an Elamite city, which is 400 years older than Tchogha Zanbil, and is one of the most important historical sites of Iran.