Stone age figurines from the Baltic region: toys or sacred objects
ENThe title of this article states the opposition between the sacred and the profane, which refers to the age-old discussion about the function and meaning of Stone Age art objects. In historiography, next to the dominating interpretations of the sacred-magical variety there are also less popular readings arguing for the secular nature of Stone Age art and treating this pre-historical heritage as art for art's sake, as simple decoration or children's toys. The sacred-magical interpretation is widespread within the research into Stone Age art of the Baltic region, and only a couple of scholars have suggested alternative versions. This paper uses Stone Age heritage in the Baltic region and ethnographic studies of Siberian tribes in order to reconsider the function of Stone Age figurines as toys. The following questions have been raised: Why is the play function unacceptable to researchers? Is it theoretically possible? Does ethnographic and archaeological material confirm it? Which figurines could have been toys?.
