Statuette with two heads

Kültepe (Turkey) was a major Anatolian site, at the heart of a trade network centred around precious metals and minerals, such as obsidian, that circulated between the Cyclades, Mesopotamia and Iran. It bears witness as well to the beginnings of urbanisation in Anatolia at the start of the 3rd millennium BCE. A number of human statuettes have been found in tombs dug beneath houses, and beneath a central building whose function remains unclear. They have triangular heads, several sometimes as in this case, along with cylindrical necks and disc-shaped bodies. Made from alabaster, and occasionally clay, they are decorated with geometric motifs. These statues probably had a ritual role or were intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Numerous female statuettes have been found on other Anatolian sites from this period, and some are reminiscent of Cycladic idols (Greece).