Discovered in 1956, the Thinker of Cernavoda is one of the best known sculptures from the Neolithic era. It is remarkable for being one of the first depictions of a person in a thoughtful pose. Named after a Rodin sculpture, it was found with another similar figurine known as the Sitting Woman from a necropolis near the town of Cernavoda in Romania.
Table of Contents
S1 – Discovery
The Hamangia culture is a late Neolithic culture named after the place where the remains of their people were first unearthed, Baia-Hamangia in Romania. The Hamangia people used to bury their dead in necropolises, often with funerary goods like pots, adornments and figurines. The Thinker of Cernavoda was discovered in 1956 from one such necropolis near the town of Cernavodă in Romania. The statue was found with another similar sculpture which is called the Sitting Woman.
S2 – Description
The Thinker of Cernavoda is 11.5 cm in height and 7.5 cm in width. It depicts a man in deep thought with his hands on his head and his elbows on his knees. Unlike most prehistoric statues, the face depicted is expressive. A slit is used to represent his mouth, his nose is in relief and his eyes are formed with triangular impressions.
The figurine is remarkable for being one of the first known representations of a person in the act of contemplation. It was thus named after a famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin called The Thinker. It is to be noted that its companion piece, the Sitting Woman, may also be interpreted as a woman in a pensive pose.
S3 – Age
Around 5,000 BCE, human communities began settling in the Western Black Sea region. They arrived here after a long journey that started in Anatolia. Archaeologists named these communities Hamangia people after the place where their remains were unearthed for the first time. The Thinker of Cernavoda, created by the Hamagia culture, is considered to be around 7,000 years old.
S4 – Neolithic Art Overview
Main Sources
S1:-
(May 11, 2020). “The History of Romania in One Object: The Thinker and the Sitting Woman”. The Romanian Cultural Institute.
S2:-
Carver-Carter, Ross. (Sep 23, 2021). “The Thinker Of Cernavoda: A Neolithic Masterpiece”. Medium. A Medium Corporation.
S3:-
(May 11, 2020). “The History of Romania in One Object: The Thinker and the Sitting Woman”. The Romanian Cultural Institute.