Idol with angular skull of the Cyclades
A work of art by a contemporary artist? Misconception, a prehistoric
The sculptor created this seemingly modern idol around 2,800 years B.C. It therefore dates back to the time when Ötzi roamed the Alps with his bronze axe.
Cyclade idols originate from the independent culture that had developed on the Cyclades in the Aegean. This epoch covered the period from 3,000 BC to 1,100 BC.
Head replica in original size, exhibit of the National Archaeological Museum Athens
The idol, originating from the Greek eidolon, "picture", is a more or less worked, not always fully figuratively formed object of animal and human impressions made of stone, bone, clay and other material. The idol was regarded as a bearer of protective power, which was worshipped as such. As the earliest objectification of magical-religious worship, idols have been proven since the later Paleolithic Age.
