Ancient and unprecedented artwork showing a woman in childbirth is found by blind archaeologist

reply to post by DaRAGE


Or someone going to the toilet and reaching for a leaf??

reply to post by Shane

The incredible images were on a small fragment from a ceramic vessel dating back to around 600 BC, and show the head and shoulders of a baby emerging from a mother, believed to be a goddess.

Why does it always have to be a godess? Why can't it just be a normal woman giving birth? It's always a friggin godess!!!

reply to post by Wide-Eyes







Aren't ALL women goddesses?? .......

reply to post by eletheia


Yep they are

We all think the tptb are men, more like the men are puppets of women. I know my wife rules our roost

reply to post by eletheia


No only a few.

Looks like an ant. Maybe the people back then were visited by Aliens and they were ant people.

reply to post by D1Useek


Yes, I was thinking the same thing. So, then it may be a goddess giving birth to Earth and the Moon???

EDIT: I guess not because it looks like an arm is jutting out.

reply to post by Wide-Eyes


I think the premises is Goddess, due to the Objects found in the area that the depiction was located in.

There was a Link to a Home they have located on one of the Sites, and I would post it if I could, but alas, I am not quite that upto speed on how.

The best I can do is offer the Link to the Video itself. It's just over 2 minutes long.

Etruscan Home

Now if this was where the Item was found, I would think the detail of WHO it maybe, would be questioned (Human? vs Goddess?) further.

I hope that helps to answer your query.

Ciao

Shane

Okay, a couple of things in response to some of the posts. Childbirth and/or pregnant women are fairly common in the archaeological record..as are other depictions of motherhood and maternity..look harder because fertility is a major subtext of many ancient artifacts and even some of the oldest known. I guess I haven't seen one exactly like this. But it's hardly "unprecedented".

Also, just because the archaeologist is blind doesn't mean he can't be a successful archaeologist. He's certainly not out there by himself. He's probably coordinating the dig and cataloging the artifactual findings. He would also be interpreting the context and association of the findings. His brain still works even if he can't see so well. What a really stupid question to ask.

I agree with the poster who mentioned that all depictions of women are not goddesses..as do many archaeologists. From the writer's point of view..don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. Many archaeologists realize that much ancient artwork are depictions of daily life and goddesses are not always involved. It is difficult to get inside the mind of the craftsman and artists from the material past. Speculation is done very carefully with context in consideration.

Edit: By the way, my avatar is the "pashupati" seal found at Mohenjo-Daro. It is believed to be a depiction of proto-Hindu Shiva. Others say it's just a man sitting in meditation. Still others say it's someone sitting with some animals. Is it a god or just some guy relaxing? See how difficult and fascinating archaeological interpretation can be?

That's funny, I thought she was laying on a mattress lol. Made of animal hides, with the stitching visible around the outside, possibly made of vines? No stitching on the bottom because that's where they stuff the mattress with feathers, or grass, so its attached a different way, possibly rolled up like the end of a toothpaste tube, or maybe tucked under the mattress? If its not then what are the the "stitch" marks? Leaves, of a tree? What tree makes a rectangle arch shape and goes back down into the ground? What other ideas are there for what it could be?

Originally posted by kosmicjack. I'm quite sure our ancestors could teach us a thing or two about doing it more user friendly for mommy and baby.

Really? Mortality rates would have been horrendous compared to today (at least in wealthy countries), and the mother dying during childbirth wouldn't have been the rare occurrence it is today. I seriously doubt "daddy" (or any other men) would have been anywhere to be seen.

Originally posted by FatherLukeDuke

Originally posted by kosmicjack. I'm quite sure our ancestors could teach us a thing or two about doing it more user friendly for mommy and baby.

I seriously doubt "daddy" (or any other men) would have been anywhere to be seen.

Just because your father wasnt around in your life doesnt mean men are like that. But whatever it takes for you to cope.

reply to post by Shadow Herder


Oh poor SH trying to be insulting, to bad it failed because I suspect that the Father meant that there were no men attending the actual birth, a tradition in most cultures until the 18th century rise of the male 'doctor' changed that. Until then the midwife ruled the roost with occassional outside help from males not related to the mother, with exceptions of course.

Originally posted by eletheia
reply to post by Wide-Eyes

 

Aren't ALL women goddesses??

.......

That would make all men..GODS!

Yup, I kinda like that.

Peace

Originally posted by HomeBrew
What are the odds it would represent a breech baby also...?

Unless I'm seeing it wrong?

edit on 23-6-2012 by HomeBrew because: (no reason given)

What is breech position?
During most of pregnancy, there is enough room in the uterus for the baby (fetus) to change position. By 36 weeks of pregnancy, most babies turn into a head-down position. This is the normal and safest fetal position for birth. But in about 4 out of 100 births, the baby does not naturally turn head-down late in the pregnancy. Instead, the baby is in a breech position.1 Babies in breech position usually must be delivered by C-section.

Source.

In a breech birth, the baby's head is the last part of its body to emerge making it more difficult to ease it through the birth canal. Sometimes forceps are used to guide the baby's head out of the birth canal. Another potential problem is cord prolapse. In this situation the umbilical cord is squeezed as the baby moves toward the birth canal, thus slowing the baby's supply of oxygen and blood.

Source.

I'm having problems with it representing a birth. As noted above, breech birth's are rare, and if this is depicting a birth, this is definitely breech.

My second problem is a lack of mammaries. Depictions of breasts on female carvings differentiated gender.





I wonder why there are no breasts on this engraving?

reply to post by Shane


Just a comment, the person who made this fine find is not blind they are legally blind, somewhat of a difference. I believe that means their vision cannot be corrected to 20/200, they cannot drive a vehicle etc but they should be able to make out stuff close up

Nice piece of art!

WOW
The article said
"The image also gives clues about the role of women in that society."
NO POOP SHERLOCK!!!

Just because someone is blind, doesn't mean they can't find and or create incredible things that even people who can see, can't even accomplish sometimes:

Etruscia is fascinating. Thanks for the link.

This depiction of childbirth is found worldwide, and is of course completely at odds with modern childbirth techniques . Modern childbirth of laying back with your ankles up was the fetish of a king who liked watching women give birth.

Now it would be interesting to know if this relief is a Goddess.

Tlazolteotl




Kali

Originally posted by kosmicjack
reply to post by jude11

 

Hey, people pay good money at birthing centers to do just that because hospitals are so counterintuitive to actually giving birth. I'm quite sure our ancestors could teach us a thing or two about doing it more user friendly for mommy and baby.

Yep. How they have you lie on your back on those stupid beds is probably the MOST counter intuitive ways to give birth. Would you lie on your back to have a bowel movement? Of course not... Squatting really seems like the best way to give birth....uses the natural force of gravity to give the woman all the help she can get. Wish I could have done it that way!

Silly hospitals.