Neolithic
Of or relating to the last phase of the Stone Age, characterized by the cultivation of grain crops, domestication of animals, settlement of villages, manufacture of pottery and textiles, and use of polished stone implements: thought to have begun c9000-8000 B.C. (Ching, 1995) Photo of the famous Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic baked-clay figurine found in an archaeological site in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Neolithic, dating back to approximately 6000 BCE. It depicts a large, seated female figure on a throne, flanked by two felines, generally identified as lionesses or leopards. The figure is sometimes interpreted as giving birth due to her pose and corpulent form. Photo from Rome, Italy, 2025.