Northern Negev Desert: Female Figurine

This 12 inch-high figurine depicts a female figure seated on a stool and holding a milk churn on her head. The milk churn is a miniature replica of ceramic churns known from this period. It was found together with several other apparently ritual objects, and that information, combined with the accentuated sexual organs, has led the excavator of the site to suggest that the figure may represent a form of Ashtaroth as the goddess of flocks and milk. Note the decorative red lines that adorn the figure, which are a common feature in many vessels from this age.