425344

The ophidians

Article

Last updated: 04 May 2025

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مقالات متخصصة في الآثار والحضارة والسياحة وترميم الآثار

Abstract

The terracotta figurines are considered some of the most important archaeological evidence, whether in terms of morphological features, the type of material used in their production, or the extent of their spread in a variety of geographical areas. The figurines we are discussing, recognized as the "ophidians", are rare but outstanding models due to their facial and head features. They are considered one of the characteristics of the great and famous Ubaid civilization, which covered larger areas of ancient Mesopotamia. And as such we must discuss the places which speared-in this unique style, as well as the resemblances and differences between each of them, in addition to the significance of its emergence. Introduction:

The term "ophidians" is used for a type of terracotta figurines of the Ubaid civilization. The “ophidian" literally means “like a snake, or in the shape of a snake." it is the long head, tipped nose, coffee-bean eyes, and clay pellets or painted spots on the torso, at times identified as snakes' scales, that obtained the identification as ophidian to these figurines . their snaky naturism as Neumann described them, is assured by an elongated body with angular shoulders and tiny feet mostly ending with a tip, which averts the figurines from standing. the reclining position these figurines thus necessarily adopted confirms their snake-like or reptilian nature.

DOI

10.21608/archmu.2025.188581.1075

Keywords

Terracotta, figurines, ophidians, Reptilian, Ubaid

Authors

First Name

إيناس مصطفى

Last Name

عبد المحسن

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

كلية الأثار - جامعة أسوان

Email

dr.hosny27n@yahoo.com

City

Aswan

Orcid

-

Volume

12

Article Issue

12

Related Issue

49629

Issue Date

2023-03-01

Receive Date

2023-01-20

Publish Date

2023-03-01

Page Start

76

Page End

98

Print ISSN

2535-2377

Online ISSN

2535-1400

Link

https://archmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_425344.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=425344

Order

33

Type

المقالة الأصلية

Type Code

2,209

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

مجلة البحوث والدراسات الاثرية

Publication Link

https://archmu.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

The ophidians

Details

Type

Article

Created At

04 May 2025