Dama del Cerro de los Santos
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The Dama del Cerro de los Santos is an Iberian woman statue from the 3rd century BC. Chr .; it is now - together with the Dama de Elche , the Dama de Baza and other works of Iberian art - in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional de España in the Spanish capital, Madrid .
Discovery story
The statue of a woman made from a limestone block was discovered around the middle of the 19th century in a former sanctuary on Cerro de los Santos, approx. 3 km southeast of the approx. 810 m high village of Montealegre del Castillo in the southeast of the Albacete province . In 1960 excavations took place there again, which, to the surprise of archaeologists, uncovered other finds that are now in the Museo de Albacete .
description
The almost symmetrical, approximately 1.35 m high standing woman statue is richly draped and decorated; in front of her lap she holds a vase between both hands in a kind of sacrificial pose. The head with wide open eyes is raised; the drooping hair is lavishly styled and only covered on the back. The earrings are similar to that of the Dama de Elche . In front of her breast she wears a pectoral , from which three cord-like braided decorative strands are particularly emphasized. The robe consists of a floor-length coat, two wrap-like dresses, which are held together by belt sashes at waist level, and a pleated undergarment. The back of the figure is only smoothed, so that it is not to be assumed that it is outlined.
interpretation
The Dama del Cerro de los Santos differs from the other previously known female figures of Iberian art in her standing posture, her largely uncovered head and her sacrificial gesture. The statue could be a portrait of a real woman - perhaps a tribal leader or priest queen; however, a figure from the Iberian religious imagination is just as conceivable.
See also
Web links
- Dama del Cerro de los Santos - Photos + information on the website of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Spanish)
- Dama del Cerro de los Santos - Photos + Info (Spanish)