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Keller figurine, BBB Motor site.

Where torsos are present, all are depicted with skirts. A headband or more likely a tumpline is depicted on the head of the Sponeman figurine. Both the Sponemann and and Birger pieces appear to have some sort of backback. The Willougby woman is clutching rectangular trays, possibly paint palletes or something like the trays used by historic Native Americans as part of their green corn ceremony .

It is unknown whether or not Mississippians considered maize and squash plants to be of the human-made world per se. Nevertheless, it is clear that maize, like that rendered in the Keller and perhaps the Willoughby figurines, and squash shown on vines on the Birger figurine, reflect the importance Mississippians placed on their agricultural activities.

The same is true of the chert hoe held by the woman in the Birger figurine. Missisippian maize processing is apparently illustrated by what appear to be a metate and mano in front of the woman sitting on ears of maize in the Keller figurine.


Willoughby figurine, Sponemann site.


Sponemann figurine, Sponemann site.
Finally, anatomical detail depicted in the Birger, Sponemann, Willoughby, and West figurines differs from the more generalized treatment of the Keller figurine. All but the Keller woman have intricate facial details and both breasts and nipples are shown on the Sponeman and Birger women.

Renderings of human forms or body parts were likely viewed in two very different ways. The West, Willoughby, Birger, Sponemann, and probably the Keller figurines all seem to represent a mythical earth goddess. These figurines perhaps formed a component of a fertility or earth goddess cult (J.A. Brown 1985; Emerson 1997). The imagery of important tools and common dress suggests that this cult, and thus the art, were accessible to most members of Mississippian Society.

Other depictions of humans, particularly males with elaborate dress and falcon imagery, seem to convey a very different message, speaking to more civic, political, and military aspects of Mississippian life.


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