Trypillian
culture derives its name from the village of Trypillia in Ukraine
where artifacts of this ancient civilization were first discovered.
Archeological excavations show that as early as 5,000 B.C. these
ancient agrarians settled in the forest steppe in areas of the
upper Dniester river on the west with later settlements found
up to the middle Dnipro on the East.
Trypillian society was matriarchal,
with women heading the household, doing agricultural work, and
manufacturing pottery, textiles and clothing. Hunting, keeping
domestic animals and making tools were the responsibilities
of the men.
It is little wonder then, that the primary
deity of this ancient population was female. The Trypillian
culture developed a rich symbolic system based on their religious
beliefs of the Great Goddess as the powerful giver and regenerator
of life and the wielder of death.
Trypillian pottery contains elaborate
symbolic forms with highly stylized pictures and patterns reflecting
concepts of nature, life and the spiritual world. The tri-color
designs of white, red and black are comprised of lines, spirals,
crosshatched patterns, egg-shaped motifs and other symbols reflecting
their ancient beliefs. |
Territory
of present day Ukraine |
