Language Notes
Text: German
Harald Haarmann, Ph.D., has traveled the world studying languages, culture, ancient civilizations, art, the Neolithic era, and whatever else has sparked his intellectual curiosity. In fact, he owns a pair of shoes in which he has stepped on every continent on earth during his research forays.
In an interview in early 2010, this prolific author and inveterate seeker of knowledge explained his fascination with ancient figurines such as the one that appears in his author photo.
"Most people come in contact with figurines in museums where such objects are on display in showcases," he explained. "Sometimes the figurines are integrated with other artifacts in reconstructed scenes of domestic or ritual life in prehistory. But whatever the mode of display, it is artificial and abstract because the figurines are observed out of their true cultural contetxt.
"During my travels, I've sometimes had opportunities to sit with people in traditional cultures for whom figurines are companions in their daily lives. When you see how the natural light of a fire strokes a figurine, then you can see how it lives, and you understand how prehistoric people and those in traditional cultures could/can believe that spirit resides in figurines.
"Such experiences convinced me that a viewer or researcher has to interact with the artifacts that he or she studies in order to avoid treating them like objects. My main concern in Interacting with Figurines was to encourage researchers to learn from them within their cultural context."
While Haarmann ranges through time in his latest book, Interacting with Figurines, his fascination with the Neolithic era is evident. He explains how his passion for the ancient past was awakened on a research trip to Malta in 1986.
"At that time, I was doing research in the history of writing, an interest inspired by my stay in Japan (1982-1985). I became fascinated by the Neolithic era because it is when humans transitioned from hunter/gatherer societies into agrarian cultures. This is when the technology of writing first appeared.
"That visit to Malta, with its megalithic temples and ancient artifacts, inspired me to penetrate ever more deeply into that time period and its civilizations. As a result, I began studying the cultures of Old Europe (ca. 7,000-3,000 BCE), and they became the key to my efforts to gain clarity about the history of early civilizations. Since much of the Neolithic writing that I studied is found on inscribed figurines, this inspired me to look closely at these three-dimensional creations and their cultural meanings.
"Interacting with Figurines is one of those books that was missing when I was a young student. So I hope there are enthusiastic researchers who may profit from my joyful labor."
