Predynastic Egyptian Figurines

Anthropomorphic figurines attributed to fourth millennium bc predynastic Egypt are exceptionally rare. This chapter focuses its attention on the even smaller subset of those representations that can be contextualized archaeologically. This more selective treatment is intended to shift the core of the discussion of these artefacts from the usual focus upon visual representation towards consideration of embodiment and the spaces in which these things were made, encountered, and experienced. In particular, it is argued that figurines were affective devices that elicited emotional attention within ritual practice. Attention is also paid to the broader social and material contexts of predynastic development in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of both the presence and the absence of these figurines.