Figurines of Seated Deities

The figurines are made of marl and depict female figures in static, contemplative poses. The bodies are rendered in a generalized form, while garments and decorative details are carefully emphasized. Folded hands, voluminous skirts, and geometric ornamentation indicate the sacred character of the images.
Scholars associate such figurines with fertility cults and with the protection of the earth and the household. They may have been used in rituals connected to natural cycles and the continuity of life. In the belief systems of the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex, the female deity appears to have occupied a central position.
These images testify to the complex spiritual world of ancient Bactria and Margiana—societies that flourished long before the later classical civilizations of the region. They represent an early expression of divine feminine power embodied in stone.