Seated Goddess of Catalhoyuk Painting

Seated Goddess of Catalhoyuk - excavated by archaeologist James Mellaart in 1961. She is estimated to date from approximately 6000 BCE. Mellaart writes that during that time, "Art makes its appearance in the form of animal carvings and statuettes of the supreme diety, the Mother Goddess." This statue is sometimes identified as Cybele or Kybele, a Great Mother Goddess who would later be adopted by the Romans. The animals at the sides of her throne are thought to be leopards or lionesses. Goddess figurines at Catalhoyuk were found by Mellaart near areas he believed to be shrines, and also in grain storage areas - which is where this Goddess was found, suggesting a role in ensuring the harvest or protecting the food supply.