What a woman! Gender Identity in the Clay Votive Plaques of Hirbemerdon Tepe during the Early Second Millennium BC

The study of women’s roles in ancient societies has become a pivotal field for the introduction of innovative perspectives that can assist in identifying the relationship between gender representation and ancient material culture, as well the interpretation of gender differences emerging from archaeological, artistic and textual data. The development of this area of study also responds to the need for deeper investigations into the role played by women in ancient societies, a subject that until recently was mostly overlooked by the predominately male scholars mainly focused on the study of ancient male individuals. Regarding Near Eastern studies, the last 10 to 15 years have seen an increasing interest in a more thorough investigation of the role of women in ancient Near Ea- stern societies.1 The work of Frances Pinnock stands out as particularly important for its investigations into the role of women in public vs. private domains in an- cient Mesopotamian societies.2 Pinnock’s research combines anthropological and art historical approaches and is rooted in the art historical tradition of the Roman school of ancient Near Eastern history brilliantly led by Paolo Matthiae. In support of the case study investigated in this contribution, a brief intro- duction will first review the concept of gender studies as applied to ancient Near Eastern societies, with particular attention given to the work of Frances Pinnock. This will be followed by the presentation of the clay votive plaques excavated at the early second millennium BCE architectural complex of Hirbemerdon Tepe in southeastern Turkey that may show gender differentiation in the depiction of the central anthropomorphic figure, which can consist of either a stylized stick figure, believed to represent a male, or a standing, frontally viewed, and clearly female nude figurine.