Marija Gimbutas and the King’s Archaeologist

Naomi R. Goldenberg (Canada)

Abstract

Naomi Goldenberg first met Marija Gimbutas in September of 1972 when she attended the international symposium,“Les Religions de la Prehistoire,” at Capo di Ponte (Brescia), Italy. There, Gimbutas presented a paper on the mythical imagery of the “Figurines of Old Europe (6500-3500 BC).” She illustrated every point with photographs or sketches of the objects, and identified two main classes of female imagery: one was associated with birds, another with snakes. She placed schematic patterns such as meanders, chevrons and triangles in a tradition of representation that showed consistency over time; and she connected these abstractions to basic categories linked to birds, mammals, reptiles, vegetation and water.

After the lecture Goldenberg learned that many of the conference participants did not share her appreciation of Gimbutas’ work. While they all seemed to enjoy her company, they did not take her theories seriously. In fact, they did not discuss her work at all: they simply chuckled about it and dismissed it out of hand.

Decades after that conference, the work of Marija Gimbutas still elicits contradictory reactions: some scholars find Gimbutas’ theories worthwhile and inspiring, while others consider them ludicrous. Goldenberg offers a theory to explain this situation.