Illyrian amber figures are a group of small human and animal figures made out of amber. They were made from the start of the Iron Age around 1000 BC, and their production continued down through the millennium. They are found in nearly all of Illyria, from Slovenia in the north, to Albania and North Macedonia in the south. The sites with the most figures found are Ripač in Bosnia (15 figures in total of animals and humans) and Ormož in Slovenia (10 human and 13 animal figures). The purpose of these figures is still a mystery, and they could as well have been Illyrian deities, figures to represent the cult of the dead, or simply children's toys. Amber was a material that Illyrians were very fond of, and many of their jewellery and decorative objects were made of amber.[1]
References
- ↑ Stipčević, Alexander (1989). Iliri: povijest, život, kultura. Zagreb: Školska knjiga. p. . ISBN 9788603991062.