The LithicLair: Neolithic LairShop

For some years now, I have been studying the ceramic art, and other aspects of the culture, of Neolithic Europe. This is the period of approximately 6000 B.C.E. through c. 2500 B.C.E., from the time of the emergence of agriculture in Europe through the first series of invasions by Indo-European pastoralists who originated in the region between Central Asia and the steppelands of what is now eastern Ukraine. Having discovered how to bake clay into usable containers and structures sometime in the late 6th millennium B.C.E., indigenous Europeans went completely nuts with the stuff, and made practically everything, from cups to two-story houses, out of clay. It was not long before they began engraving and painting beautiful decorative designs on many thousands of these creations.

I have been especially drawn to the dynamic ceramic art of Neolithic Eastern Europe, with its motifs and themes of constant movement and cyclical energy. Beginning around 1999, I began making ornaments out of Sculpey polymer clay on which I inscribed Neolithic artistic motifs and symbols. The odd thing is, I would start out intending to create a design or group of motifs a certain way; and the design would seemingly take on a life of its own, turning out very nicely but markedly different than what I had originally intended. Who knows what besides the natural dynamism of this art tradition triggered that effect?

Since I don't mass-produce these ornaments, I decided to scan them and upload them here and there in order to share them with the rest of the world. Each ornament is one of a kind; I scan each one at least once, and then put the image on Photoshop to create a background.

NEW LAIRSHOP UPDATE: The expansion of The LithicLair: Neolithic LairShop into a Premium Cafepress store is now complete!! With new and adapted designs featured on everything from teeshirts to mousepads to iPhone cases, we couldn't be prouder to announce its Grand Re-Opening! So hop on over to the LithicLair today and check out our lovely Neolithic-inspired emporium!

Also, framed versions of the LithicLair images are available for purchase at LithicStock, my Imagekind gallery. On top of that, I've just finished a new Neolithic-inspired digital image, using naturalistic features like the trunk of a tree; and featuring much use of Old European/Classical Cypriot script characters! Look for the new image to appear in LithicStock and The LithicLair shortly!