The term bird goddess was coined by

Marija Gimbutas Marija Gimbutas (, ; January 23, 1921 – February 2, 1994) was a Lithuanian archaeology, archaeologist and anthropologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of "Old European Culture, Old Europe" and for her Kurgan ...

with relation to figurines attributed to the Neolithic

Vinca culture ''Vinca'' (; Latin: ''vincire'' "to bind, fetter") is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus ''Catharanthus'' (and with the mollusc ''Common periwinkle, Litt ...

. These figurines show female bodies combined with a bird's head. The interpretation as "

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

" is part of Gimbutas' program of

feminist archaeology Feminist archaeology employs a feminist perspective in interpreting past societies. It often focuses on gender, but also considers gender in tandem with other factors, such as sexuality, race, or class. Feminist archaeology has critiqued the ...

depicting the European Neolithic as a " gynocentric" culture that would be ousted by the "

patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...

" Indo-European cultures with the onset of the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. Griffen (2005) claims to have discovered a sign for the bird goddess in the

Vinča signs Vinča ( sr-cyr, Винча, ) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the municipality of Grocka. Vinča-Belo Brdo, an important archaeological site that gives its name to the Neolithic Vinča culture, is located in the vill ...

Literature

*Gimbutas, Marija and Campbell, Joseph, ''The Language of the Goddess'', Thames & Hudson (2001) Animal goddesses Bird deities Vinča culture Figurines {{paganism-stub

See also

Literature