Thoughts upon a Neolithic Cave Painting of Childbirth in Anatolia and its implications

Abstract

The subjects of the Late Neolithic cave paintings in İnkaya Cave, Balıkesir are life and death. It is seen that the panels representing Life are based on the formation of a fetus inside a pregnant woman’s abdomen, its development then birth, and the celebration of a new individual joining the community, alongside an emphasis on the shaman’s function throughout this process. Similar subjects in the Neolithic Age in Anatolia are presented to the viewer from different perspectives in cave paintings, reliefs and figurines showing scenes that depict sexuality, pregnant women, and childbirth. The successful use of the “X-ray” style in the creation of the İnkaya Cave painting in the Neolithic period fills a gap in the history of Anatolian painting and sculpture.