Neolithic Terracotta Ritual Idol from Ukraine – Cucuteni-Trypillia Culture (5400–2750 BC)

This ancient terracotta idol was discovered near the village of Budei, Yampil Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast — along the forested terraces above the Dniester River, close to the Moldovan border. The figurine emerged during excavation of a collapsed root cellar on private agricultural land, where layers of dark, ash-rich soil and scattered ceramic shards pointed to a long-forgotten ritual zone.

The idol is molded in a stylized anthropomorphic form, with a smooth surface and faint incised patterns across the chest and base. Scholars believe such figures were used in fertility rites, ancestral worship, or protective household rituals central to the spiritual life of the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture.

A powerful expression of Neolithic belief and artistry, this piece offers a rare, tangible link to early sacred traditions of prehistoric Ukraine.

Specifications:
Type: Ritual idol / symbolic figurine
Culture: Cucuteni-Trypillia
Material: Terracotta (low-fired clay)
Age: Estimated between 5400–2750 BC
Origin: Ukraine – Budei village, Yampil Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast (Upper Dniester River region)
Condition: Used, with visible signs of age and natural surface patina
Color: Multi-tonal natural clay
Unique feature: Unearthed in ash-rich ritual layer
Authenticity: Guaranteed original, not a reproduction