Archaeologists have discovered a 6,500-year-old female figurine on the first day of a new excavation campaign in Transylvania, Romania. The small clay artifact belongs to the Cucuteni culture, a prehistoric civilization known for its elaborate pottery and skilled craftsmanship.
The discovery was made at the Dâmbul Cetății archaeological site near Șoimeni village in Harghita County. Researchers date the figurine to between 4500 and 4050 B.C., placing it in the Copper Age, also known as the Chalcolithic period.
Ancient female figurine reveals Cucuteni craftsmanship
Archaeologists said the figurine was made from two separate pieces of clay joined together before firing. Over thousands of years, environmental conditions caused the object to crack along the seam connecting the two sections. The Cucuteni culture flourished across parts of present-day Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Its communities developed sophisticated pottery-making techniques and produced decorated vessels and human-shaped figurines. The wider Cucuteni-Trypillia culture also built some of prehistoric Europe’s largest settlements, with thousands of homes arranged across extensive areas.
The newly discovered figurine offers another example of these artistic traditions. Although archaeologists describe it as a female idol, its original purpose remains unclear. Researchers have not established whether it served a religious, symbolic, or other function. Similar questions surround female figurines discovered in prehistoric Greece, where archaeologists have explored different possible uses for such objects.
Transylvania archaeological site reveals thousands of years of history
The discovery came at Dâmbul Cetății, meaning Fortress Hill, near Șoimeni village in the Păuleni-Ciuc commune. The site is considered important for understanding prehistoric communities in Transylvania’s Ciuc Depression.
Researchers first documented the location in the late 19th century. During the interwar period, archaeologist Al. Ferenczi included it in an inventory of Dacian fortresses. Zoltán Székely conducted the first archaeological excavations during the second half of the 20th century.
Decades of Excavations Uncover Prehistoric Settlements
The National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians resumed research at the site in 1999. Since then, excavations have uncovered ancient dwellings, tools, weapons, ritual objects and large quantities of painted pottery. Researchers have identified evidence associated with several prehistoric cultures, including Cucuteni-Ariușd-Trypillia, Bodrogkeresztúr, Coțofeni, Costișa and Wietenberg.
Other archaeological discoveries in Romania have also provided evidence of complex prehistoric communities and their building traditions. Romania’s Ministry of Culture is funding the 2026 excavations through its National Program for Financing Systematic Archaeological Research.
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