The model of the temple: 6000 years of history

Trypil culture, which existed long before us in VI-III thousand BC. has many mysteries that have not yet been solved. And the more archaeologists try to solve them, the more they become. One of them is a model of the temple.

We set out to help scientists in their research. And thanks to photogrammetry technology, we digitize some of the most interesting finds. Access to this was rare, and research was based on descriptions almost a century ago.

Among the digitized artifacts is one of the famous finds, which gave momentum to decades of research in various directions.

The model of the building on four legs from the Volodymyrivka settlement raised several questions. Is it a house or a temple? Did the people of Tripoli paint their buildings like that? Was it used in rituals? Who and why was it created?

How they found the model of the temple

The settlement where the sculpture was found was opened by employees of the Uman Museum of Local History in 1926. It turned out to be one of the first discovered so-called “proto-cities”, with an area of ​​about 100 hectares and existed approximately in 4100-3800 BC.

During 10 years of research, many valuable artifacts were discovered. In 1936, fragments of the model were accidentally discovered by the Trypil expedition led by Sylvester Magura (who would be arrested and executed for anti-Soviet activities within a year).

On the site of the destroyed “site” only at a depth of 35 cm were fragments of the model, covered with a thick layer of limestone, through which the painting was barely visible. The places of the fracture were covered with plaque, which gave reason to believe that the sculpture was broken in ancient times.

The massive platform on four tall legs consists of a front projection without walls and a central part surrounded by a rim with a cut edge. There is an entrance in the front wall and a round window on the opposite wall. In addition, the entire model, both outside and inside, is covered with red engobe, black and white paintings.

And due to the lack of interior items back in the 1930s, Tatyana Passek assumed that this model was not a home, but had a public purpose. Since then, the idea of ​​finding confirmation of the existence of the temple has occupied the minds of archaeologists. In 2012, a British-Ukrainian expedition in the settlement of Nebelivka excavated a structure that fully meets the criteria of a temple.

Life of the temple model after excavation

But the history of sculpture did not end there. After the restoration, it remained in the Uman Museum of Local Lore, but the Second World War made its corrections. The museum was looted, and the most valuable exhibits were taken away. The Volodymyrivka model was lucky, it managed to be caught. In the end, it did not return to the place but went to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, where it is still kept.

Uman region did not forget its find. Scientists continued to study the model from old records and photos and drew attention to the teeth around the entrance hole. They were fascinated by the idea of ​​finding such teeth at the entrances of existing once-residents. During the last 15 years of the expedition of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Trypil Culture” it succeeded. Dozens of plaster fragments from entrances to houses with the same teeth were found.

So is it still a temple or a dwelling? And maybe there are still unsolved secrets hidden in it. Exploring the sculpture without damaging it and from any point is now much easier thanks to our 3D model.