Global Approaches to Early Representations of the Human Figure

GAERHF screen shot with map, descriptive text, and expanded image.

Ongoing interface and content work for GAERHF. Pic shows hovering over thumbnail for bigger image. And shows that I'm pasting in text from linked websites. I'm open to many sources. Text here is translation of inscription that dates figure as found on Wiki Commons. gaerhf.org#mankuwar-bud...

Join us online or in person for a talk from MAHSA’s Vaneshree Vidyarthi: ‘Mapping the Indian Palaeolithic’, part of the London Centre for the Ancient Near East’s Autumn seminar series.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lcane-autu...

Screen shot of website announcing talk.

GAERHF screenshot

GAERHF talk happening November 25th at 5PM in London. "Deep Time and Global Scope in a Digital Project: The example of the Human Figure" www.history.ac.uk/digital-huma... . It will be on Zoom as well. Link will be sent after registration (I think).

GAERHF screen shot with new colors more likely to be discernible by more people.

Working on color palette for GAERHF that's more likely to be discernible by more people. The light-ish purple circle on map is current figure whose details are shown. Brown marker borders show which figures have "ivory" as a keyword. Input at top-left to select that. gaerhf.org#ivory-female...

Screen shot showing keyword highlighting.

"Keyword Highlighting" in GAERHF more robust. Type "go" in top-left input field and you'll see options. Hover over options and relevant figures will be highlighted with green border. Click on a keyword and those markers will stay green. Current selected object is gaerhf.org#bimaran-casket

In addition to other broadly "Mediterranean World" pieces, I am reminded of the so-called Tlatilco Acrobat from Mesoamerica. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlatilc... . Not exact same position by any means. And no direct connection, of course. Though certainly, it came to mind.

Screenshot. Size of image when hovering. The inscribed figure is much more visible.

Screenshot. Image of figure too small to make out detail

Interface improvement: When you hover over the image in the top pane, it expands. Definitely makes it easier to see detail. Try the so-called "Peedie Pict" from Orkney: gaerhf.org#figure-carve...

Screen shot showing cleaned up layout.

Detail showing slider.

HTML, CSS, and JS cleanup in GAERHF. And honestly, VS Code's Copilot a huge help! I was pretty much vibe coding. Image works better, layout less clobber its various parts, try control-shift-L to change the color scheme of markers. A slider shows/hides. Figure is gaerhf.org#head-shaped-... .

Classification - Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi Group A

The "Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi" website is very nice. Here's a link to "Classification". Click through to pages with individual examples. And click around the entire site. It's well done. I'd like to visit! statuestele.org/stele-statue...

GAERHF Screen Shot

Mask Condorhuasi-Alamito artist(s) 400 BCE–500 CE https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/708743

There are now 500 figures in GAERHF. And counting... Long way to go before it's anything like comprehensive. This face from Argentina captures my mood as I think about where this all will end up. gaerhf.org#condorhuasi-... (Pic of Mask from Met Museum, Public Domain.)

GAERHF Screenshot.

Semi-functional UI development: "Keyword Highlighting". See pic. There's a small textbox at top left with "Gold". Green rings are figures with that keyword. I've clicked on a S. American beaker, highlighted in red, details in top pane. Pop-up is on hover over green marker. gaerhf.org#beaker-figur...

Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico | Antiquity | Cambridge Core Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico

A new "human figure" related article: N. Sugiyama, K. Taube, S. Sugiyama, & A.T. Muñoz. 2025. "Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico" www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

A Storm Hit Alaska. Now, a Native Community Is Racing to Save Its History.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/c... (Many figurines and masks illustrated in the article.) #paywall

GAERHF screenshot showing gallery, popup on map, and detail.

I'm working on a substantial UI update for GAERHF. Pic shows detail for a figure in Yemen, mouse is hovering over a figure across Red Sea, and a small gallery of all figures on screen is at bottom of page. Works best slightly zoomed in. Otherwise gallery too big. Try it at gaerhf.org#qatabanian-c...

GAERHF screenshot with map.

WIkimedia Commons image.

Quick note that I've added this Parthian "lute player" and that I'm happy to admit that I hadn't known that there is a series of Parthian musical figurines. See the linked wiki page for another example. gaerhf.org#parthian-lut... #AncientMusic

GAERHF screenshot showing highlighted figure as focus as well as a popup over location of another figure.

I'm working on an improvement to the GAERHF user experience. Links such as gaerhf.org#standing-fem... will highlight the location in red and maintain that highlight as you hover over other figures. Big picture: The spatial and temporal context of any one figure can be explored in relation to others.

I'm not going to include the "Nine Maidens" stone circle in GAERHF. It is a useful illustration of our willingness to find – to project – evocations of the human form in many contexts. No doubt a relatively recent name, which is on point. (P.s. Here's wiki page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Ma... )

GAERHF screenshot with map.

Wiki commons image.

4: Eyrarland Statue. C. 1000. gaerhf.org#eyrarland-st... . (All data entry at its start. Click through from GAERHF landing pages for more info. And click neighboring dots for other - also interesting - figures.)

GAERHF screenshot with map.

Wiki commons image.

3: Rällinge Statuette. C. 1000. gaerhf.org#rallinge-sta...

GAERHF screenshot with map.

Wiki commons image.

2: Seated Figure from Lejre. C. 900. gaerhf.org#seated-figur...

Wiki commons image.

GAERHF screenshot with map.

First go at getting some Scandinavian and Icelandic "Viking Period" figures into GAERHF. 1: Female Sword Bearer from Hårby. C. 800. gaerhf.org#female-sword... #ArtHistory #GlobalArtHistory

Screen shot with map from GAERHF.

Wikimedia Commons Image.

3 of 3: Corpulent Figure from Ħaġar Qim. C. 3600 to 3200 BE. gaerhf.org#corpulent-ha... . Click through on GAERHF URLs for links to more info. #ArtHistory

Screen shot with map from GAERHF.

Wikimedia Commons Image.

2: Reclining Figure from Hal Saflieni Hypogeum on Malta. C. 4000 to 2000 BCE. gaerhf.org#reclining-fi...

Screen shot with map from GAERHF.

Wikimedia Commons Image.

Overlapping conceptions of the human form from Malta and Sardinia. I don't mean that as any formal "Art Historical" statement. Just allowing for overlap in the Central Mediterranean. And beyond. 1: Bonu Ighinu Statuette from Sardiina (C. 4500 BCE) gaerhf.org#bonu-ighinu-... ... 🧵

Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered an 11,000-year-old carved face at Karahan Tepe, offering new insight into early human expression and symbolism.

buff.ly/JbuYz8k

There are now 450 entries in GAERHF. So I made a video of scrolling through the "List" view. And paused to click on a few along the way. That was a bit random. This all neither here nor there yet. Much work to do! I had to compress it a bit to get under 100 mb. #GlobalAntiquity #GlobalDH gaerhf.org

That's about where I stand right now. There's of course so much more. In Yemen! And elsewhere! More figures and more info about each one. And this is at the limits of my bsky thread skills and tolerance. But maybe interesting. And do please click thru from GAERHF for more info on each object. -S.

GEARHF website screen capture.

Bronze Statue of Dhamarʿalī Yuhabirr🔗
Approximate Date: 150 CE
gaerhf.org#bronze-statu...

GEARHF website screen capture.

Paired Figures from Funerary Relief of Tylos
Date Range: 100 CE to 300 CE
gaerhf.org#paired-figur...

GEARHF website screen capture.

Funerary Mask from Thaj
Date Range: 1 CE to 100 CE
gaerhf.org#funerary-mas...