Portable art of Late Stone Age hunter-gatherer-fishers in the North-East European forest zone
In this lecture, research results on portable art made by north-eastern European populations during the period of 6th–3rd millennium BC will be presented.

So far around 650 specimen including ceramic artefacts (sculpture and vessel-related images), carved sculptures made from bone, antler, amber, wood, and even retouched flint are known from this region. The images represent humans, birds, mammals, snakes, and fish. Studies of morphology, raw materials, technology, archaeological context, function, and symbolic meaning provide insights on lifeworlds and cosmologies. The large number and wide distribution of pieces may mark past social networks, such as marriage alliances and gift exchange. Variations in portable art morphology, design, quantity, and application probably reflect the changing world-view between generations.