The So-Called Earplugs from the Anatolian Early Bronze Age in the Context of the Anthropomorphic Vessels: The Possibility of Anthropomorphic Deities for Western Anatolia

Abstract

The focus of this paper is a group of anthropomorphic vessels found at sites in Western Anatolia dating to the Early Bronze Age I-II. The most striking shared feature is the presence of so-called earplugs in relief on both sides of their necks. To date, no visual evidence has been found to confirm that these artifacts were utilized as earplugs. We suggest that they are, in fact, a special type of earring and may have served to represent an unnamed deity or a member of the ruling class. © 2026 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.