Tiny Dancers

An Archaeological View of Hidden Figures on the Mari Plaque

Abstract

A miniscule figure is incised in the “lashes” around the left eye of a small gypsum plaque from the ancient city of Mari, known as the Stele of Ninhursag. With left leg raised, the figure, no more than six mm tall, would appear to be dancing. The plaque is already visually ambiguous in that it may be read as a human face, a female body, and, variously, a divine landscape or an owl.  Is the figure a private joke hidden in a cosmic pun, self-referential, or a profound statement on the nature of existence? What did ancient viewers see and understand when viewing this plaque? And why has the figure not been recognized before now?