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Mannetje van Willemstad

Mannetje van Willemstad is an oak figurine discovered in 1968 during construction of the Volkerak lock, part of the Delta Works, near the transition to Schouwen-Duiveland in the Netherlands. Dated by the C14 method to around 4,450 BC, it is probably a Mesolithic object and may have originated in the Vlaardingen culture. The figure was found eight meters below the surface between the roots of an oak tree. Only the face is more carefully shaped, while the body is rendered in a very abstract form. It measures about 125 mm in height, 51 mm in width, and 31 mm in depth. Its purpose is unknown, though it may have been used as a ritual object.

Mannetje van Willemstad wooden idol with a dark weathered surface and carved facial features.
Mannetje van Willemstad, a weathered wooden idol with carved facial details.
© Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden · CC BY 3.0
Mannetje van Willemstad wooden idol with carved facial features on a dark brown vertical sculpture.
Mannetje van Willemstad, a dark brown wooden idol with simple carved facial features.
© Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden · CC BY 3.0
Mannetje van Willemstad wooden statuette with deep eye hollows and a recessed mouth on a transparent base.
Mannetje van Willemstad, a dark wooden statuette with a prominent nose ridge and carved facial hollows.
June 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0 nl
Mannetje van Willemstad wooden figure with a weathered surface and hollowed facial features on a clear base.
The Mannetje van Willemstad, a weathered wooden figure with a block-like form and hollowed face.
June 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mannetje van Willemstad wooden carving with carved facial features against a dark background.
The Mannetje van Willemstad wooden idol shown in a close-up studio photograph.
© Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden · CC BY 3.0

Identification

TitleMannetje van Willemstad
Alternative name"Willemstad little man" (Виллемстадский человечек)
Typewooden figurine

Historical context

Dateabout 4450 BC
Periodprobably the Mesolithic
Cultural contextcreated in the area of the Vlaardingen culture

Creator

Dating methodradiocarbon analysis (C14 method)

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1968
Discovery contextfound during construction of the Volkerak sluice, part of the Delta Works; found at a depth of 8 meters between the roots of an oak tree
Discovery locationnear the transition to the island of Schouwen-Duiveland, the Netherlands

Physical characteristics

Materialoak wood
Dimensionsheight about 125 mm; width 51 mm; depth 31 mm

Appearance

Formthe face is carefully shaped, while the body is very abstractly rendered; only the face is clearly recognizable among the body parts

Iconography and meaning

Descriptionan idol
Purposeunknown; possibly a toy or a ritual object of a shamanic cult

Location and ownership

Current locationState Museum of Antiquities, Leiden