A Semiotic Analysis of the Ornamental Motifs on the Matt-Painted Zhivojno Vessel

This paper focuses on a semiotic interpretation of the well-known matt-painted vessel found in 1956 at the Bel Kamen site near the village of Zhivojno, in the region of Bitola. It delves into the spiritual culture of the communities that inhabited the Central Balkans during the Early Iron Age. The parallels and conclusions drawn herewith reflect a clear and coherent religious and value system which connects a wider area: the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, i.e. the Near East. The analysis of the Zhivojno vessel ornamentation, logically, indicates the possible existence of a cult of a female deity resembling the Great Mother Goddess, life-giver, who manages life cycles and warrants cosmic order, someone with a status matching that of the Phrygian Cybele (Matar). Key words. – matt-painted vessel, Zhivojno, Triple Goddess, Sun, Cybele (Matar).