It is a female statuette made from a single block of purified orange clay, with traces of red paint (of the red-banded ceramic type) present on the face, shoulders and part of the neck. The body has a trapezoidal profile that is empty inside, as if the body were adorned with a long bell-shaped robe, with the shoulders ending in a tongue to schematize the arms in an attitude of devotion or hieratic.

On the front part of the body two small conical protuberances represent the breasts, while on the sides there are 2 indented circular shapes with a diameter of about 2 cm. also present on the back of the statuette which could be associated with the solar symbol, relatively widespread in the context of Neolithic decorative schemes.

Also on the front, in the lower part, an anthropomorphic figure is engraved consisting of a double lozenge motif with horned termination set on a triangle motif with double line and on the sides three oblique lines on each side to probably indicate the hands; the detail of the anthropomorphic figure with horned appendages and arms pointing upwards can be found in numerous Neolithic examples of ceramic decorations (as in Lama Marangia in Puglia) and cave paintings (such as the anthropomorphic Port Badisco in Puglia or of Cave of Levanzo in Sicily), as if to represent a consolidated symbol of divinity or with particular shamanic aptitudes, thus reinforcing the cult value of the piece.

The face has the connotations of a mask, with the eyes and mouth rendered by short horizontal strokes imprinted, the nose in pointed relief that continues up to the height of the forehead while two vertical strokes are positioned at the ends of the face as if to indicate a probable hairstyle. The back of the item has no sign but is incomplete due to a small chip. In general, the figurine has many affinities with that of Raven Pass, both for the rendering of the face and for the symbolic characters represented on the body (in the case of Passo di Corvo the butterfly motifs present below the breasts and interpreted as attributes of the deity depicted should be highlighted); on the other hand, in the context of Eastern Neolithic figurative production, the Canne statuette has affinities with those of the central Balkans of Vinca or Butmir due to the rigid setting of the body, mask-like head and predominantly geometric decorative scheme.

Historical notes

The statuette was found fragmented into two pieces, but overall practically intact, in the winter of 1985, as part of excavation activities carried out outside the walls of the early Christian Basilica in Canne della Battaglia, an archaeological site whose memory is linked to the famous clash between the Romans and the Carthaginians which took place in 216 BC. The position immediately appeared as secondary with respect to the specific context of the discovery, attributed to the Neolithic and probably coming from neighboring areas where there are Neolithic ceramic sites impressed and painted in red bands, characteristics found in the figurine; however, it cannot be excluded that it came from the same hill where it was found, which has been affected over time by various excavation campaigns in extension which to date have not yet investigated the most ancient layers in depth.