Terracotta figure of a sleeping woman, painted with red ochre, found in the burial of Hal-Saflieni (Malta) and dating to about 3000 B.C. The opulent forms link this statuette to the other representations of the feminine in the Neolithic period, whereas a peculiar trait is the realism and originality of the posture. The latter could be interpreted as a representation of the repose of reproductive power of nature during some periods of the year, waiting for the awakening in the new season. Another interpretation looks at the image as a description of an initiation rite, implying the “sleeping with the Goddess”, which means symbolically to die and resurrect (Gimbutas 2005b).
The artifact is exhibited in the main hall of the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum (Paola, Malta).

[Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sleeping_Lady_Hypogeum_Hal_Saflieni.jpg]